Humble Pie

I think that I'll try to post on a monthly basis. I know, I know, once a MONTH? But right now, that's as fast as I can go! And by the way, I'm taking down my old archives 2002-2004. Sorry! Maybe I'll put up some selected posts as a 'best of' kinda thing?

Every step in the medical education process is a humbling one. There's never a safe moment when medicine won't put you in your place. For me, the most humbling part of my medical education was the application process. I was waitlisted to some, rejected by most. My applicant year was extremely competitive, and some of my rejection letters acknowledged that in other years I would've been accepted, but for circumstance.

I lived in fear of my mailbox. I made a large pile of rejection letters on my desk. I was going to burn them once I got accepted, but after several months, my burning plan was lost in self-pity. Two schools were kind enough to reject me via postcard. I that that was the biggest slap in the face, that my rejection was not worth an envelope.

The interviews were even worse. One interviewer actually told me that I had no business applying to med school, and I shouldn't bother to pursue it any further. Another interview, I forgot my tie of all things. The interviewer took one look at me and didn't bother to listen to a word I said.

So, in early June while I was packing up my apartment and getting ready to move back home, I got an overnight express letter: 'Congratulations! Blah, blah, blah. Sign here!' One of my waitlist schools came through.

Now that I'm further along, it's easy to look back on those times with nostalgia, but it's awfully humbling to know that the only reason I got into medical school was because someone higher up on the list said 'No thanks, I can do better.' Thanks, dude. I really didn't want to move in with my mom.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

once a month is better than none at all! we'll take what we can get! just glad you're still willing to share your thoughts and vices with us. and i agree, the application process to medical school (for me) was also very humbling and outright depressing. applying to residency was even worst! my board scores didn't even get me more than one interview to the specialty of my choice. but no matter. I am at where I am today--a physician, just like you--sometimes i wonder if it's luck or if it was just meant to be?

Dragonfly said...

People change so much by the time they are finished medicine....it doesn't matter where you came on the rankings in applications, just what you do when you get out. Humble pie can be good for us in reasonable amounts.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I just happened to come back to use some of your posts as inspiration for my med school personal statement. Glad to see that you are back to posting.

This is a great post. It's assuring to read that someone as successful as you had trouble with the application process. It puts things in perspective.

Anonymous said...

here in my country, schools accept you with arms wide open... there aren't a lot of doctors here anymore... most of them are already nurses working abroad... and i can't really blame them...

and oh, yeah... once a month is fine... just keep writing and keep inspiring people like me who desperately wants to become a doctor... Gb+