A funny thing has been happening the last few days. I've been in such a great mood people have been giving me free shit.
2 days ago I went to my 84 year old barber and got a haircut. I was chatting his ear off about life, my future plans, his health and golf game, etc. He has known me since I was a little kid. He has been watching my transformation monthly since the New Year. My barber was so impressed with me he tried to say the haircut was on him. (I slipped him the cash anyway because I know he has been struggling with money and his shop was empty).
Last night I went to the gas station for coffee. They had strawberry shortcake cappucino. When I pressed the button I realized the flavor was out. I made an overdramatic scene about it. (Not in a pissed off way but in a fun way that had the attendant laughing.) I settled on a large caramel flavor instead. The attendant who felt my "pain" because he had not yet gotten to try the strawberry shortcake laughingly said "let's call it a dollar since we were out." That was like a 3 dollar cup. It was a cool gesture by him.
Same thing happened with a flavor of pre-workout drink at my powerlifting gym.
My girlfriend said a similar thing has been happening to her. She has been in such a great mood that her patients and coworkers keep asking why she is glowing.
I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am in a sprint for it.
I set a deadline to submit my podiatry school application by Friday. Finishing a med school application in a week is not a simple task but I am on pace. I've completed about half of my essays, I have my letters of rec lined up, and I've manually entered about half of my transcript history. I've actually been really enjoying reminiscing about college as I go through my old courses one by one.
The wound from dental school has largely healed but I have still caught negativity permeating my answers. I'm trying to shed all remnants of it.
Question #1 requires that I explain if I have had any situations where I as disciplined for academic performance. Here is my answer...
Question: Have you ever been disciplined for academic performance (e.g. academic probation, dismissal, suspension, disqualification, etc.) by any college or school?
Description: If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, you must provide an explanation. Include 1) a brief description of the incident and/or arrest, 2) specific charge made, 3) related dates, 4) consequence, and 5) a reflection on the incident and how the incident has impacted your life.
My answer: "I was academically dismissed from [dental school] in December, 2014 because my cumulative GPA of a 2.234 dropped below the minimum requirement of a 2.25. I successfully remediated all of the courses I failed on the second attempt. Unfortunately, the university grading system mandated a maximum remediation grade of a ‘C’ so my improved performance was not reflected with a higher GPA. Each failure and successful remediation resulted in two grades below the minimum 2.25.
In November 2015 I appealed for reinstatement into the dental school. My request was denied.
Though the ordeal was emotionally devastating, I learned from my mistakes and emerged a tougher and wiser person. My passion for life and my resolve to finish my education and practice medicine is stronger than ever before. I will start my podiatry education journey with years of experience and medical knowledge to guide me. I understand the path in front of me takes dedication and I look forward to conquering the challenges with all of the passion and energy that I have."
I have been ambitious and self-motivated my entire life. But now I have an extra layer of incentive. I know every line of work I finish gets me one step closer to being reunited with the love of my life. I can imagine the drive people feel when they have kids to work hard for because I'm getting a taste of it.
The average MCAT score for accepted podiatry students is a 23. Seven years ago, with little preparation, I scored a 31. I'm hoping the school waives the requirement of an MCAT score within 3 years for me becuase of my educational background. But I don't even care if they don't. I'll just sign up for the test in a few weeks, knock out out a few full length practice MCATs, and take it. I'm confident I could score above average even though it has been 10 years since I have thought about undergrad pre-reqs
Life is good. I haven't been this excited in a long time. I have a feeling good things are coming!