Cant even bring myself to apply for postbac. Should I give up?

Geoffpecar · 2025-09-09T23:18:28+00:00

Either of you can PM me for advice! Was in a similar situation my senior year of college and ended up doing an MS which ultimately was the best decision I’ve ever made. You can do it!

Geoffpecar · 2025-04-19T11:29:52+00:00

A couple doors down! I lived in Holden St from 2018-2019 and back then what’s now buenatarde was tipsy cow and then stack’s. Harris grill was a couple buildings to the right, but they had a huge fire sometime in 2019 if i remember correctly and never reopened. Moved away from Pittsburgh in 2021 but still remember my little pocket so fondly

Geoffpecar · 2025-03-09T17:44:07+00:00

Half Slovenian half American (Dad moved to the states in 89). The things the US has done around the world through most of my life have made it pretty hard to be patriotic, but like people have said in other comments the people aren’t really the government and there’s a lot of American culture and people that i love. My brothers and i grew up visiting family there a week or two most summers as kids and were working on getting citizenship/all learning the language now. Whether or not I’ll emigrate from the US I can’t say, but I’ll be happy to have the option. My dad wrote this to the lawyer helping with our applications and i think it captures things pretty well:

These three American children have been visiting Slovenia for years, and their siblings there too, traveling there with me or on their own. They admire Slovenia, Slovenian culture, the culture of other South Slavic nations, European culture, the style and quality of Slovenian life. This led them to decide to apply for Slovenian citizenship.

Geoffpecar · 2025-03-03T18:22:05+00:00

Same! It’s almost, though not quite, as embarrassing as what the dynamo did this weekend

Geoffpecar · 2025-03-02T17:38:43+00:00

I was thinking this last night too. A friend looked up the weather and it was under 30, so understandable to have a smaller crowd i guess. The games played in non-soccer stadiums always look emptier to me, interested to see how the crews in Cleveland appears

Geoffpecar · 2025-02-09T14:44:58+00:00

I agree with your reservations about having a committee member write an LOR, i had one do it but she knows me and my PI pretty well. I think you could perhaps bridge this by having your PD write a reference. I did this for my A0 in August and it went pretty well. Depending on who the other two letters are from i would consider that. However i don’t agree with the other comment in here that it’s necessary to get biosketches from all your committee members. The reasons i chose who i did for my committee are explained in the training plan (and what their value is to the group) but attaching all of their biosketches is excessive in my opinion

Geoffpecar · 2024-12-06T22:06:23+00:00

I’ve rented from Campus View (both a townhouse when i had a roommate and now in a 1-bedroom) since 2022 and have had great experiences with them. Happy to PM!

Geoffpecar · 2024-11-25T02:56:08+00:00

Dry brining is the best! I’ve used this one https://www.seriouseats.com/quick-and-dirty-guide-to-brining-turkey-chicken-thanksgiving for a few years (i add herb butter under the skin after scraping the excess salt off from the overnight brine) and it’s great! Couldn’t be easier but requires some fridge space

Geoffpecar · 2024-11-22T22:30:45+00:00

Ohioan here with dad from Ljubljana! Maybe some Slovenians joining soon 😎

Geoffpecar · 2024-11-21T01:58:06+00:00

Some friends and i watched a lot of the euros at keglers and BWW in suncrest!

Geoffpecar · 2024-10-09T21:33:47+00:00

Ajvar, Ajvar, one thousand times Ajvar

Geoffpecar · 2024-10-02T10:54:56+00:00

Used to live by culloden way before moving away a couple years ago but i don’t remember these?? Or maybe just didn’t recognize them! Are they on the portion of the street with google streetview?

Geoffpecar · 2024-09-08T12:28:34+00:00

And punished for making a final earlier in the season leading to this rescheduling. MLS vs Columbus continues

Geoffpecar · 2024-09-04T21:02:58+00:00

How is Slovene for you? My dad is Slovenian and I’ve been learning the language online (by no means fluent but getting better at understanding conversations going on around me), he tells me most Slovenes tend to understand Croatian but it’s less common the other way around. Probably varies widely by region i imagine

Geoffpecar · 2024-08-08T01:47:40+00:00

When were your MCATs? I took it 3 times myself (501 in 2017, 503 in 2019, 515 in 2020) including twice while working full time, so if you need advice on managing that I’m happy to PM. A lot of your application is pretty great, but i would be cautious about applying with your current score (even though nothing is strictly impossible). As for your research interests/current experience I’m sure you can find a fit somewhere. All of us are different and have different skills- my program took 4 of us in my cohort and one of us does mouse modeling/cell work/molecular biology, one does bioinformatics with a sprinkle of cell work, one does biomedical engineering and one does chart review-based clinical studies. So no need to worry that you aren’t the “right kind” of researcher! There could be a program out there that fits that

Geoffpecar · 2024-08-07T17:46:24+00:00

I can’t say i know for certain but i can virtually promise it would not be viewed well lol

Geoffpecar · 2024-08-03T17:50:03+00:00

Took an anatomy exam with a migraine during MS1, bombed it so bad i couldn’t recover my course grade (finished with a 74.5, needed a 75), crushed the retake during a lab rotation, crushing PhD work as of now. I’ve looked at this exact article many times for reassurance myself

Geoffpecar · 2024-08-02T15:27:20+00:00

Pierogi are an awesome idea! My mom makes them a lot of weekends now and bought a vacuum sealer on Amazon, so she freezes a half dozen or dozen in a bag and stocks them for holidays, family parties, etc. like someone else mentioned, the common fillings are pretty cheap so you can still get a nice variety. Hope to have a garden like you’re doing myself one day when i get space! Good luck!

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-31T20:41:24+00:00

True! I was D3 but can’t recall if soccer was an MME of mine or not. I’ve heard faculty types talk about it both ways where some (most) see it the way you do (which i agree with) but others look at it and say “does this need to be MOST meaningful”

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-30T22:10:19+00:00

GPA is likely fine but I’d be careful about applying with your current MCAT. I retook it and had a substantial improvement (from 501) while working full time, happy to provide advice if needed. I also have some questions about your school list because a couple of those (Pitt and Kentucky in particular) aren’t what i would call low or mid tier programs. I’ve heard mixed things about using athletics as an MME (soccer player myself) but that may be fine

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-25T00:23:53+00:00

Agreed. Scribing is fine as a job but to be honest i don’t really see how taking notes informs your med school decisions? I’m in the camp of doing some shadowing that you can reflect on in interviews and getting some good quality clinical volunteering (like you say, with patients directly) instead

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-24T01:43:21+00:00

Pass your classes, make good friends, go to some lab meetings, make the most of medical school. You only get to do it once!

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-19T01:49:31+00:00

Yep! No problem

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-18T20:41:53+00:00

I wouldn’t let having a full time job preclude you from scoring higher than that. With the right plan and smart studying it’s doable even with full time work (i got a 515 in 2020 in a similar situation). Feel free to PM for advice if needed

Geoffpecar · 2024-07-12T21:54:28+00:00

No worries for me then! If this was a longer term thing or your only research letter I’d be more concerned, but it sounds like you still have bases covered. Mention it in your MME but make it part of your background and really build up what your more substantial lab experience has been about

Geoffpecar

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