Guest MDbadly Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Hi guys, When should one consider PlanB and let go of meds? Or realize that the adm committee thinks you don't have what it takes. Interviewed 2x at Ottawa in the past. 1st interview, too eager, nervous, knew I would be bad waitlisted. 2nd time, thought it was perfect, connected with them and all the works...bad waitlisted again. Havn't applied since. Been accepted to almost every other programs but quit because it's not med. Will reenter another program in Sept again but thoughts of med is still there. Sad but true. The question is (and I realize it's hard for you guys to answer because everyone on this board will get in, if not already in, sooner or later): How do you know that you couldn't be a doctor and move on the plan B??? despite of all the doctors you shadowed, places you volunteered, references telling you that you have all the good characteristics and personality to be a good doctor. Everyone else, except the admission committee. Even you believing that medicine is the perfect fit for you after trial and error all other programs but the problem remains, I can't get in. This has been a real struggle for me! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ibraheem Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 if you really want to get in apply too all the med schools, i am sure you will get in one. if not try dentistry or pharmacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peachy Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Is Ottawa the only school that you have applied to in the past? Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Waitin Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 your absolute worst case scenario is to go the states where you'll undoubtedly be admitted, so why the do-I-have-what-it-takes angst? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jerika81 Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 I think you probably need to state more clearly why it is you think you've been unsuccessful in the past in order to get better advice. But applying two times and only to one school is not time to pack it in. I've read of at least one person on this forum who got in this year after applying 12 times. It sounds like you must have a good GPA since you got an interview at Ottawa, so that can't be the problem. Maybe you are not the best in interviews, to help this I suggest applying to more schools so you will have more than one hopefully, and get more comfortable with them. Maybe this means you have to write the MCAT. If you haven't written it then I think you should so you can apply to more schools. In the end, if you really don't think you'll get in here then the States is an option but a very expensive one. I'd also consider Australlia and Ireland if you're going to go the international route. I do not recommend going in to dentistry or pharmacy because you do not sound like someone who just wants a good paying job, you sound like you really want to be a doctor, and you'll certainly not be happy in these other professions if you always regret the fact that you didn't become a doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDbadly Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Peachy: You are amazing! I have read some of your posts and it seems like you got into every shool. Congrats! Have fun at UofT. I only applied to Ottawa because I don't have the MCAT scores. GPA wise, 3.80 and up in my 2nd degree though. No Mac because it's cummulative GPA, and although it said only required 3.0 to apply, I don't have any outstanding ECs. So again the 3.80+ GPA goes to waste. Waitin: I would have no problem going to the states, expect one---Bad MCAT scores, and most of the states requires high MCAT. I'm not sure what you mean about angst? I just feel so discouraged, to work hard to get my GPA up but I feel that it was for nothing. I'm more upset towards myself regarding to what I could do better last time for Ottawa than blaming the process or admission committee. That wasn't my point. Also having been so close and then also got into all the other health related interview process, I didn't know what I did to screw Ottawa up since most of the other interviews asked basically the same skills, personality and characteristics of you. Just sad, that's all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dfenst Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 I've read a bunch of posting that say to apply to the States because you're sure to get in there. While I'd encourage you to apply to the States, I would definitely not say that it's a shoe in. There are private US schools that don't have state requirements, but a lot of them do. Yes there are more American schools, but I don't have to tell you that there are tons of applicants. There are state schools in the US where 33 is the average MCAT score (SUNY Stonybrook). You can't just go and apply to the University of Nebraska (random example) and think you'll get in because of the low average MCAT scores there. Schools like that have like 95-100% in state and, therefore, leave about 0-3 spots for out of staters, let alone Canadians. I do know people that have gotten in to American schools that were unlucky with Canadian schools, but I think it's a big misconception that you can just go to an American school if Canadian schools don't let you in. That being said, the international med schools are a good option if you are willing to move away to pursue your passion. St George's in the Caribbean, American-Israel programs, and some of the european ones people mentioned are all good back up plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 I'd say write the MCATs again (they only use the most recent sitting, and you have a shot at SO many more schools with a decent MCAT!!) or at the least apply to both Ottawa and Mac (what you do have might be worth more than you thought.