Hey… I got the A today!!!!!!! From my two top schools.

I wanted to call my girlfriend to tell her on the phone but she kept shutting me down over text and telling me she’s studying in the library and she has a lot of work and cannot call. I told her to tell me when she’s free so that I can tell her over the phone.

She finally got the hint and realized that since it’s Oct 15 I must have found something out about med schools. But she continued to ask me to just send her a text or voice note and got increasingly frustrated when I told her that I want to wait to call until she’s free. She told me she hates waiting and that she doesn’t have the time right now.

She’s now mad at me for not just texting her. I’m lost because this is a huge day for me and I just wanted her to be proud and happy. I’m just lost here. Pre med relationships are not easy.

Should I just end it with her? Should I just wait? Am I the A hole…????

EDIT: thanks for everyone’s input. We ended up talking afterward and it went really well. We both apologized and she was really ecstatic for me. Everything is good :) and I’m going to relax😵‍💫

Hi everyone.

So I am 29 years old and I recently finished my PhD in cognitive science. Honestly I loved my topic and I really wanted to be a professor and study cognition for the rest of my life. But towards the end of grad school my fiance and I felt like academia wasn’t a good fit because we wanted to move home back to our hometown, and professor jobs are few and far between. The job market for professors is also just terrible, which I didn’t know when I started.

I ended up going into data science. My job is okay, I guess I like it. But recently I’ve been doing research on physician salaries and med school and just feeling terrible about myself. I was so lost in undergrad, and I came from a lower middle class family, so I didn’t want to ask them to pay for any grad school or anything (they wouldn’t have been able to). I also didn’t know any doctors…it’s just not a career I was exposed to. But I’ve been extremely stressed about money since graduating, I mean I make decent cash, but the pressures of supporting children and paying for daycare and everything, I feel it very intensely. I just think to myself, wow, if I just went to med school, I’d already be out of residency, I could be making $300k/year and never worry about money the rest of my life.

I also am much more confident in my intelligence now. I have always been a great student but I was bullied terribly in high school, mostly by my older sister. I thought I was an idiot who just “worked hard.” Now I know I’m start, and I think I could take the prereqs. But two years of prereqs, four years of school, residency. Part of me almost thinks about leaving my fiance and just starting over, because I definitely don’t want to put him through this.

But I’m so unhappy with myself. He wants to have kids soon but I feel so disappointed in myself and have such intense FOMO about potential earnings that I’m just sad. I got a PhD mainly because it was free but honestly I’d rather have a shit ton of loans and crazy job security than feel the way I do right now.

Hi Guys,

I hope everyone is enjoying their cycle! As someone who is going through this for the first time, I would love to hear some insight into the rest of the cycle from this point on. I have been lucky enough to have completed 8 MD interviews and have one post-secondary rejection.

Most of my interview invites came in August/September, and I have been in a lull as of late. If I do receive more interview invites, is there another likely wave? Or is it really a sporadic, unpredictable thing?

I’m a CA ORM with a pretty solid app. Graduated 2 years early and planning to apply May 2027.

518 and a 3.94. Multiple pubs, strong letters, 500-1000 hours in volunteer roles + leadership + clinical + research EACH. Got some niche hobbies and I consider myself a good writer/interviewer too.

Now the question: how do I go to med school for free?

Academically I know my stats are strong, but the schools that seem to be most generous with merit aid/are free (yale, Penn, nyu) all have median MCATs 4 or more pts above mine.

Do I send a retake aiming for perfection? I know I can easily eclipse 518 because I didn’t study too hard my first time around. Probably can get a 522+ since I have all this time on my hands. But I don’t want to look neurotic. I just wanna give stat whore what the stat whore wants so I can get what I want.

Do I pre write secondaries and broadly apply? I have tons of time but I figure writing can only get you so far even if I’m prewriting ages out.

Do I manufacture an X factor out of thin air? I don’t really want to do this but I can if that’s what’ll get me there.

Before I get flamed, I’m acknowledging my application is strong, and this is coming across as neurotic. Especially the MCAT retake. Please bear with me though because I have a very specific goal.

Considering how hard I have worked and the time that I have in front of me to tie up loose ends, it is my dream to not have to put that financial burden on my family and I.

For that, very reason, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to put myself in the most competitive spot possible to gain a scholarship.

Even if that is retaking a 518.

