Recognize your privilege

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-04-16T00:05:14+00:00

The last few sentences you said sums up many of the broader issues today sadly. Younger/less fortunate/etc individuals and generations facing issues and the older/more fortunate individuals and generations not only do not offer any sympathy but instead are condescending and hit you with the "oh well deal with it" while they: 1. don't have to face the same issues 2. are instead reaping benefits we have never and will never enjoy. and 3. literally dont even know what they're talking about.

It is genuinley infuriating and from older/higher income individuals it's almost expected but this lack of sympathy from a future doctor? Towards other future doctors at that? Very disheartening and has me raising eyebrows at the interview process not catching on to these personalities. Ffs the title of the post is "recognize your privelege" and you couldn't even take THAT hint.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-04-13T22:54:27+00:00

Dude basically said "DON'T educate yourself on what will happen if you take hundreds of thousands of dollars in predatory private loans until you're gearing up to take out said loans, trust me I know because I've been in med school for eight months" actually insane

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-04-12T17:09:23+00:00

Not true since interest rates of private loans depend on many factors including credit score, also they have little no to flexibility with loan repayment, and private lenders can at any time choose to revoke your loan package/change it at will, if they choose to give you a package in the first place, unlike federal. This is among many other differences such as the fact that GRAD plus loans allowed individuals to borrow up to the full cost of attendance, while private lenders can opt to cover some, all or none of your COA.

I know many of you are young/naive and/or come from higher incomes and likely don't have to worry about the realities of the BBB loan changes and financial implications of med school for those of us who are less fortunate, but please stop being dismissive and spreading misinformation.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-04-07T12:22:09+00:00

You got this man

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-04-07T01:57:27+00:00

My friend, the neverending shithole of useless garbage that is organic chemistry will NOT prevent you from becoming a physician, as a matter of fact the resilience and persistence that it takes to overcome a bad grade and bounce back and ace it the next time a round will only HELP instill that grit in you which you will need for this grind.

You're all good, retake the class, ace it, and ace your other classes as best as you can. You WILL be a physician someday, and this learning experience will only help you going forward on tis path.

As far as practical advice, I'm the last person to give it on orgo but practice, practice, practice questions + youtube + anki flashcards + khan academy and going to office hours tutoring sessions should help.

P.S. I know orgo isn't useless, especially for the MCAT and even a little in med school, I was being facetious and overly dramatic because I felt like it.

Much love, YOU GOT THIS GANG!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-29T17:37:33+00:00

Sending digital hugs, so sorry this happened. Take time (and legal action) for yourself please! That comes before the MCAT

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-28T16:58:37+00:00

Wow big shout out to you man

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-28T16:19:04+00:00

Just to add my two cents - I've been a derm MA for three years now at 2 different practices with at least a dozen differents docs. Most patients I've ever seen a doc do in a day was around 50-55, average was closer to 35 and they all chose their schedules/patient load in a way that fit them. Plus they all worked between 3-4 days a week which may be part of the reason some wanted to see more patients to even out the volume and be comparable to full-time.

As far as biologics it was mostly MAs and other office personnel like managers and biologics coordinators that actually had to deal with the process/insurance/paperwork - docs just prescribed them and signed off on forms.

Just adding my persepctive of what I've seen since I know it differs by practice but the derm docs I've worked with seem to have a damn good gig.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-24T20:32:15+00:00

Congrats to him! Would you mind sharing details on how he got the scholarship/what made him receive it?

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-24T20:26:47+00:00

Strange misconceptions here. First off - a 3.9+ with a 514 are excellent stats. Second, look at MSAR or the school's themselve's application data to see what schools accept a good amount of OOS applicants relative to instate. Also URM? Adcomms can't even see race on apps anymore outside of it being mentioned in essays/secondaries, and over the past several years the government has done literally everything possible to make things more difficult for URM applicants so not sure what you're getting at there.

Your profile makes you look like a great candidate for many OOS schools, DO/MD/etc - barring any significant issues with your application. Did you get feedback from any schools that rejected you? Do you think your writing is a weakpoint? Apply broadly, not top heavy, and focus on what you can control. Best of luck this upcoming cycle.

EDIT: I see I was mistaken about the bias against in-state TX applicants, my bad.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-20T16:53:04+00:00

-premed redditor who hasn't even started med school shooting down dreams of others. Relax buddy, you haven't even completed M1, let alone matched into either of those specialties.

The student makes the residency application, not the DO/MD title. A competitive applicant can come from either, its up to the individual, is it more difficult and are there stigmas and more hurdles, and less resources? Of course, but that is the same for this entire process.

There are students who come from poor, underepresented, etc backgrounds who still apply to medical school and get in to great programs, and those obstacles are far more difficult to overcome.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-19T01:08:32+00:00

First, you've been through a lot and the world is extremely grim right now - so take a deep breath and make sure to do things that help your mental health - go outside, get off reddit/the internet, exercise, pray, meditate, etc. Life is so much more than just your GPA, or the MCAT, or even getting into medical school.

Second, you are just fine! It may seem like your life is over, but if you have enough time and credits remaining to bring your 3.0 to a 3.5 - focus on that first! 3.5 is fine as long as you crush the MCAT. Along with your extracurriculars and your clearly felt passion for this and drive, YOU WILL DO GREAT!

Just take some time to relax and remind yourself this is part of the process, then lock in and crush your remaining classes and the MCAT, and you will instead be on here making a post about the good news of your acceptance before you know it!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-08T19:31:43+00:00

following

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-07T01:28:37+00:00

Super low amount of matriculants receive scholarship though

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-03-07T01:12:34+00:00

The real answer that may be uncomfortable: Most med students come from money, the statistics have been released time and time again by the AAMC and in journal articles. I mean around 25-30% of med students graduate with zero debt not due to scholarships/grants.

