8: The Waiting Game Of the Application Cycle

Session 08

Today, we hear from a premed who is struggling with the waiting period after submitting her app, feeling like the waiting itself is like a daily rejection.

[01:16] Caller of the Week:

"I have always wanted to be a physician and dedicated especially these last few years to making myself the best person and the best applicant that I could be. So when it was time to actually submit an application and get to show admissions committees who I am and why I want to do this, I was really excited.

I submitted my application really early and after that, you get all the waves or one big wave of secondary applications... after all of that is done, for the first time in this whole premed journey - silence.

Before all of this, you get to work really hard on your grades and then you work really hard on your MCAT, your extracurriculars, your volunteering, your clinical experiences - and all these things. Sure, you continue some of those after your applications are in. But it is completely out of your hands. And that has been really hard for me. I was expecting a little bit of relief but honestly, I have been just so anxious. I ended up getting one interview invite in August which was awesome. And I'm very fortunate to have that. But since then, I have had just complete silence and one rejection yesterday from a school that I really wanted to go to.

I just wanted to share that even if you feel like you put your all into this, there's still a process. And it's really hard to wait and to feel like it's a personal rejection when you either get rejected or have to wait another day, check your email, and still hear nothing. It's just been really hard and I thought that other people might be feeling the same way. Not everyone is the people on Facebook or anywhere on the internet that has 7 interviews and 2 acceptances already, and deciding what school to go to. I'm so happy for those people but some of us are still in this waiting game. And it's certainly not over yet. It is only October but that doesn't necessarily lessen the anxiety that comes with the day to day drag of hoping to hear back.

I really just wanted to share that in a community of people who probably understand the struggle and have been through it or are going through it right now. I tell my parents, family, and friends and my significant other. And they're all awesome and so supportive. Say how confident they are that I will get in or it's not the end of the world. There's always next year - which is all true and all very encouraging. But it just feels like no one quite understands that day to day pressure.

I really wanted to call and be vulnerable about that and let people know that there are lots of us who are still waiting and there's lots of time still. But thank you guys for making this podcast and giving a place for premeds to come together and share in a lot of the struggles..."

[05:45] A Place to Be Vulnerable

It's a gift to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. What a compassionate and a giving person you are.

Struggling with the application cycle waiting period is so understandable. It's such a hard process with so many steps in it. As a premed student you're very used to putting your all into something and working hard. You have a lot of control to a certain extent in those challenges to be able to do the very best you can in each of those.

However, once you submit your application, there's nothing more you can do. You have zero control. Once your application has been submitted, the only other time you can make a point of how great you are and sell yourself is during the interview. So also, make sure you prepare yourself well for that.

"You're going from a situation where you have a lot of control and you're putting so...