It's Been Awhile

No, not referring to the age-old song by Staind, but my general lack of posts on this blog (not that there are any followers...yet). So, what have I been doing that caused me to leave you all in the lurch?

Finishing school
Finishing honors thesis
Visiting med schools (UIC, and I got accepted to Pritzker (UChicago) since I last wrote)
Deciding to go to Pritzker
Getting an apartment
Searching for furniture at IKEA and for a dog or cat at petfinder.com

Also of note since I last wrote, I was fortunate enough to get a full-tuition scholarship to Pritzker!!!! I'm truly thankful and truly excited!!!

So, how did I get here today? What were my secrets?

Actually, this very day, I had two friends ask me these same questions and if I knew how to deal with a pre-med advisor if they didn't like you or if things weren't working out. So, in answer to those questions, I have the following:

1. Whether you are best friends with your pre-med adviser or have been there once and then ran away ASAP, there is one thing that you should know, and you might already: Medical Schools wonder, and therefore dubiously question, why in the world you WOULDN'T send your recommendations and other information through your pre-med adviser, if your school has one. So, even if you left your last appointment confused, frustrated, sobbing, or all the above, these people are great resources of information, and should be the people with whom you work to get all the necessary items in you application.

2. So, do all the things you have to do for them to get your application completed. With that said, any of the rest of the application that is adviser-free can totally be just that! Do it all yourself! Remember, your personal statement, the content of your other recommendations, and any secondaries that you fill out are going to be completely dependent on you, not your adviser. If you love your adviser, GREAT! If you don't, do what needs to be done, but let your true self shine in the rest of the application process!!! In a few months to years, depending on where you are in the process, this person will most likely have absolutely NO effect on your life!!! Listen to their advice, use them as resources, but in the end, having those things still in mind, apply to the schools you want, write an interesting, reflective statement, and BE YOU!!

3. Does your adviser tell you that you will not get into med school, and maybe you should pick a different career? Well first, you should take a step back to seriously evaluate yourself and where you are. Why do you want to be a doctor? Is it for the right reasons? Are your grades really that low? Do you actually not do many extracurriculars, or is it something that your adviser just doesn't fully appreciate that you think is significant? If you were going to be a doctor because that's what your parents did or you want a lot of money, if you have truly low MCATs and/or low grades, and if you truly have very weak extracurriculars, then maybe you should be re-thinking things. But, if your GPA is in transit, your extracurricular activities are actually important, or you are going to be participating in a very meaningful activity soon, if you are doing really, really well, but just not "crazy super," then take a chill pill. Your adviser was probably trying to weed out the slackers, and, in the process, scared you. Especially if you still have long periods of time until you apply, you have so much time to change things - to add activities, explore health and other careers, to boost your GPA, to study hard, etc.

Moral of story: You do NOT have to be buddy-buddy with your pre-med adviser to get into med school. Do what they ask, complete all that's necessary, and totally wow them with your application, and show them how truly awesome you can be. Some people just don't click - not your fault.