Guest Lokia BC Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 I was in an MSc in Biochemistry program for 2 years. I recently withdrew from the program for many reasons, though mainly because I had been working at a project that had gone nowhere. My supervisor and I mutually decided for me to terminate that project and start a new one. Thus, I would be starting over from scratch. I decided not to continue out of frustration and a general learned dislike for research. How am I going to explain this in my interview? I would like to put a positive spin on an otherwise negative event in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest seonagh Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Besides learning that you don't like research (which certainly doesn't need to be a bad thing for medicine necessarily) what else did you learn about yourself? Focus on that admitting that taking on the program was a mistake for you is not the end of the world but the admission folks will want to hear some things that will reassure them that you are not similarly inclined to abandon medicine or just a "quitter" (please please don't think I'm saying I think you are, I did a very similar thing only with an undergrad program that wasn't for me so I know that this isn't about that. I'm just advocating for the devil here :evil with what I think an adcom could think in the 15 minutes they get with you worst case scenario which you will want to head off with your response) If your answers focus enough on how and why you know you are committed to meds and show a superior understanding of what you are getting yourself into with meds. Seonagh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xine15 Posted February 17, 2004 Report Share Posted February 17, 2004 Hi Lokia BC, That's a tough call. I had a very similar experience in my lab. My prof was brand new (actually I started one semester before she did) and my project was not the best. I worked (struggled would be a better word) for 2 years with nothing to show for it - no results obtained AT ALL! When it came up to two years I had also learned that I didn't really like research and that I wanted to quit so badly. I was told that I couldn't write up a thesis with the work I had done. I felt sort of alone - how could my department let this happen?? I decided to suck it up and start a new project. I have been working on it now for ~ 6months and I hope to start writing my thesis by April 1st. Those two years in the lab SUCKED big time and did quite a number on my motivation and self-confidence - not to mention the fact that my boss just kept saying "it should work - you're not getting results because you're not working hard enough - you're very unmotivated" D'oh!! Since I also considered applying without finishing my degree I can understand your dilemma. Even with a finished degree, many schools will look at my very noticeable lack of graduate productivity (U of T for example) and my file will probably suffer. Have you done anything valuable since you stopped going to school? Have you bumped up your level of volunteer work or anything of the sort? If not I suggest you start. I don't figure that working at a coffee shop would figure too highly as an alternate plan in the eyes of an interviewer. Show that you have a passion for health care and that you are comitted to following though with that passion. People in the biz know that things like this happen from time to time. People have been very understanding about my situation and have given me the benefit of the doubt. Be confident in your decision to stop - and give concrete reasons why (I don't think frustration couts as a concrete reason). Best of luck! C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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