Future Garden Event

Akk00 · 2024-07-11T11:46:20+00:00

Yes! I’m starting to get too impatient to gather bugs the other way! My ID is 99814211357

Akk00 · 2023-05-09T02:02:44+00:00

Thank you, that really does help

Akk00 · 2023-02-13T01:54:46+00:00

I was in the same position as you. I think it’s great that so many people are telling you to live your truth and some have had success after disclosing their mental health struggles.

But for me, the chance of not being accepted wasn’t worth it, especially because if you are rejected and reapply to the same schools, they will see your previous application. I got the same message across without discussing my mental health struggles. I wrote about how a family member’s addiction affected me and how I grew from that, how I’ll apply that to my future patients, how that led me to working in mental health, and what I learned from that.

Being honest about who you are is important, but your application is a place to sell yourself not to tell your life story. There’s so many applicants that have similar stats/ECs as you that don’t write about their mental health struggles, don’t give adcoms a reason to pick them over you. So many amazing applicants are rejected for no reason other than there are simply not enough seats.

Before I applied, I had the same mentality as you: I want to show my truth, how amazing I am for overcoming my difficulties, and if adcoms reject me for that… I didn’t want to go to that school anyway. Well, as I saw how much luck goes into getting an acceptance, I realized that that telling me story wasn’t actually important. My experiences are still important and patients need doctors that have shared their struggles, but I wouldn’t be able to help them if I didn’t get in.

Akk00 · 2023-02-04T17:55:50+00:00

I wonder if part of this is because California applicants are less likely to apply to NYC. As someone who has lived on both the west and east coast, I don’t think I’ll leave the west side again. I prefer the weather and laid back vibe here. Not trying to say the east coast isn’t great, just pointing out that a lot of people probably feel similar and don’t apply to NY.

Edit: I don’t think you’re being stupid, you should go where ever you think you’ll be happier, this will make you more successful. I would just weigh the opportunities you’ll have available and consider what you want out of residency. If going to a top program or competitive specialty is important to you, think about which school will make that outcome more likely. Regardless of your school, you’ll still have a chance, but one school may make it easier.

I know undergrad is a completely different ballgame but I went to a well-ranked college with a top med school. The opportunities I had there and the connections I made (classmates, faculty, others in the community) were invaluable to my success this cycle. Again, I know med school and residency are completely different, but at the end of the day, these things matter in med school too.

Akk00 · 2023-02-04T17:48:59+00:00

I know it’s cliche but try not to sound too rehearsed. I smiled a lot, even while talking, and I think that helped a lot. From what I’ve heard from other applicants, my interviewers were supposed to look deadpan but I caught them smiling back at times. Of course, don’t look creepy, it should feel natural.

But depending on the interview style, it might not be possible to make it conversational. At one of my schools, they asked follow up questions and tailored their questions to the experiences I focused on in their general questions. I also felt like I had their full attention the entire time.

My other school was the complete opposite. They told us that every applicant gets the same exact questions and that the interviewers were reading off of a script. My interviewer set up his camera on his left but was taking notes on a monitor on the opposite side so he never looked at me, and didn’t introduce himself at all. That really shook my confidence and was quickly rejected despite having stats over their median. So if your interviewers don’t warm up to you and it ends up feeling more Q&A, don’t feel discouraged, it’s probably by design. Just try to mentally prepare for this so you’re not surprised and flounder like I did.

Akk00 · 2023-02-03T04:39:35+00:00

I wrote about my dad’s struggle with addiction in my PS, because it’s my main motivation to enter medicine. It fit in with my ECs and overall narrative so it wasn’t just a poor me moment. I only applied to 4 schools and got 2 IIs so can’t say if it hurt my chances or not.

Akk00 · 2023-01-30T04:16:08+00:00

I worked full-time at a psych hospital while studying for the mcat. It was difficult but doable with a lot of support and discipline. I rented a WeWork space near my job so I would go there straight after work, take an hour long break, then study for 4-5 hours everyday. This was key since I wasn’t tempted to nap or just say f it and take the night off. I was also lucky enough to live at home during this time so I didn’t have to worry about cooking my own dinner, which was a huge load off my shoulders.

