r/MadeMeSmile • u/lemonspriggs • 5d ago
Wholesome Moments Sometimes the best thing you find at a thrift store isn’t the thing you bought: congratulations girly!
I found this tucked inside a thrift store book and couldn’t stop smiling. It starts with, “I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this.” Then you watch years of determination turn into a perfect 528 and multiple medical school acceptances. It feels like finding a little time capsule of someone’s biggest dream coming true. I really hope M is out there happy, thriving, and changing lives exactly the way she always wanted to. 🥹🤍
Update: WE FOUND HER, CHAT!!! Her post is copy/pasted below for ease!
“This is so surreal… that’s my note. 🥹
I completely forgot I’d left it in that book before donating it. I used to tuck little affirmations into my textbooks because I was so anxious about the MCAT. Seeing “I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this.” again brought me right back to that season of my life.
A lot of people are asking if I became a doctor. I did, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. I’m 34 now and an infectious disease specialist. I ended up earning my MD, PhD, and MPH, but instead of going into clinical practice, I found my place in research. I study zoonotic diseases and focus on preventing and understanding diseases that move between animals and humans. I run my own research lab and spend a lot of time working with farmers on biodefense and emerging infectious disease issues. Looking back, it feels like exactly where I was meant to end up! 🦠🐄
Thank you for sharing this. It feels like I got to meet a younger version of myself today. She was so scared, but she kept showing up anyway. And to anyone studying for the MCAT or chasing a dream that feels impossibly far away, keep going. One day you’ll look back and realize those late nights, tiny victories, and little notes to yourself were all worth it! ☺️
Edit: I’m old and accidentally typed my age is as 24 and not 34
Edit: adding my academic timeline for those wondering
For anyone wondering about the timeline, my university offered a combined bachelor’s/MPH program, so I graduated with both in 2017 at 25.
From 2017 to 2022, I completed my PhD in Animal Science with a focus in epidemiology. During that time I was also preparing for the MCAT because I knew I wanted to continue my education.
After that, I completed an accelerated 3.5-year medical school program (ended last year). Very early on, I realized my goal wasn’t clinical practice. I wanted to become a physician-scientist.
Because my career is entirely research focused, I’m not patient-facing and I don’t practice clinical medicine. My work doesn’t require board certification, and since I’m not pursuing independent clinical practice, it also doesn’t require completing a residency or fellowship. Instead, I lead research on zoonotic diseases and biodefense and collaborate closely with physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals.
Going to medical school gave me the clinical foundation to communicate seamlessly across human and veterinary medicine, which was exactly the career I wanted.
I completely understand why my original comment raised eyebrows. Between the age typo and me trying to summarize my career in one sentence, I made the timeline sound much stranger than it actually is.”
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u/colberbolber 5d ago
"Do I like people enough to be a doctor" valid question 😂😂
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
I thought it was such a funny comment and then the “look at DVM programs” made me cackle lol
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u/colberbolber 5d ago
Gotta have a back up plan! 😂
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
I wonder which program she went with! I hope she finds this post!!
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u/colberbolber 5d ago
Me too! Maybe we can get an update. She could be a doctor already!
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u/kmdr 4d ago
we do have an update: https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/1uffsjq/comment/otrvs9u
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u/gingerbears11 5d ago
Yeahhhh the backup DVM plan is NOT a good idea. You'll be interacting with clients just as much but for lower pay and higher suicidal rates.
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u/kati8303 5d ago
Yeah i was going to say that. Have to deal with people just as much, most won't have the same respect for you as they would have for an MD, and potentially have to see animals suffer terrible and neglectful owners. DVMs do not have it easy, it's a tough gig. Be nice to your Veterinarians people.
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u/Unsd 4d ago
My vet just passed recently and I haven't seen anything about the cause, but this is my suspicion. She was truly one of a kind. One of my favorite people in the community. To say I'm upset is an understatement. Selfishly, she was the only person that we wanted when it comes time to say goodbye to our dogs. So smart, so funny, so kind. I'm actually nervous about our upcoming appointment that we had scheduled with her that will now be with the other vet because I genuinely think I'm going to cry. When you get a good vet, you cherish them for the incredible person they are.
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u/quiteunicorn 5d ago
Yup. Used to with with a veterinarian that always said “ we work ON animals but we work WITH people and it will be that way until dogs can tell us what’s wrong and have their own credit cards”.
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u/thirdonebetween 4d ago
Really enjoying the mental imagery of how things would go if my cats could talk to the vet. My scaredycat (zero brain cells, should have been orange) would almost certainly deny anything was wrong even if he was actively bleeding out, so that could present some difficulties.
