<p>Thank you everyone for your posts thus far. I think it’s clear what went wrong, but I will still most likely be moving on and trying to gain forgiveness once this process is over. To future applicants, this is how you can ruin your chances of becoming a doctor.</p>
<p>Sure, my current MCAT, GPA, ECs, and letters are great and according to AMCAS I have an 86% chance of acceptance but that is greatly reduced by my stupidity. I am really tired of myself and mad that I ruined my life.</p>
<p>1) Multiple MCATs. You can only take the MCAT once if you want to get in somewhere.</p>
<p>2) Applying late. Being complete at schools in September or October is extremely bad. You can only get into medical school if you are complete in June or July now.</p>
<p>3) Being a reapplicant because you messed up the first time you applied. Being a reapplicant seems to be frowned upon and reduces the positives of your application into negatives.</p>
<p>4) Having an unbalanced MCAT. You must have 10 or above in every section to get into MD schools now. A 9 in verbal is unacceptable.</p>
<p>5) If you don’t have a 35 or above don’t apply to top 40 schools. I thought the barrier was around 33, but it isn’t. Schools only care about the MCAT and the bar is raised.</p>
<p>Although it has taken you some time to get to your 31-33 MCAT and a near perfect GPA:
I really think you should eventually have a chance to get in somewhere if you keep trying (even if it is not in this application cycle.) Please do not give it up so readily. (Hopefully, you are from an easier state than a state like California or Washington.)</p>
<p>1) Not exactly, but you are right that each extra MCAT try is a ding on the app. Always aim for one and done but there are people who get in with multiple tries.</p>
<p>2) Yeah, this one is pretty much true as written.</p>
<p>3) Not quite, but you did need new positives when you reapply. You need to be better than you were the first time.</p>
<p>4) There are schools with average MCATs below 30 so this has to be wrong, but balanced is always better</p>
<p>5) No one said that, but definitely don’t ONLY apply to top 40s if your score is below 35.</p>
<p>And BAM… UPenn’s SOD as they call it on SDN. I guess I had no business applying there in the first place. Add another “you suck” letter to the growing pile. About 1/2 applications resulting in rejections pre interview and the other 1/2 to go. I can’t wait for all of this nightmare to just go away. I’ve never had so many punches in the face before.</p>
<p>MCAT2, thank you for the kind words, but as you can tell from my posts I’m not doing very well right now (mentally or emotionally). I need time off. Maybe medicine will be right for me some time in the future, but it’s clearly not meant to be right now. I’ll just leave it up to God and destiny… I haven’t been the best of individuals in the past and I’m probably paying for it right now. I wish there was some way to atone for it, maybe time will help.</p>
<p>If you really can’t wait for it to be over, and you’re pretty distraught if you get an “SOD,” and you’re not sure medicine is for you right now because you need time to clear your head, perhaps it would be a good idea to withdraw the rest of your applications so you don’t have to deal with the potential sting of rejection. I know the application process is rough and stressful (and I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be unsuccessful with it), but it’s completely unnecessary for you to take a rejection so personally and feel like you just can’t wait for the nightmare to be over. Which is to say, there’s no reason for you to be as miserable as you seem. It’s okay to stop now and reapply later.</p>
<p>You’ve outlined reasons why this cycle isn’t going as planned for you, and you still seem to be interested in pursuing medicine at some point in the future. You have had experience with this process in the past, and it’s clear that you know how painful it can be–and at the same time, how much personal and mental stamina it takes to get through all of this. I think it would be a good idea for you to withdraw the remaining applications, take control of your nightmare, move on with your life, figure out a way to cope with these stressors, and apply again when you’re confident and ready.</p>
<p>If you are really feeling overwrought and needing a break, take a break. You need to have worked through your devils and be completely stable when you begin the adventure that is med school. There is no time for this sort of angst once you begin the journey. The thing that would be even worse than late MCATS and repeat applications is starting the MS1 year and having to take time off then to “find yourself”</p>
<p>Please find a path, perhaps to medicine, perhaps not, but a path that gives you time to explore and determine your best pursuits.</p>
<p>Ok, everyone thank you very much for your comments. I will consider what you are saying some mom and kristin. </p>
<p>If everyone could hold off on commenting for a while it would be great. Maybe I will update in a month or two with better news. For now thank you all and good luck with everything in your futures.</p>
<p>Come down, think of yourself as a person, not Med. School applicant. You are a human being, treat yourself as such. NOBODY has failed their lives, unless they decided themselves that they did. There are people who applied 6 times and eventually got in. While doing so, you can still move on, get a job, progress at your employment place, start a family, life is life and Med. School application is just a part of it as huge as it seems, it is NOT your whole entire life. At periods like this, just think that you are given a chance of living healthy and productive life no matter what, there millions out there who do not have that. It is your personal responsibility not to waste the chance that has been given to you. Practically everybody has some obstacles in their lives. Some went to the wrong proffession (for them) and realized that they cannot adapt no matter what, they realize it after spending many years at school and working for over decade. Is it the end of the world, or maybe they just need to go back to school and pursue their dream at any age? The oldest in my D’s Med. School class was 46 y op at the time of application.<br>
Worse so, many realize that they were worn in the worng country, how about those who lived everything behind, their family, language and just move somewhere else and realize, oh boy, they cannot even pick up the phone becuase they will not understand? And how about if they are in their 30s, 40s, 50s?
You sound like you have reached the end of the rope. You have not by any measure, whatsoever. Cool down, sit down with the list of paper and decide on the plan of action for yourself, keeping in mind everything that you have learned. You are NOT a looser, you did NOT ruin your life. You are an ever evolving human being who has just learned something and who will use this knowledge for his future.<br>
Best wishes!</p>