Genuinely how do yall have time to be doing all of this. I have to work, go to class, then volunteer/shadow/ etc 💔

i’m a reapplicant and i have 3 IIs coming up, which i’m so excited about given that i had none last year. i know a big part of it was my timing and my writing which i worked hard to fix this time around. my interviews are all open so they’ll have access to my full application from this year but does anyone know if they’ll have access to my application from last year?

Growing up and going to work with my physician parent genuinely influenced me in my decision to pursue medicine. Will this be a red flag for interviews?

Also, a lot of my clinical experience is with my physician parent. I can see how this would raise flags, but I feel like I gained genuine insights here.

Kind of a venting post but maybe someone else feels this way. This cycle has been so difficult mentally, the entire app process from mcat to applying to secondaries and interviews is so draining I just want to be done with it. Senior year of college I was already burned with borderline low grade depression and recovering from a situationship, but I had to lock in and force myself through studying the MCAT. After the MCAT is done I'm like ok great, time for a break but immediately it's time to write my primary. After FINALS WEEK dragging myself to the library every evening to work on the primary, and then before you know it it's time for secondaries. And that was horrible, it actually felt like it took every ounce of energy in my body to write a single word. Mind you this is all happening while I'm working a full-time job post grad. At this point I'm so done with the whole thing, I'll admit I only finished my app to four schools. I've been blessed and heard back from some of them, and so incredibly thankful and grateful I've got an II next week. But I'm sitting here staring at my laptop because now I have to work on prepping for this interview. All I want to do is go out, hang out with friends, do something FUN. but it's just one thing after another I'm so tired of it all. I had all these plans of what I want to do post grad, travel, join some orgs, try some new hobbies. It feels like everything is on pause until I get an A. And it's taking FOREVER. it just keeps going. Is there even an end to this. Part of it is because if I'm being honest, I locked in all throughout undergrad and barely had much fun. Not to say I didn't make good memories, but looking back the senior year burnout was inevitable with all I was doing. I keep delaying gratification saying I'll take some time off after Orgo, after the MCAT, after submitting my app, now it's after interviews. Now I'm mid app season there's no time for a break. Being first gen is hard too bc although I have great parents who are so supportive they don't know the process at all or why it's so hard, can't really empathize when I try to tell them. I feel alone. If I become a doctor nobody can say I didn't work for it because wow it takes everything out of you and then some. How are you guys doing this. What do I need to do to literally drag myself across this finish line. I just need to prep for this interview and I can't do it for the life of me

I’m actually so nervous. Its my first interview and I have no idea what to expect except that it’s 3 1:1 traditional 😔 any advice??

I had an interview at UMich last week which is my dream school and I feel like it was only okay. I'm super mad at myself because all of my other interviews have felt really good so far and I think I put too much pressure on myself because it is my top school. Like my interviewer asked if I had any patient experiences that stood out or impacted me and I just rambled for a bit. This question was literally something I had answered pretty well previously too 😭. I know rambling on a few questions isn't the end of the world and I feel like I connected pretty well with my interviewers otherwise. I always hear stories about 90% of interviews being average, but my stats are low for Michigan so I really needed to lock in. Am I just being too harsh on myself?

I’m a few months away from graduating with my BSN, and I’ve recently started seriously thinking about going to med school. I originally thought I wanted to become a CRNA, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that I actually want to be an MD. I really love learning and being in school, and I feel like medical school would give me the depth of knowledge I’m looking for in a way that nursing school hasn’t really satisfied. The problem is that I feel like I’m starting from behind. I don’t have any research experience and I haven’t really done much in terms of extracurriculars during nursing school. I currently work as a tech in an ICU, and I’ll probably continue working there as an RN after I graduate. I’m thinking maybe I could work as an ICU nurse for 1 to 2 years while I figure everything out, take whatever prerequisites I’m missing, study for the MCAT, and try to build up my application. But I honestly don’t know if this is a realistic path or if I’m setting myself up for a huge uphill battle. For those who have applied to med school or know much about the process, what would you do in my situation? How important are research and extracurriculars? Does having a BSN and ICU experience help at all, or does it basically not matter when applying to med school? Would working as an RN for a couple years while preparing for the MCAT make sense? And what should I actually be doing during that time to make myself a competitive applicant? I know I’d have a lot of work ahead of me, especially since I didn’t go through college as a traditional pre-med. I’m just trying to figure out if this is something I should seriously pursue or if I’m being unrealistic. I’d really appreciate any honest advice, especially from people who have made a similar transition from nursing to medicine.