I feel like I’m close to being competitive for one so I’d like some advice from anyone who’s done it or has something to share. If im not close, I’d like a reality check.

I am a 3.96 GPA, 516 —> 514 mcat (please don’t ask😭), 2000 hours of research, 500 clinical hours and clinical research gap year, 200 volunteering, ORM, T20 school.

I have 2 interviews so far at Tulane and VCU and submitted secondaries on Sep 16th and week before, but one of my letter of rec writers ghosted me and finally wrote her letter 2 days later.

How cooked am I, honestly? Is this normal or if I submitted at this point, should there be more? I’m a first time applicant and I have no clue.

I don’t apply until next cycle but I get so frustrated looking at my overall application sometimes. Specifically my science gpa (I didn’t do too hot my sophomore year). It’s at a 3.5 and as a Texas resident ik that’s not competitive.

I look at all my other stats and the numbers are great which makes me even more frustrated cause it’s one singular number that ik drags my application down

I am extremely fortunate to have close family friends who graduated from a program that I am interviewing at. They offered to put in a good word for me with the people doing my interview, if they know them (there is a good chance they do since they were admissions faculty at one point). But I am worried about it backfiring (i.e. hidden curriculum, nepotism, disrupting the fair review process, breaching confidentiality). What do you guys think?

I need some advice.

How do I impress the ortho bros? I was thinking of bringing some creatine pre workout with me. Not sure what else I would bring or say to get them to want to hire me.

Thanks!

Alright- I’ll start this off by saying IK I might be driving myself up a wall by worrying about this too much but I feel like I’m a stuck in a stress loop about it.
I’m a freshmen in college and it’s my first semester, and I am very much failing my pre-calculus class. Even though I study, have a tutor, it’s just REALLY hard for me. My school urged me to take this class when I wanted to take stats, which I excel in.
After the midterm I know I will most likely fail or am in for a D at the very best.

Am I screwing myself over by failing this? If my freshmen GPA lands at a 3.0 how hard will it be to recover and will medical schools take this into account? I just feel like I’ve really dug myself into a hole, and of course I’m stressing myself out more by convincing myself I am ruining my med school chances with a bad track record.

For further reference- I’m starting my first year at a community college. I simply couldn’t afford to start at a four year with my goals of having to take out extra loans for grad school. I feel like starting at a CC has greatly hindered what my medical school application will look like in the first place, and now an F tacked on top won’t look wonderful.

Any advice would be great I’m just feeling extremely unsure of this seemingly rough start. Do I still have a fighting chance?

I just finished my phlebotomy class, and it is making me question everything about my future. Firstly, I have missed the vein many times on classmates and the idea of doing that on a patient makes me super anxious. Also, I have been consistently worse than many of my classmates. I worry that I am not cut out for medicine. I was really good in undergrad but my book smarts are not translating to practical skills.

Also, I have been working as an MA for almost a year. There are a few things in clinic that make me think that I am just not qualified to hold the responsibility of a doctor. I jumble words sometimes (I have always done this) and sometimes I mix up the names of medications (I never call them in incorrectly but sometimes I say them wrong).

My therapist told me that I am being too harsh on myself and that it takes time to learn a new skill. But I think that you need to be harsh on yourself to be a good doctor and I am really worried about messing up and risking someone's life.

Has anyone else ever felt like this? Am I being harsh or am I being realistic that I may not be cut out for medicine?

Just wanted to brag because I originally thought i’d crash and burn in this class and tank my gpa.

However, thanks to some study tips from this subreddit and the chem subreddit I can officially say I got 100% course grade in Gen Chem 1! Starting gen chem 2 today so any tips are appreciated.

Thank you all and to all good luck on whatever it is that may be challenging you!

I’m sorry if this post doesn’t belong here but people in my lab are frequent users of the usual research subreddits and I’m trying to protect my anonymity.

My PI is incredibly biased against pre-med students not interested in MD-PhD. I’m interested in my MD/DO and the other student (exact same position I’m in, started at the same time) is debating MD or MD-PhD. From the jump, my PI preferred to them even if not purposefully. I was constantly being quizzed, everything I did was questioned and put under the guise of “teaching.” While the other student had fun light hearted conversations with the PI. The PI also told the other student that they think MDs aren’t critical thinkers, are bad at engaging in research, and doesn’t like working with them despite being an MD/PhD themselves.

