If there’s one thing I have learned in this process, it is PATIENCE.

For those of you also in this application process, I’m sure you can relate. Last year, a friend warned me that one of the most stressful part of this med school application process was actually AFTER the writing had concluded; it was the wait. Then, I couldn’t really comprehend what she meant. Sure, waiting for interview invites and decisions was bound to be nerve wracking, but it couldn’t be THAT bad right? Right.

Here is where I share my experience.

I was done with majority of my secondaries in mid-August, which was a good thing, BUT also has a downside: The wait. This led to the following things:

• Checking the updates on each school almost EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Mind you, I have to log on to each portal to do so. This is completely unnecessary considering most schools, if not all will email you an update.
• Looking at my excel sheet almost everyday. Nothing has changed I know, but MAYBE  if I stare at it hard enough my invite column will have a “yes” on it. Maybe.
• Checking SDN for updates. Sigh. This site. On the plus side, it feels good knowing okay, other folks are waiting too, the con: well…you know.
• Being distracted at work due to worry aka less productive.

The point is, there’s little that can be done to speed up the waiting process; You simply have to tough it out. And luckily, there’s a solution to make it less painful.

Distract yourself. Yes, distract yourself.

You’ve done your part and turned in your secondaries; quite frankly, worrying about it day and night won’t do anything. So the best thing to do is find ways to occupy your mind and time. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. That’s essentially what I’ve been doing and I must say it’s going well (check out my gap year adventures). The interview invites are going to come, you won’t miss it, trust me 🙂

Simply wait.

Ciao!