As my readers know I applied to medical school despite not having competitive stats, I decided to roll the dice and let the chips fall where they may. This was a gamble (a very expensive and time consuming gamble). Ideally, one should apply with their best foot forward. As late as it is, in the application cycle, I am still under review at three medical schools. Having been rejected by a great majority of the schools I applied to, I am not optimistic (but I do know - all I need is one yes) instead, I am realistic. If I don’t get in the front door (the traditional route) I'll get in the back door.
I applied to several special master programs- as a way of casting my net wide and increasing my chances of medical school matriculation. Check out my post: Post bacc programs for underrepresented minorities for an exhaustive list. These graduate programs allow you to get a master's degree in a hard science and provide medical schools' admission committee with an insurance that you can stand the academic rigour. Furthermore, as a plan B some of these master programs allow you to take additional course-work to turn your science degree into a professional degree—one that will allow you to enter the work force competitively.
Mean while back at the ranch (I have always wanted to use that statement-lol don't mind me) the national vice-chair of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) publication committee reached out to me, to write an article that would be published in the April 2015 MAPS (Minority association of premedical students) minutes. (who'd have thunk it— my story is being used to help others).
I agreed to write the article entry because this opportunity will allow me to help pre-meds through a different outlet and it will hopefully increase my blog reader-ship. Below I attached an excerpt of the article, that can be checked out at: http://jsnma.org/category/premed/ when it becomes available
"… Success, for some, a small few is a straight line. For most, success is an ever-changing squiggly line, which plateaus at its finale. For me, success is the latter. I am twenty-five and some might say, “If you didn't accomplish your dreams by now, then you should change them give up.” That thought is probably shared by many people who believe that it is a harsh reality. A concept rooted in, the miss understanding of the difference between practicality and cynicism.
Cynicism is catching and crippling. It clouds your ability to see things as they are. Cynics (a.k.a haters and naysayers—Jamaican’s call bad mind people) rely on past’s disappointments; to guide future endeavors instead of using past’s failures as feedback.
This is a fine line between pragmatism and cynicism; the difference between an unattainable dream and a realistic goal. That is the ability to thoroughly self-reflect and progress…”
