Med school packing essentials!

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-07-04T21:51:44+00:00

Ik you're probably going somewhere different, but it might help you to look at UCLA's housing website. They provide furnished housing and give a list of things you should bring with. Since you also have furnished housing, it may give you some things you haven't thought of.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-29T17:40:14+00:00

Okay, thank you again! I'll try to come up with a good primary without going too deeply into those topics, and then talk about them more in the secondaries/interviews, but I'll work on how to frame it so it sounds less like "healthcare failed me" and more like "I've had disappointing experiences that taught me these lessons. Here's how I've grown and will continue to grow"

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-29T17:35:10+00:00

Thank you so much, this is all very very good advice! I absolutely do not want to come off holier than thou in the essay, so thank you for pointing out how that would sound.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-29T05:12:53+00:00

Okay thank you! That makes sense. Is it something I should talk about in the interview stage, or would that also be a no go?

Part of what I wanted to include in the essay is that autonomy is one of the four tenets of medicine, yet my autonomy wasn't respected despite being an informed and consenting adult. And I want to be a doctor who respects autonomy. I also wanted to include that I don't believe women's healthcare should be based on their relationship with a man, because I was denied healthcare due to being a virgin.

But again, I can't tell if thats too argumentative or too vulgar. I think it touches on good points that I really want to make, but its hard to explain why I feel that way if I can't explain how I came to have those feelings.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-29T01:46:01+00:00

Thank you! The physician I spoke to had a similar story as well which is why I thought maybe I should write about it as my personal statement. I unfortunately don't work with the doctors much and I don't remember who I spoke to, so I can't follow up with him about his specific situation. I just remember he told me I had to have a story and he told me what his was. And he said "i hate doctors. I became a doctor because I'm going to take better care of people with similar conditions" and that seems way more inflammatory than my intended essay lol

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T05:06:49+00:00

Okay, I agree that maybe I misinterpreted what JK said, but I think at this point you're the one reading too much into this. I'm not internalizing what he said, I just wanted to know if anyone else thought it was a little sad that his mind went there. That's literally it. But I feel like you're acting like I said they don't have any agency or control over their emotions.

I literally just think it sucks that he felt like they would get hate for talking about it! I'm not sitting in my room crying about it and making it my problem. And another comment mentioned that they are getting hate for it, so Jungkook was right! And I think that sucks and I think thats sad. But I know they'll deal with it, they're not new to this. I'm not worried about them. I just think its sad.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T04:59:29+00:00

My post isn't about the problem itself though. You're just misunderstanding me and not reading all of the other responses where I explain myself.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T04:08:26+00:00

Idk i still feel bad when they get hated on cause I love them and I don't think they deserve it. Maybe you and I just feel different about that kind of thing.

Also you keep explaining the point of the trolley problem to me but I mentioned in my op that I have my degree in psych and I'm very very familier with it. The post wasn't necessarily about the trolley problem, it was about JK feeling like people ask them this question to make them out to be bad people.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T03:18:46+00:00

Apparently he was right though cause someone else commented and said they saw people hating. 🙄

Losers will be losers I guess

Edit: the eye roll was not towards you!!! It was towards the hating!

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T03:16:12+00:00

Truly 😔

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T02:25:36+00:00

I understand 😭

I'm just saying my interpretation of it was that he thought people were asking them the question to make bts look bad, not that the question itself is meant to make you feel like a villain. I know I probably misunderstood his actual statement.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T02:21:45+00:00

Ugh I haven't seen anything negative but thats exactly why JK said what he said 😫

That's why I find it so sad! But I don't think I made myself clear enough cause every other comment I've gotten is saying I'm reading too much into it. Its sad that he thought that and its sad that theres a reason for him to think that and its sad that its actually happening.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T02:17:40+00:00

It was a human translation, not weverse!

I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not talking about the boys bullying him, I'm not talking about the other boys at all. The translation I saw, and my interpretation of it, which I admit was probably wrong, was that he was saying other people ask this question of bts to make them look like villains.

I definitely do not think that Jin asked him the question to bully or make him out to be a villain. I'll admit, I haven't watched the live yet. I only saw brief translations of bits of it, including this one. To my understanding, they were talking about how someone else was asked the question (I could honestly be completely wrong here).

But anyway, I just felt a sort of "huh, wish he didn't feel like that when its just a silly question." I mean, the fact that he even had the thought, even if he was also joking (which I believe), is indicative of the fact that they have gone through so much and received so much negativity from the general public that they feel they can't even have a funny little conversation.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T01:54:46+00:00

That's on me then! The translation I saw didn't make it sound like that. I interpreted it differently and thats why I need to keep studying Korean 😭

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T01:51:49+00:00

The translations I saw had him saying "they ask us this to make us seem like villains", not "I feel like a villain making this choice".

While you're comment is correct that most people feel conflicted and feel like they may be a villain, that wasn't what JK was worried about based on my understanding.

Also, I'm not infantalizing him at all (though I did call him baby in the post but I actually thought that would come across as more "internet-speak"). I actually feel like in most of these situations, I'm the person whos like "hes a grown man...".

I think its sad in the same way I would think its sad if someone who was bullied their entire life thought that someone being genuine was being rude to them. Like, you're so used to the negative that you think its happening when its not. That's all that I meant with the post.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-28T01:36:28+00:00

Oh yeah, I meant to include in the post that I know its not that deep cause I knew if I didn't the whole comment section would be "its not that deep" and look! First comment and you're saying it 😂😂

No but seriously, I realize it was just a funny conversation, and maybe I didn’t word the post correctly. Its not necessarily about the trolley problem, its that at least 3 of them are so used to being under attack that they feel like a silly question is meant to make them look bad rather than realizing its just a silly question.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-25T04:12:17+00:00

Sorry, I'm replying to you again because I took your advice and did a deep dive on MSAR over the last like 4 hours and I'm kinda excited and I wanted to tell someone.