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDbadly Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 It seems that I have no clue and no success with the MCAT since my scores were low, it adds to my worries of do I have what it takes? So wondering if MCAT accurately reflects your abilities or performance in med school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peachy Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 LOL, thanks, MDBadly. Although, I didn't even get an interview at McMaster... That's an example of why I, personally, wouldn't want to have only applied to the non-MCAT schools (I didn't apply to Ottawa at all). The pool of qualified applicants is just SO large at Ottawa and Mac that there are no guarantees, even for very qualified people. So, I totally agree with UWOMED2005 - why don't you write the MCATs again? I don't have any outstanding ECs. So again the 3.80+ GPA goes to waste.It's really hard to tell what outstanding EC's are. And there are always people who get accepted with very average EC's because of a great interview, or essay, or whatever. What do you have to lose by applying to McMaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Heya, It seems that I have no clue and no success with the MCAT since my scores were low, it adds to my worries of do I have what it takes? So wondering if MCAT accurately reflects your abilities or performance in med school? It sounds like there's a lot of self-doubt going on in your mind, or that perhaps you are trying to talk yourself into a decision one way or the other. The bottom line is that you are the only one who can decide whether med school is a possibility in your future. I know many, many friends who started out thinking medicine was the career they wanted, only to discover along the way that something appealed to them much more. Or that after an initial rejection, they decided to move on with their life and are now in a different field that still satisfies their career goals, and might even be a better fit for them than medicine. There are also lots of other people who had the tenacity to stick things out; one guy in my class wrote the MCAT 4 times before getting a decent score, another person applied to med school 4 times before getting his acceptance letter. Both of them are going to be terrific doctors. The MCAT is not a measure of how well you will do in med school. I think most med students will agree with me that if you happen to fall into the "natural genius" category, that med school can be pretty easy. But if you look long and hard at who the top students are academically, usually they are the individuals that bust themselves studying the big hours. Med school takes a lot of work, and a huge amount of information is thrown at you. It doesn't take a genius to learn it all, but rather someone who is doggedly tenacious and willing to put in the hours of study. That same personality trait of deciding that you are going to knuckle down and study for the MCAT is the same drive that will get you through med school. But you (and only you!)have to decide if you are willing to commit that time and work effort. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest j282 Posted June 8, 2003 Report Share Posted June 8, 2003 Mdbadly, may I suggest a prep course such as kaplan or Princeton review for the MCAT? I have heard that these courses have helped people improve their scores, perhaps it may also help you. May I ask what other health related careers that you have been accepted to, attended? I think that one can find many rewarding careers within health care, that play a significant role, as much so as physicians. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dfenst Posted June 9, 2003 Report Share Posted June 9, 2003 First of all, you throw a 3.8+ GPA into the discussion as though it's almost a given that everyone has these grades. I think it's a pretty impressive GPA. Secondly, you have made it to the interview process at Ottawa which, from my understanding, means you have a pretty nice record. If you told me that you had applied like 3 or 4 years in a row without ever getting an interview, I might agree with you that pursuing another field you'd enjoy is a practical and wise decision. I just feel like you're so close to getting in, and that's what makes me say "Stick With It". Rewrite your MCATs this August. Study your ass off, and don't leave anything in the bag. Take a prep course, study morning til night, get tutors. All the while, I recommend that you keep adding to your resume. Do a masters. Work with patients. Show undying commitment to the field you will ultimately devote the rest of your life to. When you get to the interview next year, you can have great stories to talk about with the Adcoms. The interviews that I have done well at (certainly not all) are the ones where there was a 2 way conversation and where the answers I gave were not contrived but rather insightful, honest, humble, and with great excitement. Go into the interview with a list of items you are most proud of and walk out of the interview knowing you mentioned all of them. Good luck, Dan :smokin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.