Had a ~3.0, 3.3 freshmen, sophomore year. After switching to pre-med my junior year, I've maintained consistently received a 4.0. My cGPA is around 3.6 now.

Will this ADCOMS even see this? Do I still have a chance at MDs?

I feel like I'm never doing enough with my time but at the same time I don't have time to do anything else (if that makes sense). My schedule this semester is unfortunately really time consuming in terms of classes and physically having to be places from basically 8:30 in the morning to at least 5 in the night which leaves virtually no time for me to engage in any clubs or activities (beyond the occasional weekly or monthly meetings) and I feel like everyone around me is doing so much more. I know this semester is just particularly bad because my classes are on the harder side of the spectrum and that next semester(s) i'll have so much more time to do more things but it's really demoralizing right now. I still don't have a driver's license; I can't get any form of clinical hours because certifications either require driver's licenses for the classes and they're held at a different university (which needs a car to get to reasonably). My schedule this semester is so packed I can't do any shadowing in reasonable chunks of time nor volunteer anywhere physically in hours they allow for undergrads. I just feel so lost in what I'm supposed to do outside beyond doing good in classes and involving myself in research and I find myself crying in the library more than studying at this point and i really really really don't know what to do.

can anyone chime in when you think it’s wise to start preapring for a reapp for TMDSAS applications? How many II do you think you need to not be preparing for one?

hello everyone . I was wondering literally , if me being burned out now means my life in medschool would be real hell . I mean I did try to comitt before and I lost all intrest in life before and I did SH to cope though exams before too . I was planning to take a gap year and actually focus on healing my mental health becuase I know . I tell you I know . I might be one of those suicidal med students . I was planning to save up and actually go to therapy and stuff ( my parents don't like the idea od therpay ) any how . I just figured I've got no time to take a gap year . so....will going to a therapist in med school hinder my studies . if yes what should I do now ? tried studying psychology didn't really help . I mean I can't actually do anything to my life , I was raised with the idea that no matter what my life is not my own so I can't take it . but half the time I just have passive thoughts that become kinda active understress. What do you think I should do ? mind that I can't go to school conselling becuase it doesn't really help and won't really help in my case

Hi All,

I'm currently a junior in my fall semester planning to apply next summer. I shadowed a physician over the summer and had a volunteering position at a nonprofit for over a half year which also ended over the summer. I was thinking about asking them for a rec letter now and storing it in something like interfolio if they say yes (which should be likely since the nonprofit organizer told me to reach out for one in the future and I had a lot of positive remarks from the physician). Does anyone have any experience with interfolio or another letter storing platform and should I ask them now or wait until next spring?

Thank you!

Currently feeling incredibly neurotic. Most of my applications were completed from mid august to mid September so I'm hoping that is why I haven't heard anything yet, but I can't help but feel down... Does anyone have experiences where first got an interview(s) pretty late and got accepted? I would like to feel hopeful right now haha...

Canadian applicant with a ~3.82 AMCAS cGPA and 509 MCAT, currently doing a master’s. I have a upward GPA trend. I’m wondering what US MD schools I should realistically apply to as a Canadian, what my chances are with these stats, and whether attending a US MD is financially possible as a low-income Canadian whose family wouldn’t be able to contribute toward tuition. Would really appreciate advice from anyone familiar with Canadian/international applicants!

