I was looking around here, reading old posts of people now long gone…(sniff, sniff…) As much as I enjoyed going to the OPM Conference I will say that the thing that gave my wife and I the greatest motivation was attending a med school Open House. There’s one excitement of meeting with likeminded (crazy) people online and OPM Conference but it is quite another to actually go to a school. It just made this whole experience real for us. My wife didn’t want to go at first but once we left the school she was very excited. It made all of this talk of school, seeing me study, and all that actually mean something. It was because of that trip that she decided that I should quit but I held off. My boss helped me with that 
So now that I’m about to embark on this year of starting and finishing the prereqs I say that if you are able go to a med school Open House. We’ve gone to two osteopathic ones so I cannot speak for allopathic. One Open House was better than the other but they were both very good at making this crazy journey a bit more concrete. 
I tutor med students, so I go back and forth between being motivated and “hatin”, LOL!!!
But I agree, visiting med schools is a VERY good thing to do!
Another thing that I liked was to watch videos about the schools that I targeted. They are promotional of course, but I kept thinking that I would love matriculating. It just showed what to look forward to. I also read with attention the posts of fellow OPMers who were accepted.
Well Croooz I am glad you (and most importantly your significant other) found some energy there. I know it has not been easy for you so far. Hang in there. This is just the beginning of a new adventure.
Believe me pathdr2b…there be some major hatin’ from me as well. I go from
“man this is so cool…look at them there…they look so happy and yet miserable at the same time…it must feel awesome…it must just feel great…I mean to be that young talking to an old fart…to think that they’ll be an attending before I’m even in school…much less they’ll have all their debt paid off…those little jerks…sitting there all high&mighty like they’re better than me…who the &^*% do they think they are talking to ME this way…I mean after all SQUIRREL!!!..Wow that’s a nice powerpoint background…I wonder if they prefer Macs or PCs…what time’s lunch…I wonder if there are any OPM’ers here…maybe that lady…oh wait…no she’s with her daughter…how about that guy?..Man this is so awesome to think I might be in this very room in a couple of years! I wonder where I’ll sit…probably closer to the front cuz my knees will feel better…I wonder what their EM department looks like…oh let me ask these little punks a question now so they can feel better…”
- redo-it-all Said:
Well Croooz I am glad you (and most importantly your significant other) found some energy there. I know it has not been easy for you so far. Hang in there. This is just the beginning of a new adventure.
Thanks redo! Looking forward to it. Start Jan.28th!
- croooz Said:
"man this is so cool...look at them there...they look so happy and yet miserable at the same time...it must feel awesome...it must just feel great...I mean to be that young talking to an old fart...to think that they'll be an attending before I'm even in school...much less they'll have all their debt paid off....those little jerks...sitting there all high&mighty like they're better than me....who the &^*% do they think they are talking to ME this way....I mean after all SQUIRREL!!!!!!....Wow that's a nice powerpoint background...I wonder if they prefer Macs or PCs....what time's lunch...I wonder if there are any OPM'ers here...maybe that lady...oh wait...no she's with her daughter....how about that guy?....Man this is so awesome to think I might be in this very room in a couple of years! I wonder where I'll sit....probably closer to the front cuz my knees will feel better...I wonder what their EM department looks like....oh let me ask these little punks a question now so they can feel better..."
ROTFLMBAO, it's ALL about the knees these days!!!!
- croooz Said:
"man this is so cool...look at them there...they look so happy and yet miserable at the same time...it must feel awesome...it must just feel great...I mean to be that young talking to an old fart...to think that they'll be an attending before I'm even in school...much less they'll have all their debt paid off....those little jerks...sitting there all high&mighty like they're better than me....who the &^*% do they think they are talking to ME this way....I mean after all SQUIRREL!!!!!!....Wow that's a nice powerpoint background...I wonder if they prefer Macs or PCs....what time's lunch...I wonder if there are any OPM'ers here...maybe that lady...oh wait...no she's with her daughter....how about that guy?....Man this is so awesome to think I might be in this very room in a couple of years! I wonder where I'll sit....probably closer to the front cuz my knees will feel better...I wonder what their EM department looks like....oh let me ask these little punks a question now so they can feel better..."
Awesome!
See if you can attend a medical conference at a local med school. Some schools have their grand rounds open the the public. Youtube videos are great. Also, I like the Johns Hopkins documentary that was on ABC. There are a few docs on there that inspired me.
I was among 10 students from two local universities invited by an MS1 to tour her allopathic medical school. We ten were invited because we all have significant histories and experiences working with the medically underserved. Unfortunately, only 4 of us 10 actually showed up. As the director/actor/producer Woody Allen said, “Showing up is eighty percent of life,” and rightfully so in this case.
After a tour of the medical school, us four students got to interview a panel of 5 medical students, ranging from first years through fourth years. We were also allowed to ask an admissions dean about what she looks for in applicants. While I will apply to her school, my chances of getting in are low due to my science GPA and convoluted scholastic history. Nevertheless, the dean was impressed by my long-term advocacy for, and work with, the medically underserved, – enough that she and another dean gave me their personal emails.
Later, we were treated to a dinner and a talk by a physician from South America, who spoke on traditional medicine from his home country.
All in all, it was a great evening.
I have also been invited by an admissions coordinator at an osteopathic medical school to visit her and go over my application. We have not set a date, but I plan to take her up on her offer as well.
I noticed that in some parts of my previous post, I should have said “we” instead of “us.”