Forums help lost souls find the right path
Ilovescience99: Hey y’all, I’m a high school student and I’m thinking about becoming a doctor. Does anyone have tips for doing well on the MCAT?
130/125/128/129: Hi, so you’re going to have to set aside a good chunk of your time for this! No worries, just make sure you study for at least four months straight, and make studying your part-time job (if you already have a part-time job, try saving all your money so you can pay for the test, review books, and your daily needs for the next year. I mean, if you REALLY want to work at Starbucks, good luck I guess ☺). Anyway, if you haven’t noticed, my scores are really good, so much so that they’re my username and entire identity!
TestTubular: Hi Ilovescience99. Don’t be sad if your CARS score is really bad. I don’t even know why verbal reasoning is so hard, because I’m an A-student in biology, and that’s all that should matter! Reading is for dorks. Doctors shouldn’t have to read; they should just earn money and write prescriptions for opioids.
MDGoku: I’d suggest buying these <brand name here> books, which are $200 on their own, but they’re $400 if you buy the full-length tests that come with them. Whatever, I just paid for a $3000 course that taught me the ins and outs of the MCAT, so I ended up scoring in the 99th percentile. But money isn’t everything! I work really hard at my private school, the Havisham Institute for Repressed Adolescents.
JanieRainbows: Hi friends, I’m looking for advice about research and extracurricular activities to list on my application to medical school. I currently volunteer at an old-folks home and clean test tubes for a professor, but I don’t do much else. Any tips?
ImMrMedsci: Hello JanieRainbows! Good luck with your application! I used to help old people too, but I felt like they were so ungrateful, saying stuff like “let go of my arm—I want to go to the bathroom!” and “stop treating me like a f***ing toddler!”
Anyway, I’ve amped up my volunteering and moved part-time to India! There are a lot of poor people there ☺. Now, I run a clinic for women’s health where I hand out condoms with a smile. I think my travels have enriched my life. I never realized how cool Indian culture is! I now do yoga and no longer seek the validation of others. Also, it’s really important to admissions committees that you save at least one child from a monsoon and nurse him back to health with Gatorade and wet wipes. Don’t ask me how I know this, I just do. Hope this helps!
TitrationStation: I feel like you might need some research experience to bolster your application. You should ask your professor to teach you one new skill every week, so that by end of the year, you will be exceptional at performing craniotomies on mice and dodging ethics committees. I basically live in the research wing of a hospital and have been described as a “foul-smelling ghoul” by Jose, the janitor (haha!). My mom got me the position because she’s a doctor there, but don’t worry, I’m sure you can find something similar if you’re as dedicated as I am.
Saxislife: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, Janie! These guys are just spooking you. I’m sure you’re a lovely girl with a good heart, which is what matters. Non-traditional routes work too: I was a professional saxophonist with a Doctoral of Musical Arts and gigged all around the country before I realized I wanted to be a doctor. You can do whatever you’re passionate about, just like me! A professional saxophonist! Just be yourself, unless you’re kind of boring. I wouldn’t know what that’s like. Good luck!
UrbanCloutfitters: So, I heard <insert school here> only looks at your first-year marks. Spiralling into a depression now :/
BacteriaBoi: Nah, that’s not true. I got in with lower marks and I think it’s because I explained how I took a year off to work on Shakespearean sword-fighting. I think being honest is important.
UrbanCloutfitters: I only did poorly because I was adjusting to uni. Other than being depressed, I really don’t have a reason for my first-year marks. I’m doing better now, though.
MeningesRightsActivist: NEVER say you have a mental illness! HIDE YOUR TRUE WEAKNESSES AT ALL COSTS. There are no depressed doctors. They will not let you in if you have a mental illness. My friends heard that somewhere.
Pharma-sianCheese: Yo, but I also heard about <other school name here> and they’re worse. I think they only let in people who can sing every note of Mamma Mia, including the instrumental parts. Also, I’m in pharmacy. I honestly don’t know how I got into this thread. Looks informative though!
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