NOW, the first thing to do in the cycle of admissions is to get letters of recommendation. Medical schools insist that you get them from professors you've had, and pre-med advisors from your undergrad.
My problem is, I've never established a wonderful life long relationship with my professors like my fellow crazy pre-meds. I've also been out of school for a year, so it's not like the professors will remember me in any significant way.
DESPITE THIS, I have to go to them and ask for letters. This drives me nuts on so many levels. Does becoming a doctor really mean I had to pretend like I didn't know what the fuck was going on in my classes just to ask my professor a bunch of meaningless questions to get him to know me?
What about people that have been out of school for 5-10 years? Do they also have to come back to their undergrad professors and ask for recommendations and pretend to want to get to know them and what not?
But what bugs me more than anything else, is the professors that don't see this as complete bullshit. The professors that say "nope, sorry, can't write you a great letter because you didn't come to office hours every week and suck my dick/kiss my ass." Can't they just be rational, nice people who understand the b.s. that is Letters of Rec, and just write nice letters based on an interview/resume/grade? I'll gladly pay them a Benjamin each to just cut the crap and do what's required.
Anyway, countdown until this post comes back to haunt me and prevent me from ever practicing medicine. Haha. Also, to all the people out there who go to office hours and ask meaningless questions that everyone knows the answer to just so you can demonstrate to the professor you're so ENTHUSIASTIC and INTERESTED in the class material- FUCK YOU.
Rough life man :/ All the academia bullshit is a huge reason why I chose not to go premed. But don't worry, once you're out of med school it gets better. One day, open up a private practice and you'll be the ruler of your own domain :D
ReplyDeleteI never went to office hours for most of my classes. Nor really cared. But I was in a small department (there were two bachelor degrees in astronomy awarded the year I graduated.) I saw my advisor pretty much every other week, the department head was my teacher for 3 classes, I spent hours in the lab with others moving about, and volunteered at the observatory with it's director. Relationships in your department become very useful in the long run, but you don't have to suck up if you are doing stuff you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMy professors were awesome when I asked them for letters of rec. They totally didn't remember me, but they BSed it anyway. Have you asked them yet?
ReplyDeletesheesh. i hope the career pays off though!
ReplyDeletehave a good day.
med school sounds crazy man!
ReplyDeletegetting in is a nightmare and doing the work means you will have no life.
keep your head up!
I know it sucks but it is necessary. You don't have to go talk to them much. For example I just needed a letter of recommendation so I went to a professor that I got an A in his class and was taking again. From the process of getting the letter, emailing him, and going to office to talk about what I needed, I actually got to know him. Same with my advisor.
ReplyDeleteIts just something you gotta do :/
I would become a doctor just to molest my patients. just kidding :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous..wish I could be at med school :(
ReplyDeleteI didn't bother making friends with my lecturers back then n if I were to go through the system all over again, I still won't go to them.
ReplyDeleteThe ridiculous hoops we're forced through to succeed today sickens me. Best of luck in figuring out a way through it all. Too many people enjoy lording what little power they have over others just struggling to make it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteMy wife is currently in 2nd year surgery residency and used to be on the med school advisory board. If you have any questions pass it along to me on my blog and I will forward to her.
ReplyDeleteYeah I just got my acceptance letter for a PhD program... they didn't give me any money to go though. So the decision is: do I give up my well paying job and get the PhD I've always wanted (but don't really need to live well) or do I give it up and possibly put myself in debt (I have no student loans now)... it's rough
ReplyDeleteauw :x
ReplyDelete^^ well professors are not dumb people, so I think a lot will remember you...
ReplyDeleteEven so I have never heard of this system and it does sound like complete bullshit...
brofist for med-school ^^
ReplyDeleteMy bf is facing this problem right now!! He's applying to grad schools, but got his bachelors degree two years ago (took a break). Now, he's trying to find professors he barely remembers who can write recs for him. It IS ridiculous!! And you're right, what about people who have been out of school for ten or so yaers?! What are they supposed to do? It's not fair. I think it's a silly requirement. I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteWell, regardless, I wish you all the best luck in applying to med schools!
MONEY
ReplyDelete???
YOU KNOW THE REST
It's all bullshit anymore. You should see the crazy clearances my daughter had to get just to be able to OBSERVE in a classroom. As if an FBI fingerprint and background check wasn't enough, she had to have a child abuse check done, too! All she was doing was sitting in the back of the classroom watching another teacher TEACH. Ridiculous. The world is being run by "C" students.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
ReplyDeleteLife is not fair & so silly sometimes!
booo...
Good luck man!
ReplyDeleteLetters of Rec are difficult. I feel like most of the decisions I make these days with regards to my teachers are based on the future and letters of rec.
ReplyDeleteI think you are brilliant, dude, and once you have that doctorate in your hand; you will look back on the butt kissing and laugh...
ReplyDeletehope the professors weren't reading this ;))
ReplyDelete