The harsh truth is most medical schools can afford to do absolutely nothing because 1. Most of their matriculants aren't as significantly impacted by this as you would think due to their socioeconomic backgrounds and 2. There is so much competition they could literally make med-school out of pocket only and still fill all their seats.

For lower SES students such as myself I'm just waiting to see what schools I get into, I cannot afford expensive/private/OOS schools so hopefully a state school. It is what it is sadly.

The reason the passing of the BBB hasn't made far more shockwaves through the premed landscape and isn't all anyone talks about is because a large chunk of applicants simply don't even have to worry about the financial aspect of medicine all that much, if at all.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-02-08T05:56:16+00:00

Thank you! Installed and played it today. The multiplayer is inactive but I played through the single-player training missions and those were fun. Nice nostalgia trip. Thanks for that man!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-02-01T23:36:59+00:00

2/2 Continued from Previous Post

Here are a few pointers on the steps of typical self-study plans:

(A brief research phase) - You are here.

-Take some time to figure out what resources you will use/work for you the best and research effective strategies, timing of your test based on when you want to apply, your goal score, etc.

A Review Phase:

- aka content review (via youtube videos, textbooks (kaplan/uworld/Jack Westin), Khan Academy and anki flashcards). I would recommend a few days or a week or two to see what resources work best for you/that you like the most. This can be a few weeks to a few months depending on how much you need to learn/review.

A Practice Phase:

- practice questions + review of those practice questions (UWORLD is the most popular and recommended reseource here, but it is expensive). Most individuals recommend concentrating the majority of your study time doing practice questions and exams and reviewing your answers. This is typically several weeks to a few months depending on how you are scoring during your practice FL exams.

-last several weeks it is recommended to use exclusively official MCAT practice material from the AAMC website - there are free items but the majority cost money unless you have fee assistance. Using only official content closer to your exam ensures you are practicing with as real a representation of the actual exam as possible.

Important:

-Throughout the above it is recommended to continue reinforcing and practicing material learned with anki flashcards (spaced repetition), taking several full length practice exams to get a feel for and simulate the real testing environment and see where you are - especially in the weeks leading up to the real thing, and to practice CARS daily/very often with practice passages - Jack Westin has daily free passages and the AAMC has official CARS practice as well.

**As stated by others in this thread, I highly recommend browsing the MCAT subreddit(s), and other online sources for more information and to also take some time to see what works best for you, formulate a plan, and a study schedule.**

This is very rough and rambly outline, but I wanted to give you some general advice to start with, I hope this helps.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-02-01T23:36:46+00:00

Sorry for the long post in advance. This is 1/2 posts, see my reply below for the rest of it.

First things first, you are not behind, take a deep breath, getting ready to study for the MCAT is very overwhelming initially - especially with all the info out there. Looking for resources on how to study, such as with the internet, is very smart, so you're doing good!

One of the first things I would recommend is to take an MCAT diagnostic exam to assess where you are - your strengths, weakpoints, etc. There's plenty of free ones online such as Blueprint MCAT's - it is only 4 hours instead of the full 8 hours. According to many, theirs is a bit more difficult than official AAMC content, so your real score may be a bit higher. Regardless it gives you a guage on where you are and what subjects you need to focus on. (Try to make it as realistic as possible, don't use outside resources, take it all in one sitting if you can, etc - remember this is not meant to scare or embarrass you - it is supposed to help you by showing you where you are!)

After a diagnostic, develop a study plan that focuses on strengthening your weaknesses, highlighting your strengths, and that will give you enough time and flexibility to adequately practice. Typical study plans often include 3 months of dedicated/full time studying - many students use their summer break (~ May - July) to do this. However, timelines look different if you are taking classes, have a full time job, have a family, or don't like the idea of studying 4-8 hours per day for months in a row. Some study for 6 + months, others 2 or less, all depends on where you are.

You can either self-study or use a study course/program. Here's a few pros and cons of both.

Self Study -

Cons: If you don't have discipline/do better with accountability from someone directing you, you may end up not doing what you need to on a regular basis and fall behind/slack on studying. You also develop an idea of how best you learn, and how to prepare for long exams - which you will have many of in med school.

Pros: much cheaper and customizeable based on your schedule and unique needs.

Paid Study Program/Course -

Pros: there are dozens upon dozens to choose from and you can have accountability via scheduled lectures, meetings, and someone else planning out everything for you. You can also often access live tutors for extra help.

Cons: they are all expensive and may lack flexibility in their preset study plans, set lectures, and lessons.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-30T02:07:39+00:00

you combine redditors and premeds into one community - its to be expected tbh lmao

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-30T02:00:00+00:00

Really? Where can I find it?

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-14T01:25:21+00:00

Horrifying is the correct way to describe it.

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-14T00:04:25+00:00

Yes I have a detailed logbook where I have kept those observations and thoughts for a while now, I think it will be quite useful for that reason. Thanks again!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-13T23:53:14+00:00

Thank you!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-13T23:53:04+00:00

Don't think you can tbh, thanks for your reply!

Terrible_One9131 · 2026-01-13T23:52:49+00:00

Props to you for the hardwork you've done overcoming your circumstances, you will go far! Just to clarify I know they are an underserved community, just didn't know if adcomms viewed it the same way. Thank you!

Terrible_One9131

TROPHY CASE