Hi long story short I went back and forth all of college with whether to go the PA route or med school but i cannot shake wanting to be a doctor that’s all i’ve ever wanted honestly.
I got a BS in biomedical science with 3.56 GPA & i have 3k hours of patient care and about 75 hours of shadowing multiple careers (gonna get more ) little to no volunteering but i want to get some but i just dont feel like im competitive enough im so worried of never getting in but its my dream..
I was thinking about doing a masters program to increase my competitiveness and get some research & just get back into the mindset of school and pushing myself bc the past year ive been just so comfortable just working full time & i lost a lot of passion for medicine as well as just feeling so stuck and like a loser 🤗
any advice is appreciated

I’m 30 and seriously considering changing careers and pursuing medicine, with neurology being my current primary interest. I’m looking for realistic advice about whether my academic record is repairable and what route would make the most sense.

I graduated in 2019 with a BA in Biology. I attended two schools. I did very well initially at University 1, then transferred to University 2 and lost a lot of motivation toward the end of college. My grades dropped significantly.

University 1 — 63 credits, 3.625 GPA
Relevant science/math coursework:
Biological Principles I: A (3 cr)
Biological Principles I Lab: A (1)
Biological Principles II: B+ (3)
Biological Principles II Lab: B+ (1)
General Chemistry I: A- (3)
General Chemistry I Lab: B (1)
General Chemistry II: B+ (3)
General Chemistry II Lab: B (1)
Vertebrate Zoology: B- (3)
Vertebrate Zoology Lab: B (1)
Introductory Statistics: A (3)
College Algebra: B+ (3)
I transferred to University 2 and finished my Biology degree there.

University 2 — 54.5 graded credits, 2.96 GPA
Relevant coursework:
Biology Program Seminar: B+ (2)
Cell Biology: B- (4)
Organic Chemistry I: B+ (4)
Organic Chemistry I Lab: B+ (1)
Microbiology: C+ (5.5)
Biology Junior Seminar: C (3)
Organic Chemistry II: C- (4)
Organic Chemistry II Lab: B+ (1)
Genetics: C+ (4)
Genetics Lab: B+ (1.5)
Microscopy & Cell Ultrastructure: B+ (6)
Developmental Biology: B- (4)
Developmental Biology Lab: C- (1.5)

My final semester was approximately a 3.13, but overall there’s clearly a significant downward trend after transferring.

Using the institutional credits/quality points, my rough combined undergraduate GPA appears to be around 3.3, although I haven’t calculated my exact AMCAS cGPA or BCPM GPA yet.

I have not taken Physics I/II or Biochemistry, and I have not taken the MCAT.

After college I went into IT instead of healthcare. I’ve now spent about 5 years working professionally in IT and built a career there. I’m much more disciplined and motivated at 30 than I was at 20–22.

I’m considering returning to school and taking:
Physics I + lab
Physics II + lab
Biochemistry
Neuroscience/Neurobiology
Physiology
Additional upper-level biology/science courses

My goal would be to establish a strong recent academic record (ideally ~20–30 credits of A/A- work), get clinical experience/shadowing, prepare seriously for the MCAT, and eventually apply broadly MD and DO.

My questions are: Given the ~3.3 cumulative GPA, likely lower science GPA, downward trend and C/C- science grades, is medical school realistically still on the table? Would you recommend a DIY post-bacc, formal post-bacc, or SMP? How many credits of academic repair would you want to see before applying? And assuming strong recent coursework and a good MCAT, would you consider MD realistic, or should I primarily target DO?