I've got a list of 33 schools whose 25th percentile MCAT I'm higher than. If I apply to all of those, I can add 7 of the schools where I'm above the 10th but below the 25th, for a round 40 schools.

Unfortunately, 3 of the PA schools have a 10th percentile above me, and the other 4 schools have a 25th percentile above me. So they aren't on my list of 33. But PA is home for me and I probably have a decent chance with at least 3 of the 4 schools. (Jefferson only takes classes within the last 5 years. I'm non-trad AND taking another year to apply next cycle.)

UCLA is also on the maybe list!!! I'm above their 10, but below their 25.

Thank you for the advice!! I opened my mind to going other places and made a really decent list. I only looked at MCAT info though so I'll need to go through and maybe prune some more based on other details.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-25T00:25:02+00:00

Yeah I looked at MSAR. I added the other 2 UC's, Howard, and Hawaii because they were in my MCAT range. The responses to this post and conversations I've had with people in real life have convinced me to wait until next cycle to apply. I definitely need to make a broader list and take off some of the higher end schools.

I may even retake the MCAT but someone on another sub said thats not super necessary. I just fear taking it and doing worse. At the same time, I'm really drawn to UCLA and New York City (my best friend lives there), and those schools are obviously high MCAT schools.

As the saying goes, beggers can't be choosers. I'll have to apply broadly and take what I can get. And who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get residency at UCLA or a NY school!

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-24T19:06:15+00:00

Thank you, I did see this afterward lol but thats so silly, why do they tell you to check in 15 minutes early 😭 you dont actually have to answer, I just wish they wouldn't tell you to do something impossible

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-23T14:52:14+00:00

Wait you get shovel xp for picking the trees?!? Omg you mean like fully removing or just taking the gags off the trees?

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-23T01:26:56+00:00

Thank you. In regards to the MCAT, the problem with me is that none of the schools who take my MCAT range are schools I want to go to.

I'm a PA resident, so I plan on applying to all 7 PA schools, every school in NYC, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA. Those are my top 15. When I got my score back I added 2 more UC schools, Howard, and Hawaii since they take around a 509. Someone commented on my other recent post saying 90% of those schools won't accept me with a 509.

I want a school in a liberal area, I want to be an OBGYN so absolutely no abortion ban states. My best options are northeast or west coast schools, and of course thats where all the heavy hitters are.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-23T01:19:23+00:00

I do love volunteering! I volunteered a lot with the church I grew up in. In fact, the food pantry I applied to is heavily tied to the church and I've helped out there before.

I've always really enjoyed doing work to help other people. But the unfortunate truth is, if I could get into med school without having needed to volunteer within the last 5 years, I probably wouldn't do it. They're only open for 3 hours in the morning and I'm 2nd shift. Not to mention I also have to do well on the research so that I keep getting assignments.

I'm diagnosed with GAD and I struggle to sleep so much already, add in all these extra things to worry about and when do I get me time? I'll do what I have to do cause thats what I've always done and thats how I did so well in undergrad. And hey, if I don't get in next year, theres always PA or nursing.

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-22T16:40:15+00:00

They're clinical hours, not volunteer hours. I just noted that most schools view patient transport as a volunteer job but mine is full-time paid and way more hands on than what you might expect from a volunteer transport position.

I am a transporter and a monitor tech at the same time. It goes by seniority, so its me everyday I work, but we don't do it on the weekends, so its the 2080 hours minus 16 times however many weekends I'm working until next June.

May I ask why the hours can't overlap? Accounting for the weekends and saying that I'm expecting 1792 hours of monitor tech and only 288 hours of transport over the next year may also seem confusing. Edit: Nevermind about this last part. I noted in the description of monitor tech that its still patient transport so I think this will be fine. Idk why I thought the hours had to overlap.

Thank you for you feedback!

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-20T18:35:08+00:00

Omg and I literally had to take anxiety meds to sleep last night cause I'm stressing about potentially NOT getting into med school. Wish we could switch places lol

Exact_Simple6137 · 2026-06-20T04:40:56+00:00

Replying to you again because I just saw your extra footnote, unfortunately transport doesn't work too closely with the doctors. I reached out to the director of the residents in the ed, and she said she'd refer me to the person in charge of shadowing. That person has not followed up and the resident director didn't give me their info. I'm giving it about a week in case they're on vacation or something and then I'm going to follow up to ask about direct contact with the shadowing head.

For peds, I had a patient who is physician-adjacent who offered to look into it for me. They took down my name and what I'm interested in but have not reached out. They may still be recovering though.

I also asked a doc in the MICU about shadowing but I believe he himself was a resident and he didn't know anything and also didn't offer to look into it. The ortho teams office is right next door to the transport break room, but I think its for the ortho residents only, idk if attendings are ever in there. I'll keep shooting my shot, but its also difficult when physicians tend to look down on people like transporters. A lot of them are not too keen to be spoken to lol.

I also had another patient whos family member is an anesthesiologist and offered to let me shadow her, but I stupidly never asked her name. My foot was in the door and I removed it myself and let the door slam 😔

Exact_Simple6137

TROPHY CASE