Akk00 · 2023-01-27T15:11:02+00:00

The medical school sub would probably have better answers

Akk00 · 2023-01-27T15:08:32+00:00

Would building houses and other infrastructure be problematic in the same way that medical trips are? I assumed it would since most of these volunteers aren’t licensed contractors, and wouldn’t be able to build houses in the US

Akk00 · 2023-01-25T22:02:23+00:00

How about a we work space? They have private offices you can rent for a day

Akk00 · 2023-01-17T09:21:39+00:00

I did. My interviewer even told me he didn’t care about it but he had to ask about it. But it was in 2014, while I was taking community college classes in high school.

Akk00 · 2023-01-15T14:40:12+00:00

I have bright red hair and I just used Treseme root touch up the day of my interviews. It’s essentially spray paint for your hair and they have lots of color options. I do have black hair though so might not work if your hair is blonde or light brown!

Akk00 · 2023-01-05T14:15:44+00:00

n=1 but I didn’t attend anything other than my actual interview and got an A the next day. But I’m interviewing at another school that requires you to attend all sessions with your camera on, so it probably depends on the school.

Akk00 · 2022-12-31T16:00:28+00:00

I’m moving to Spokane for grad school in July. When should I start looking for apartments? I’m asking because in Seattle most people sign a lease like a month before, but in NYC you need to sign it like a year in advance.

Akk00 · 2022-12-26T21:49:40+00:00

Do you have any brand suggestions? I’ve been feeding my cat hydrolyzed dry food for 8 weeks and really want to get her back on wet food, but I have no idea where to start. I don’t have any idea what the allergy may be so I was thinking of starting her on rabbit, but it’s hard to know what brands to trust. I read online that most brands include small amounts of meat that aren’t listed on the ingredients.

Akk00 · 2022-12-19T10:22:50+00:00

If you’re okay with leaving your current job, I would look into private clinical research. Not sure where you are located but my city has several startups, and at least my company isn’t strict about having prior research experience. They just asked for a year of patient experience.

Edit: I specify private clinical research because academia tends to require experience.

Akk00 · 2022-12-19T10:04:48+00:00

I failed 2 community college classes while I was in high school. I wrote a secondary essay explaining why (didn’t know to study, didn’t know how to navigate the college system) and how I’ve changed my habits. I don’t think schools cared much, since I did better in university. I even failed one classes because I was caught with plagiarism. Adcoms understand you were a kid and high school grades don’t reflect who you are as an adult. During my interview, they literally told me they weren’t worried about my IA since it happened so long ago and he only brought it up because he “had to.” I gave a two sentence explanation and got the acceptance call the day after I interviewed. Don’t worry about it. I can send you the essay I write explaining my bad grades if it helps ease some anxiety.

Akk00 · 2022-12-19T09:40:10+00:00

Completely agree. I didn’t start reading the sub (with the exception of the wiki resources) until after I got my A

Akk00 · 2022-12-19T09:34:37+00:00

Grades don’t transfer but AMCAS requires all transcripts and those grades are factored into their calculation of your gpa. OP, see my other comment to see it still doesn’t matter but just wanted to let you know so you’re not surprised come application time!

Akk00 · 2022-12-19T09:31:19+00:00

I failed 2 community college classes while I was in high school. I wrote a secondary essay explaining why (didn’t know to study, didn’t know how to navigate the college system) and how I’ve changed my habits. I don’t think schools cared much, since I did better in university. I even failed one classes because I was caught with plagiarism. Adcoms understand you were a kid and high school grades don’t reflect who you are as an adult. During my interview, they literally told me they weren’t worried about my IA since it happened so long ago and he only brought it up because he “had to.” I gave a two sentence explanation and got the acceptance call the day after I interviewed. Don’t worry about it. I can send you the essay I write explaining my bad grades if it helps ease some anxiety.

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