I’m on the waitlist for med school - yay! - but as a FT-working OPMer, I’m concerned about how to plan around this uncertainty…
I currently work >65 hrs/wk at a job which is rapidly (well, over the past 4 mo) becoming intolerable, and I’d like to get out ASAP.
Normally I would apply for another “real” job, but since I may be leaving in a few months for school, I’m not even sure which types of jobs to look for. In the past I’ve had trouble with employers reluctant to hire someone who may be leaving in 1-2 yrs, and I’d feel even more uncomfortable hiding my potential plans if I would be leaving after only a few months.
Ideally, I would like to quit and take the time to retake the MCATs and plan for reapplication if I don’t get in, but I don’t have the finances for that. I’d also like to assume I’ll be accepted eventually, and hold out another month or find a minimum-wage job, but I don’t know if that’s realistic… and again, the finance issue.
What would working OPMers do in this situation?
That’s good that you are waitlisted. Will the school(s) tell you where you are in the waitlist? That might help with your planning or at least with the anxiety associated with waiting.
If it were me, I would suck up the crappy job until I know for sure one way or another. If it is a no, then I would look for a more accomodating job to help you through the next application cycle.
Just my 2 cents.
Lynda
Very much a personal decision, but for me I’d wait out the crappy job until I had a definitive answer from the med school. It stinks to be at a place that is seemling intolerable, but there are also downsides to looking for a new job, especially one which you may end up needing to leave in a few months. It will be a challenge to wait up to 5 months before you know, but can you think of it as character building? 
In this economy, leaving a decent job is a gamble, even if you will be going to med school next season. You may want to polish your resume and start sending it out in parallel with being on the wait list.