My Unusual Path to Med School | PART 2
So we left off here – I took the MCAT twice.
I did worse on my second MCAT. Once I received the score I felt extremely discouraged. I felt like I wasn’t good enough or smart enough. I was ashamed to tell my friends or family because I felt like a failure (my perspective has greatly changed since).
Application Round 1 Continued
With my two MCAT scores and an application that was already submitted to AMCAS, I sat and waited anxiously. Through this first application cycle I was extremely excited, wound up, and I kept checking Student Doctor Network incessantly. If you are applying for the first time, don’t get addicted to SDN. It can become extremely toxic, at least that’s how it felt for me.
The First Acceptance
I had submitted my application on the first of June and around September I received my first interview invitation. It was at an in-state institution and I surprisingly had the first available interview date. The interview took place sometime in October (it’s been around 3-4 years now since that day, so I don’t recall all the details honestly). It was a traditional one-on-one interview. I had two of them, each lasting about an hour long.
I didn’t really know what to expect post-interview. I didn’t know how long I’d have to wait for any news because the school was on rolling admissions. To my surprise, I received a call three days after the interview with an ACCEPTANCE offer. I was ecstatic, thrilled, proud, and relieved. By October of my senior year, I had secured my spot, while my premed friends were still nervously waiting for news. I was safe.
The First Rejection
I still had some hope that I might get more interviews and more options. By December I received news from two more schools that were out-of-state. Once again, I was thrilled to have these opportunities and I went on to do both interviews around January and February. I put my best foot forward and prepared as much as I could, polishing and reviewing every aspect of my application. Following and tracking every detail and update on Student Doctor Network.
Unfortunately, the interviews turned into rejections.
Of course, I was disappointed, but at the same time, I didn’t have the stress of being without any acceptance. I was set. I had already put in my deposit and when the time came, I went to the second look day for my in-state institution. This is a day when all accepted students visit the campus and get to know each other better, learn more about the school, the curriculum, the faculty, and pick their school (if you have more than one acceptance).
Because this was my only acceptance, I didn’t really go into second look day having to make a decision. It was more of a formality, to see the city, to learn more about my future classmates, and to mingle. Once I was there, something didn’t feel right. I felt disconnected, I felt like this wasn’t the place for me.
But I didn’t really have any other option, did I?
PLAN B, C, D
Like any meticulous pre-med student, I had to have backups. In case I didn’t get accepted to med school this cycle, I wanted to keep my options open. So here come plans B, C, and D. Because I didn’t have the time to study abroad or travel during undergrad, all of my options involved some form of travel.
Plan B – I applied for TAPIF, a teaching assistant program in France. I had studied French from middle school through undergrad, and it had always been a dream of mine to visit Paris, so I decided to apply and see where things go. I ended up getting accepted and placed in Toulouse, France to teach English to middle and high school students.
Plan C – I applied to the Rice University Global Health Fellowship. This is a great opportunity for post-baccalaureate early-career engineers with an interest in developing medical technologies for low-resource settings, particularly in Africa. I went through the interview phase here, but in the end, I wasn’t selected for the fellowship.
Plan D – I applied for a Fulbright Scholarship to Poland. With Fulbright, students can either pursue a master’s degree abroad, conduct a research project, or teach English. I went through the interview phase here and was awarded a position as an English Teaching Assistant at the Medical University of Warsaw (I’ll go into more detail about Fulbright later, but it was a life-changing experience!).
Making a Decision
At this point, let’s sum up all the options. I could go to an in-state institution for medical school. I could go to France to teach English. Or I could go to Poland to teach English with the Fulbright Program. Making a decision during this time was extremely taxing, stressful, and it felt momentous.
This one decision could completely shift my life in one direction or another.
