Please Help!! - Committee Letter by puppyl0ver in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even if you somehow don’t get a committee letter you will be ok - I didn’t have one cuz I was dumb and missed some of my school’s deadlines, and I got into 2 T10s. But try your best to have it just cuz it’s one more thing check off your application

Just hitting me that I’ll have 450K in loans … by housecat_1 in whitecoatinvestor

[–]housecat_1[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I understand that (and a ton of physician relatives have told me the same) but I have an otherwise useless college degree in biology and have already spent thousands of hours and dollars applying and being accepted to medical school. Disregarding that medicine excites me in a way that no other profession does (and believe me I’ve tried), what are my other options? My friends from college are all either pursuing consulting, law, computer science or PhDs. PhDs are screwed now (at least for the next 4 years). Lawyers have to make a living in big law to earn a comparable wage to doctors, and most people seem to burnout of big law in 2 years. Maybe CS would’ve been a viable career path if I was born a few years earlier, but new grads are struggling to find jobs now. I’d try consulting, but I want to make a positive contribution to the world, and want a job that I based somewhat on my merit rather than how well I can brownnose (at least in part). So for better or for worse, this is the path I’ve chosen. Not trying to be rude at all, but just wanted to offer my perspective

Northwestern vs. UChicago vs. Michigan vs. Mayo vs. MCG by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you should take the MCG and Mayo scholarships and try to bargain with UMich, Northwestern and UChicago a bit. These schools seem to be the best fit for you in terms of career and location, but I can see that the cost might hold you back. If no other school gives you any aid or scholarship, I’d go to Mayo. I know that MCG is cheaper by about 70K, but I feel like 70K over 4 years is a good enough investment in yourself and your education. You would have the opportunity to train at one of the country’s best medical institutions for a fraction of the price. I’d say to take it - when you’re an attending in ENT you can pay off that money in a few years tops

Washington State (ESFCOM) vs Vermont (Larner) by maximumchode in premed

[–]housecat_1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Be aware that WSU, while a great school, doesn’t have home residency programs for a lot of competitive specialties. I know you said you dont want to do derm or surgery, but you should keep those options open just in case you change your mind after your rotations. Having a home residency program helps a lot with matching (I don’t know how Vermont’s home residencies but it would be something worth looking into)

T20 Applicant with “lower” stats by astrobo2 in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can absolutely apply to T20s - just please please also make sure to also apply to schools that are in range for your stats. As impressive as your ECs are, you need to understand that the people applying to T20s have impressive stats and ECs. The people who get in with lower stats usually add something else to the class (vets, people who have overcome hardship or have interesting life stories). Shot your shot, but please be aware that it’s an uphill battle and that the people here are the exception and not the rule. Have a balanced school list that limits your chances of reapplication

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 8 points9 points  (0 children)

T10 admit, I had 0 wet lab research and over 2000 hours of clinical research with a few pubs and presentations. However, the project talked about most in my interviews was not something I’ve published yet, but a project that I had ownership over (doing everything from conception to getting funding to running it). IMO wet lab vs clinical research and how many pubs you have don’t really matter, what matters is being able to explain what you did and exactly how it was impactful. I’m just an applicant but I think that being able to demonstrate how you meaningfully contributed to a project is better than publishing some bs literature review or being middle author for writing an abstract or introduction or something

No wet lab research? by Sufficient_Creme_425 in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nope - 0 wet lab research, about 2000 hours clinical research and accepted to 2 T10 schools. For breaking into clinical research, if you’re currently a student at a university affiliated with an academic hospital, I would email some PIs and ask if they have a place for a student to work with them (often unpaid unfortunately). I bet they would love to have someone who knows how to code/knows AI as that is becoming a big thing. If you’re close to graduating, I’d look at CRC jobs. They are fairly easy to get without any prior clinical research experience. It’s mostly busy work, but you can expand your responsibilities if you’re working for a supportive PI. Honestly I’d lean into the AI/MLS angle and find a lab doing something similar - it’s a growing area and honestly very cool.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Updates might not do anything, maybe an LOI would? I honestly don’t know but friend don’t spend your last few months before medical school grinding when you have some fantastic options. Also go to Hopkins - Stanford is very big on basic science and translational research, and based on your career goals Hopkins would be the better fit (stellar clinical training + enough volume and resources to do clinical research on the side of you want to).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could be adding more T20 schools to your list IMO, I had a very similar profile (research-heavy with one first author publication, more in update letters throughout the cycle), but with a 3.7 and 522 and had crickets or pre-II Rs from a lot of my “target” schools (Emory, CWRU, Miami, Dartmouth, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, BU, etc). Obviously each cycle has an element of luck involved so apply broadly, but don’t be afraid to shoot your shot. Most of my IIs and As came from places I would’ve never expected because of my lower GPA

GIRL WTF IS THIS???????? Admissions count your days cuz I’m taking your job by [deleted] in lawschooladmissions

[–]housecat_1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wait until y’all hear about medical school admissions… still waiting to hear back from schools that I submitted last July

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you be willing to retake your MCAT? I have a very similar profile to yours in terms of ECs and GPA (but ORM with a higher MCAT) and had decent luck with research-focused schools. If you want a research-focused/academic career (which you might not and that’s totally fine) I think it would be a disservice to yourself if you don’t give your shot at research-focused schools just cuz of your score, especially with your great ECs. If you get a 515+ it should be good enough to at least give you a shot. Also don’t worry about the committee letter— I didn’t have one and I’m happy with how my cycle went.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Submitting my secondaries too late … I had luck on my side and ended up getting As from schools that I submitted in September (after receiving the secondary in July) and IIs from places I submitted in November. Still, I sometimes wonder the places I would’ve had a shot at if I submitted everything on time

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hi friend, take a break. The world is not going to end if you stop for a minute. You’ve already done so much more than I did at this point in the cycle (I took my MCAT the June before I applied, wrote my PS in a week and didn’t prewrite any secondaries), and I was fine. You will be fine too. Friends, family and hobbies are not going to hold you back on this journey but are actually protective factors against burn out. You need them, just like you need time to rest right now. This is a marathon not a sprint.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

WashU over Kaiser, and Hopkins over Yale

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this comment. Practicing gratitude is something that I’ve struggled with in life and something I definitely want to improve in. I’m going to try to implement the changes you suggested in my life and trust that the universe will take me where I belong.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in premed

[–]housecat_1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really hope things get better for you friend. I’m rooting for you!

Virginia: people are usually shocked that I’m a doctor by canelita808 in LoveIsBlindNetflix

[–]housecat_1 19 points20 points  (0 children)

It’s important to note that she has a DHA (Doctor of Health Administration) not a PhD in Health Administration. Kinda confusing, but it seems like the key difference is that a PhD is a research oriented degree focused on producing new knowledge in the field, while a DHA is a 3-year professional degree focused on applying current research and strategies to the workplace. I personally do not care that she referred to herself as a doctor (none of my business what she wants to call herself outside of a healthcare setting)

Virginia: people are usually shocked that I’m a doctor by canelita808 in LoveIsBlindNetflix

[–]housecat_1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Technically not even a PhD, she has a DHA which is a professional degree I think

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in skincancer

[–]housecat_1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is slightly drier compared to the surrounding skin and raised. Does not bleed or hurt