They have taken a very hands off approach to mentoring me, to the point where the only time he’ll talk to me is during our pre scheduled monthly one on ones. But even those feel rushed and like he doesn’t want to be there. While the other student ends up getting 1 hr+ meetings. They speak frequently outside of their meetings and he’s very interested in how the students work is going. For me, couldn’t be bothered. If the PI has any interest in what I’m doing they go to the scientist i work with. I’ve even been sat at my desk and the two of them were discussing my new data without me. I tried to get involved in the conversation but was barely acknowledged.

And now I find out the other student is getting more learning opportunities, more responsibilities, a more independent project, and was damn near promised their own first author paper by the end of their time in the lab. I was told to not expect authorship in this position. The student was also told they would stop working on something that we both do together because it’s not worth her time with this bigger project. So now all of it will fall on me, and it’s also not worth my time. Yes we have different projects and potentially different career goals. But the lack of interest in me, my work, my goals, and my energy I’ve put in this lab is so frustrating.

At first I thought I was just overthinking, being too anxious, and maybe we just weren’t clicking. But I come to find out there were other students with the same career goals as me who had terrible experiences with this same PI. Some have quit because of the PIs treatment, there have been yelling matches between the PI and former students, and others have left talking to him extremely upset.

I know I haven’t always been my bosses or coaches favorites but I’ve never been made to feel undervalued or completely invisible blike I do now. And it being a pattern is extremely distressing.

I switched to pre-med my junior year. I want to be involved in research but all the labs I've contacted are taking freshmens and sophomores.

This is so exciting! For reference there are currently four other HBCU medical schools open which are Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. This is a huge win! XULA's school of medicine is also the first HBCU school of medicine operating in the gulf south as well.

"The College of Medicine will begin recruiting students in coming weeks for its inaugural class starting in 2027, advancing the vision for America's next historically Black college of medicine."

This is great news and I look forward to the success of the school. What are your thoughts?

Read more here: https://www.xula.edu/xocom/historic-milestone-americas-newest-medical-school-earns-preliminary-accreditation.pdf

anyone else waiting on wake? do they phone call or email? does this mean i’m cooked?

it's been like a month... i feel so bad. i thanked the doctor when i was leaving of course and they offered to let me shadow again sometime. is it bad if i send the thank you and can i shadow you again email now or in a couple weeks when i have time to shadow again?

Hey yall,

So I'm applying this cycle, and unfortunately submitted my secondaries very late. I'm really set on going to a T10 or T20 since I'm interested in a competitive specialty, and my stats are pretty solid. Knowing how late I submitted, I only applied to top heavy schools since I know its frowned upon to reapply if you have an acceptance, and I would rather reapply and give myself a shot at T20s with an extra year rather than save a year and go to my state school.

My question is, how possible is it to get into T20s as a reapplicant? If I'm set on T20, is it worth it to keep my school list as is, or is getting into a T20 as a reapplicant so unfeasible that I should just add state schools to my list and submit october secondaries right now.

Thanks for your help! And just to clarify no shade at all to state schools at all, they're amazing but just not as aligned with my future goals.

Sure I applied MD-PhD so it's probably different, but still hurts nonetheless. Interview wasn't great so I didn't have high expectations, but genuinely one of the worst feelings in the world. I'm just staring at my phone praying they call me and just kinda knowing it's not gonna happen.

submitted primary June 1st, verified first week July.

All secondaries sent within roughly 14 days of receiving, most completed July-August, with the last few late August/early September. 28 schools.
School list in post history if interested. 520 4.0

I know it’s still early but see a lot of ppl with IIs so always wondering lol, anybody in the same boat?

I know it’s not the end of the world and that I have a solid chance but I’m feeling so inadequate right now. 1 waitlist and radio silence from everyone else after applying to 30+ schools… I just feel so tired. currently procrastinating on telling my parents

like not even a single rejection??? I mean thank god but not hearing a single thing so far I’m like did my application even go through… complete silence from MD and DO schools and I know people with lower and higher stats than me that have already heard so I’m starting to panic (trying not to but I can feel a crash out coming soon). and don’t even get me started on those emails that schools send that end up being info session invites.

I applied to Drexel MD this cycle and I receive incessant emails from their graduate admissions about virtual fairs, info sessions, and other graduate degrees (come on) basically on a daily basis.

If I unsubscribe from their email list, will I not receive an email pertaining to my admissions decision or any automatic admissions updates?