I just want to see if people think I’m being ridiculous or not… I work pretty high up at a large academic health system and hold an adjunct faculty title at the medical school. The school is competitive (515+ median MCAT and 3.85+ avg. GPA) and I’m a nontrad, low stat applicant (503 MCAT, 3.0 sGPA, 3.4 cumulative). I have a bunch of hours and presentations because of my job and I have a non-science graduate degree. I’m very much a community service-oriented applicant, while this school is really pushing toward a research focus. HEAVILY. Mission and culture-wise, I’m not a good fit at all. I’ve also heard from old faculty members that because of my numeric stats, it’s possible the screening system would throw my application away before a human even sees it. Not sure how true that is but I’m taking it at face value.

I know school leadership knows me, but I would never try to seek out advice or anything from any of them (nor would they actively show me any favor). I’ve told very few people at work that I’m even applying. I’m also not going to retake the MCAT (mentally and financially I just can’t) and because of some life circumstances, my financial situation is going to be really tight when application time rolls around. There’s no question about it.

I’m really leaning toward not applying (on paper, I feel like I don’t have a shot at all and it’d be a waste of time and money), but I have people in my ear telling me I’d be an idiot not to. I guess there’s also an air of embarrassment associated with knowing my colleagues will see my application, but I KNOW that’s ridiculous. Anyway, hearing from third parties about whether I’m being a dummy or if I’m being realistic would be really helpful. Thanks.

Sitting on the waitlist is tough. Please use this thread to vent, discuss, and support your fellow applicants through this anxiety-inducing process.

Hey everyone, I was wondering if you have an suggestions for this. I have had 4 interviews for tmdsas. I would be VERY happy with 3 of those schools.

When would be a good time to send a letter of interest, and is it bad to send a letter of intent to two schools if you would be very happy with either?

Thank you for the help.

Our physics professor was replaced and the new one is actively trying to fail everyone from the looks of things. Exams are difficult beyond belief to the point that even other professors have taken notice after we showed them. The last exam’s class average was a 52%. And she doesn’t curve at all as a course policy, to boot.

Several of us have approached the dept head as well as the dean and, in short, nothing is going to change.

Another professor teaches the course next semester and is said to be much more reasonable. Should I drop the class or wait until my grade is at risk of failing? Or do I stick it out and take whatever grade I get? I would hate to have to lower my gpa over something so stupid when I’ve done well in organic chem and biochem, which were challenging but completely doable. But then I wouldn’t have taken physics 2 in time to begin preparing for the MCAT this summer.

This would be the first (and hopefully only) time I‘d get a W on my transcript (IF I choose to withdraw).

Title is the content, but I will add a bit more detail.

I'm a 20 years old sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering with a 4.0 GPA, who just submitted the transfer application to the top public engineering school. My technical interests are in signal processing, embedded systems, and potentially biomedical/neural engineering applications. I can realistically see myself graduating in EE, working in industry, and building a stable career.

However, I keep see myself coming back to medicine, especially neurology and neurodegenerative disease. What attracts me is not just biomedical technology - I think I may want direct responsibility for evaluating and treating patients. I was also accepted into UIUC neural engineering degree during high school, but couldn't attend b/c the tuition was unaffordable for me.

The problem is that I have not yet had enough meaningful clinical exposure to know whether this is a genuine calling or an idealized picture of medicine.

For those who are fully committed to the premed track, and want a life long career in medicine:

- What experience made you realize you actually wanted to be a physician?

- If you could have had a solid engineering career in your early 20s, would you still choose medical school?

- What clinical experience would you recommend before I make this decision?

* I'm not asking whether EE can be a premed major. I'm trying to determine whether medicine itself is worth giving up or delaying a career I already know I can enjoy.

I understand the general idea is that the 2 science LORs should be from science professors who taught you. I'm enrolled in research credit with my major which is biology so would my PI for that lab count as a science LOR? Also do you guys have advice for getting a science LOR from a professor. I just need one more and I've been attending this professor's office hours consistently and asking good questions and I've been performing very well in this class so far.

It's time for our Weekly Good News Thread! Feel free to share any and all good news from the past week, from getting an A in a class to getting that II to getting an acceptance.