There are many things a LOVE about this site besides the obvious stories of amazing admissions to medical school.
What I love most is that I can be myself. I totally “get” that I’m prone to never turning down an opportunity to have a “healthy debate”, and it’s just really nice that there’s little “policing†of heated topics and even better that it’s rarely needed. We’re free to agree to disagree without fear of someone whinning and feeling “picked†on.
The second thing I love about OPM are the stories of pure, gut wrenching determination to succeed no matter what the odds. And I’m specifically talking about Linda. WOW! Just WOW!
I also love that attitudes of entitlement are few and far between. We all seem to expect that hard work is not only required, but expected.
Finally, I LOVE the fact that being on this site and in my mid 40’s, often makes me feels like I’m in my mid 20’s (except my knees, LOL), due to the high energy of the members!!!
What a great question! I love that I can trust the input and advice that’s given. It’s rarely opinion or secondhand hearsay. (And if that does happen, others are quick to make corrections as needed.)
People are honest and direct, but always encouraging. Someone is always willing to point a person in the right direction, even if that person’s question has been asked a million times already.
I love the fact that, as you mentioned Path, no one is afraid to disagree–yet no one does so in a rude or insensitive manner. We all engage in healthy dialogue, and we all therefore learn and grow from those discussions…instead of seeking to simply win an argument. There is a true atmosphere of support and camaraderie.
Everyone seems to geniunely celebrate everyone else’s victories and geniunely grieve everyone else’s valleys. You can’t ask for more than that in a forum supporting a journey as difficult as this one.
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes-- “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one!’”
We are all in this together (on some level, anyway). And it means something. That’s not just sappy sentiment. When people strive for something difficult… when they go through the challenge together… it means something.
I like authentic people. Even if they don’t believe what I believe or think how I think–I respect authenticity so much. That’s what draws me here like a magnet.
I love that no matter how difficult the journey seems, someone up here has been through it and encourages me 
I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only person who had desires to become a physician. Also, when I think this journey might be foolish, I look at the more “seasoned” individuals who have been down this road and draw on their experiences as motivation.
What I love about OPM is knowing that I’m not the only person to think about doing this, or the oldest, or the one with the most challenges…AND hearing about the successes of some of those people!
Would I have dared ignore the naysayers without that inspiration? Who knows?
Kate
Ditto what everyone else said…
I think my favorite things are that (1) I’m not alone or “crazy” for thinking I can/should walk down this long, hard path, and (2) nobody here tries to pretend that it’s a given that any one of us are guaranteed to succeed.
Among colleagues (nurses and even docs that I work with), I either get the “you’re crazy to consider this at your age and with a family” or the “Oh, no problem! You’ll get right in and do great!” I don’t agree with either of those - I’ve thought hard and long about this, with my husband’s full involvement, and this is the right thing for me/us. But nothing is a given…I will have to work my tail off both to get in and to succeed there. And OPM supports this long term, hard work perspective…
One thing I love about OPM is that I feel I have made genuine friends from across the country, people who care about me, and people about whom I care as well. Some of these people I have met in person (i.e., at the two OPM conferences I attended), others I have not. But we are all in this journey together, even though our stories and specifics are different, and that binds us in a way that nothing else could.
I love this community; I love the people here. I honestly could not imagine traveling this road without this forum and the support I receive (and give) here.