The Phantom Zone

Well. I've been put on two waitlists in as many days...and one of these is from my first choice school. The waitlist. (Get a hobby? Is this article serious? "Oh, yes, Ms. Medical Applicant. We understand that we hold your future in our hands and as such we intend to stretch out our decision for as long as we legally can. You know what you should do while you're waiting to hear about your future? Take up wood widdling. That'll take the edge off." Just shoot me.) After waiting for two months (since the interviews in early January) this is what two schools have done to me. What cruel and unusual punishment.

Let's just break down the waitlist a bit, shall we? With a waitlist, the medical school is saying, "Well, you're basically alright by us, but we like these 64 other people just a little bit better...we're going to try and rope them in first. If they don't choose to come here, though, you're totally welcome!" Nothing like being someone's 65th choice. Jeez.

What am I supposed to do with this? I, like many people, have to move to go to medical school (you know, since no local schools have given me any attention at all...I'm not bitter or anything...) and what am I supposed to do while I'm on these freaking waitlists?! Wait! Just wait. That's all any of us in this position can do. I can't sell my house because of the terribly inconvenient fact that I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER ONE! I can't get excited about the school I have been accepted to because I'm holding on to the the possibility that my number-one choice may actually get around to me some day.

I'm stuck. After all the hard work, all the sleepless nights, all the (blah, blah, blah...) ...these two admission committees have put me in the freakin' phantom zone of medical school admissions. I can't get out, no matter how hard I try. I'm at the mercy of them that put me here and they don't seem to be in any hurry to free me.

So, maybe I should do something. You know, be proactive (Knitting? Are you freaking serious?). That's right. I'm going to do what all the admissions books tell you to do. I'm going to (do what people always do when they can't really do ANYTHING about a situation:) write a letter. That will solve everything, right? I'm going to send these schools an update on how incredibly wonderful I am and how they should just accept me now (sounds good to me). I'm out of pride, I'll just go ahead and beg for release from Phantomland. Then, you know what they're going to do? They're going to tell me to wait.

Here's a (sad) recap of my academic life the last seven years:

Take advise from my academic advisor (BIG MISTAKE). Oh, did you actually want to graduate? You'll have to wait (because he told me to take the wrong classes...long story, but basically he cost me a couple of YEARS...)!

Transfer to a new university. Oh, did you want to prove yourself? You'll have to wait!

Take the MCAT. Oh, did you really want those results? You'll have to wait.

Apply to AMCAS. Oh, did you want the thing processed? You'll have to wait.

AMCAS is processed. Oh, did you want secondaries? You'll have to wait.

Submit secondaries (and fees). Oh, did you want interviews? You'll have to wait.

Get invited to interviews. When do you actually get to go? You'll have to wait.

Interview several times. Oh, you want the final decisions? You'll have to waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait.

Get accepted to one med school. Oh, did you need the other schools to decide on your application so that you can choose a school intelligently? You'll have to wait.

Get decisions from some of the other schools. Waitlisted?!? You'll just have to KEEP WAITING.

Hey, what am I going to do after all this ranting? What I've been doing for seven years, Pinky...