U.S. MD seniors matched to PGY-1 positions increased slightly from 92.8 to 92.9 while the percent of U.S. DO seniors matched to PGY-1 positions increased from 89.1 to 91.3. The PGY-1 match rate for U.S. citizen international medical graduates increased 1.9 percentage points to 61.4 percent and for non- U.S. citizen international medical graduates the match rate increased 3.3 percentage points to 58.1 percent.
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I want you to know that everyone here is rooting for you to find a successful and fulfilling career, to help people through your work, and to love and appreciate yourself and the gifts that only you bring to the world.
It must be so frustrating to have worked as hard as you did to get into Berkeley, to then feel like you weren’t competitive, to then — despite your hard work — to have to take time off and then end up getting a degree in something that you weren’t as passionate about, and to then move to a new city and immediately be reminded of the path you didn’t take. That’s got to be hard.
But I’d encourage you to take a minute and think about what “success” in this thread looks like. You asked for input on whether it was possible for you to go to med school. People gave advice. Some of it you found helpful; some you clearly didn’t. That’s fine.
But if you’re “literally shaking with anger, frustration, and anxiety”, and certainly if you’re responding to people that are genuinely trying to help you with snippy responses, it’s probably time to take a break. Sit back for the weekend and think about what paths forward you have — whether suggested by someone in this thread or not. Volunteer with a medical nonprofit or a street medic team this weekend. Or give back in some other way. Do something other than … this.
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I want you to know that everyone here is rooting for you to find a successful and fulfilling career, to help people through your work, and to love and appreciate yourself and the gifts that only you bring to the world.
Ha. Sure. Reread the comments.
It must be so frustrating to have worked as hard as you did to get into Berkeley, to then feel like you weren’t competitive, to then — despite your hard work — to have to take time off and then end up getting a degree in something that you weren’t as passionate about, and to then move to a new city and immediately be reminded of the path you didn’t take. That’s got to be hard.
Yes.
But I’d encourage you to take a minute and think about what “success” in this thread looks like. You asked for input on whether it was possible for you to go to med school. People gave advice. Some of it you found helpful; some you clearly didn’t. That’s fine.
The answer was clearly no.
But if you’re “literally shaking with anger, frustration, and anxiety”, and certainly if you’re responding to people that are genuinely trying to help you with snippy responses, it’s probably time to take a break. Sit back for the weekend and think about what paths forward you have — whether suggested by someone in this thread or not. Volunteer with a medical nonprofit or a street medic team this weekend. Or give back in some other way. Do something other than … this.
It was HELPFUL to tell me to get a goddamn graduate degree in economics?
There are many pathways to becoming a doctor. I know people who found their way there in their 30s and 40s. It is clear you understand this will not be easy.
If it is something you want to pursue again, then put the pieces in place to go in that direction.
Take the classes you need at a local college over the next couple years while you work if needed.
As suggested, in the short term consider becoming an EMT for the experience and real life knowledge. It is a quick a way to get immediate feedback for your own self-reflection.
Consider what area of medicine you.may be interested in and find ways to gain experience. Example - maybe you want to work with people with traumatic brain injuries, there are community groups that organize activities or supports. There are many options to help you gain a holistic view of where your strengths will serve others - volunteer at a hospice center, VA hospital, or Ronald McDonald home that serves families.
Take care of yourself in this journey. Having a therapist to support you as you make major life decisions can help and it sounds like you have valued that in the past. Work though with them outside of CC your whys and your passions along with the what if scenarios. CC is not set up to help navigate that important work, but asking the question you started with is a great first step. All the best to you.
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Sorry but your arguing with yourself. I was a residency director and have been a mentor to pre med students for over 30 year’s. I doubt this is even a real thread but people are just offering advice that you sought out. Everyone of your responses is negative and argumentive and demeaning.
You can close this thread if you don’t want the advice your being given. All of the people giving you advice are active on here and have some expertise with students looking to go into medicine etc.
Talk to an advisor at your old college for advice on how to movie forward.
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And, as a mentor, you really told students to go international? Are you actually serious lmao?
I have known many that had to make that choice. Mostly Caribbean.
Again, you are just arguing. This is not a debate society on here. People are trying to help you. You don’t like the advice. Stop demeaning people.
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I regret going to Berkeley so much. I am literally never leaving my house again and will cuss anyone out if they bring up anything related to medicine. CC is one of the worst places to get advice.
And this weekend, I am doing NOTHING! I’m just going to be running errands, doing some stuff for work, and then just wasting my life reading an ochem textbook even though it’s too goddamn late to do anything about my B- in organic chemistry 1.
If you were actually a residency director, you’d understand that it’s not advisable to go international because it’s harder to get a US residency.
What advice where you looking for?
Should we all just agree with you?
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I mean, it seemed like you were telling me that I’m just inherently horrible at science and that I should get a Cal career advisor to echo what you said and to just “do something else that helps patients like getting an MBA/MHA/master’s in economics so I can do supply chain management in healthcare!”
You don’t know what your taking about but think you do. Many have programs set for the United States to do the residency in.
I am done here since again you know better.
Oh goody! Time to head to St. George’s University!
Okay. I’ll be sure to schedule an appointment with a Cal career advisor at 8 AM Monday for them to help me apply to a good MHA program so I can do supply chain management! I can’t make myself better at science so I’ll just do operations research for the rest of my life, woohoo!
Based on what you had previous shared about your journey, It sounded like you understood the importance of mental health.
Your flippant, rapid reply about therapy and a lobotomy is not one of someone ready to take these next steps we have suggested to get into and through medical school. I believe you have answered your original question and you know you are not ready yet. Being in your 20s is a hard reality check at times. Find someone to talk to.
Peace.
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Oh believe me, I had worked extremely hard on my mental health and benefitted significantly from moving out of my parent’s house.
But this thread triggered me so much. It was like reliving years of trauma.
Being in your 20s is a hard reality check at times. Find someone to talk to.’
A hard reality check for what? That I should just get an MBA/MHA/Master’s in Economics and do supply chain management for healthcare companies for the rest of my life because I’m not inherently good at science? I already got that point; thank you very much!
Everyone, thank you so much for your advice.
I had originally planned to spend this weekend re-reading organic chemistry texts and looking at CARS practice exams for the MCAT, but I’ve decided that since “I can’t make myself better at science” and because Blossom stated that “if I were their kid” they’d recommend that I do an MHA/MBA/master’s in economics, that I will instead…
Spend the weekend researching allied health professions, applying to all 3 graduate programs listed above, all while also applying to a PhD program in sociology, as I didn’t do that great in Calc II and that must be the next logical step for me from premed to economics to sociology according to @WayOutWestMom even though I already have a BA in economics.
I’m so glad that I came here to CC to get so much great and helpful insight on this life decision. It was really enlightening and meaningful advice. Even the folks at SDN told me over and over that I could be a doctor if I wanted to, but I’m so thankful that people at CC don’t hold back the harsh truth that people need to hear
I’ll come back to update you guys when I have those 4 degrees down! That MHA, MBA, Master’s in Economics, and PhD in sociology! I know I can change the world with those 4 degrees and maybe COVID will be eradicated once I graduate.
Yeah, people say Cal is difficult but I saw that people were just succeeding left and right sooo yeah lmao :')