Metalhead to Ivy Med

So a couple days ago, I was accepted to an Ivy League med school. 

I'm just going to type that again. Accepted. To an Ivy League med school. That just doesn't even feel right under my fingers. It doesn't feel real. And when I realize that it IS real, I just feel humbled. I know I know, it's not like Axl Rose to be humble, but there you have it- strange things happen. And me going to a top med school is one of them. Somehow I got from A to B:

 A = Graduated college with a terrible, terrible GPA, tried to become a rockstar in NYC, failed, studied for the MCAT, applied, failed to get in to med school.  Picked myself up off the floor, and got cracking again.

 B = 2 years later, accepted to a ridiculous, top medical school.

So how did this happen? Hell I don't know. Some mixture of good luck, fortuity, and adventituosity. But perhaps there is a method to the madness you say, some secret underlying order to the chaos? Hmm... I think it's time for another long-awaited installment of:

"Axl Rose's Fully-guaranteed Partially-funded Semi-transparent Trans-fat-free Ultimate Good Fun Times Guide To Going from Metal-Head to Ivy-Med"


Step 1: Fail

I can't understate the importance of starting off strong, by failing.  Failing puts you at square 1, which is where the magic happens.  Square 1 is the place where all things are possible because you've lost everything else, and nothing but the black, gaping maw of possibility lies ahead.  And stuff.

Step 2: Run

Run hard ahead, headfirst in to the buffeting wind, letting obstacles strike but glancing blows and drop clattering in your wake.  And shit like that.  From square 1, you gotta fight to get to square 2, and there will be a million other people trying to get there ahead of you.  In my case, step 2 involved taking the MCAT for the second time and reapplying.  That sucked.  Life was really hard.  But you keep running.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 & 2 If Necessary


Fail, run, fail, run.  If you have a goal and you keep running at it, you'll get there or die trying.  Simple as that.

Step 4: Winning


A weird feeling.  When you finally get to where you were tryin to go.  It's the best feeling in the world, and at the same time, it's weird to not have to fight, to stop running.  You've gotten there.  You did it.  Now what?

Luckily, there's usually a gaping black maw of possibility right around the corner.  Yes!  Start running in to that one!  In my case, the challenge ahead is medical school.  Then residency.  Then life.  Bring it.