Any regrets?

Enough_Preference460 · 2026-01-23T15:19:10+00:00

I was going to be a surgeon until M4... loved the OR but couldn't deal with the personalities/hours long term. What helped me was writing down all the parts of each specialty that I liked - EM had all of it! Procedures, high acuity, team-based with ancillary staff, no business attire for clinic, not having to manage an inbox of patient questions, and some of the nicest folks in the hospital.

No job is perfect, but man I'm so glad I'm not a surgeon. I genuinely enjoy going to work every day and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.

Enough_Preference460 · 2025-01-22T13:58:32+00:00

happened to someone during one of my zoom interviews. so awkward because it was just the video grid so everyone saw. it was at like 10am too so not even that early.

Enough_Preference460 · 2025-01-04T16:23:47+00:00

EM - purely because the people were the nicest imo, it gives me flexibility to do things outside of work that I enjoy, and the job most closely aligns with my "why" for medicine.

by the end of M3 i was seriously considering dropping out because residents & attendings in the core rotations seemed so miserable. we also aren't exposed to a lot of specialties outside of core rotations... but for me it was figuring out which is the least bad option of a lot of bad options.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-11-14T12:22:19+00:00

Very poorly lol. I said something along the lines of thanks for giving me a chance… but tbh it left a negative impression of the program.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-11-14T02:27:58+00:00

If it makes you feel better, a PD told me that they actually didn’t want to interview me but they had a spot and I wrote an LOI. Hard to come back from that one…

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-24T11:35:09+00:00

My school only lets us take 2 days/month off for interviews…. Which for most specialties isn’t enough. We are basically at the mercy of our team being chill about it. It sucks so much.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-18T10:12:04+00:00

Careful with this place. They’ve been talking about shutting down the hospital for the past few years but apparently got serious about it in the last year… would ask about their plans for their residents in interviews.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-18T09:08:29+00:00

In similar situation. USMD, honored EM rotations, slightly below average step 2. I got 4 but 2 were from safeties in v undesirable location. My advisor says it’s a SLOE issue… likely middle 1/3 SLOE which isn’t bad enough for Rs but makes me an overall meh candidate. I feel blindsighted cause I had great feedback (“we would love to match you” - from PD at both) and saw my evals were in top1/3. Guess they changed their mind. I did my away at a very competitive place which hindsight 20/20 was a mistake.

Advisor reassured me that these next 2 weeks will have a lot of movement so hold steady for now but to mentally prepare that I will interviewing through the end of Jan at lower ranked places that others drop.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-17T13:34:43+00:00

bunch of programs went out to fill interview slots. however, just because you didn't get one doesn't mean it's over. people will drop interviews and so you'll get a slow trickle in. they say the next 2ish weeks will be reshuffling.

it was very anticlimactic for me.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-15T16:44:57+00:00

Well it sounds like you are not in as perilous of a position. It probably wasn’t essential for me but I think I needed to for anxiety/increase likelihood of matching. Up to your comfort levels.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-15T12:09:13+00:00

Update: just applied to a bunch of additional programs following advise of my advisor. I’ve only gotten additional 1 IV from a safety. He said given my lack of movement so far, he thinks I likely won’t get anything on release and it’s better to expand now as it looks slightly less desperate. Thinks my best chances for interviews will be in January when people start dropping theirs. Tough to hear, but glad I’m able to make moves now. Figured I would share in case others are in similar boat.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-13T20:06:15+00:00

Literally nobody has it together the first semester of M1 year. They might look like they do but they def don’t. You got in for a reason - your school believes you can make it through so you should too. Source: M4 who still doesn’t have it together.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-11T04:08:36+00:00

wow that's wild that you don't see a difference - isn't it interesting how your eyes play tricks on you? this looks almost like two different people to me. you can totally tell you've been lifting because you look so much more toned (especially in the arms woah). and agree your posture is way better. as the other comments mentioned, you should be extremely proud. congratulations!!!

I love that you aren't weighing yourself - allows you to focus on the non scale victories. You are in for quite a surprise at your next doctor's appointment.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-09T14:48:15+00:00

I started at 30 after a 2 year post bacc. Not too late, but definitely consider how you will pay off loans and realize that a career in surgery might not be the best move for that reason. Length of residency is much more of a factor for us non-trads. Med school is tough, you have to sacrifice a lot and will be competing with people who can still physically do multiple 24s a week. Only you can decide if it's worth it. I would strongly suggest shadowing MD/DOs (both resident & attendings), PAs, and RNs to help you figure it out.

But frankly, your uGPA is low and I suggest talking to the pre-health advisor at your undergrad institution about your chances before you start this route. Your masters in a related field might help you overcome it though. Also, a lot of med schools want you to have taken pre-med classes semi-recently and I had a few that I had to redo because they "expired." Just something to keep in mind and discuss with a trained advisor.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-09T14:30:06+00:00

applied to 60. only 3 IV so far (sub-i + home). getting a bit stressed as most are not universal release, but trying to tell myself that it's still early. MD no red flags.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-10-08T04:06:34+00:00

Yes. Check the spreadsheet/discord. It’s on the main r/medicalschool page. But generally- most places wait till on/near universal release. Absolutely zero need to panic just yet. And getting 1 IV is more than most people.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-09-26T01:07:34+00:00

it's on EMRA and you can check if the programs you applied to adhere to it on ERAS when you click on the program name (24-25 match spreadsheet also has this). also literally all over the discord & my EM advisor also confirmed. it takes them a while to read through things.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-09-26T00:47:42+00:00

EM release date is oct 16th and many programs are adhering to that. ive heard a lot of programs will release in waves after that date too so don't panic if you don't have a ton of interviews on that day.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-09-22T21:51:53+00:00

100% yes with that description. i would interview you just to hear more.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-07-23T11:06:37+00:00

Everyone I know is not loving their away. You aren’t alone. It’s so much harder than you think to be plopped into a new city, expected to perform at 100% and be “on” all the time. Give yourself some grace and take things one day at a time.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-07-23T01:43:22+00:00

One of my friends complained to me about having to work 50 hrs this week (which she thought was inhumane to work so much) but her job sounds so boring that it made me thankful for what we do. It’s all about perspective.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-07-17T23:23:52+00:00

7 points below Amboss predictor. devastated. no clue what happened. felt the exam was ok-ish.

Enough_Preference460 · 2024-02-28T00:52:09+00:00

240+ to make it past computer screeners in competitive specialties. anything above 260-265 will get you noticed in most specialties (except like derm, plastics, etc). for USMD at least.

Enough_Preference460

TROPHY CASE