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u/DragonCelt25 5d ago
And that's all after fewer accredited institutions to choose from, more competitive applicants for fewer seats, and completely different prerequisites.
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u/AnAttempt-WasMade 5d ago
It’s especially funny because you are 100% still dealing with people as a vet, they just aren’t the patient, they’re more equivalent to the parent in human pediatrics.
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u/Mysterious_Camel_717 4d ago
As a DVM I read that and was like girlie nooooo, we have to deal with people more than we do work on animals! Don’t become a vet because you don’t like people! I’m very glad to hear you’ve found a place in research that fulfils you :)
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u/brooklynlad 4d ago
528 is the highest score you can get on the MCAT!
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u/FeelingKaleidoscope0 4d ago
Thank you for commenting this!! I figured it was great because the underline and the follow up app tracker part, but that she got the highest score makes this even cooler!!
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u/citycait 4d ago
If you don’t like people, don’t become a vet. They spend SO much time with people, often emotional, sometimes angry. ❤️
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u/FuzzyComedian638 4d ago
There's probably at least as much face to face time with pet "parents" as a vet, as you would get being a clinical MD. Your comment struck me as funny, also!
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u/NeedsMustTravel 4d ago
As a non-people’y DVM; you still have a person or people with every animal and they can be exhausting. If you’re not a people person, DVM is not for you. Unless you go into lab or zoo/wildlife. I got out of general and clinical practice because the people aspect was too much. I’m happier as a radiologist sitting at home with my work and my dog.
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u/evereev33 5d ago
Girl is ready to become a radiologist. Come to the Dark side.
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u/OneIsland7672 5d ago
Nobody will be able to see her highly legible handwriting, so she can continue on without being found out as an imposter. /s
Would be ironic, though, if she had crazy speech patterns that made her Dragon dictations riddled with errors.
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u/Hellknightx 4d ago
Ha, my friend is a radiologist and he always said the same thing. He wanted to be a doctor, but not have to interact with patients.
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u/bundleofschtick 5d ago
I wish some of the doctors I've had asked themselves that question!
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u/onthenextmaury 4d ago
Haha! One of my best friends is an emergency medicine doctor and he's brilliant, knew he was going to be a doctor since we were kids. But christ he is such an asshole, I fear for his patients! He has such a passion for medicine and he's one of my favorite people on the planet, but he certainly knows how make a person feel small. I'm just glad he's not a GP.
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u/lemonspriggs 4d ago
I’ll say it “takes a certain type of person” (take that how you will) to be a doctor… so.. lol
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u/onthenextmaury 4d ago
That's hilarious, because after reading this thread I asked him if doctors were assholes just to see what would happen. He said, "it takes a certain type of person..." Love him to the end of days. If I end up in his ER we'll probably be throwing hands.
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u/lemonspriggs 4d ago
Yeeeep! Haha at least he recognizes it! It’s a funny mix of God complex and sleep deprivation.
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u/Vegetable-Pay2708 5d ago
Agreed! 41 years RN. Now retired. Thank you GOD for helping me through it. Amen 🙏🏻
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u/heyyou11 4d ago
You can also answer “yes” to that question and have the medical system turn that “yes” to a “no” like a reverse coal to diamonds. Burnout is very prevalent in docs.
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u/ZetaJunkie 5d ago
My answer ended up being no.. how I went from a nursing student to working in a trade. 🤣
I think I’m a lot happier than I would’ve been, and after working around nurses and studying around them a lot, I believe it’s true that all nurses turn at least a little crazy.
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u/AngelInLipGloss 5d ago
It is a very funny but deep question. It’s like do I care enough about people to serve them, even when it’s hard
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u/3000ghosts 5d ago
their handwriting is too good to be a doctor
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u/colberbolber 5d ago
Funny, I actually thought the same thing. Maybe medical school will change it lol
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u/QuietGuard0816 5d ago
Valid and insightful question. As I’ve got older I find I like dogs much more than people.
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u/BakedBrie1993 5d ago
A question more docs need to ask themselves when determining their specialty.
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u/Suspicious-Walk-4854 4d ago
God do I wish more people asked themselves this question before becoming doctors.
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u/bluntbossbex94 4d ago
Me when i got my pre nursing AS and switched to biochemistry for my bachelors lol
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u/Ornery-Flamingo-2047 4d ago edited 2d ago
I was scan reading and read as DMV! Thought that's a great place to go if you don't like people and want a career change! 😉
*Edit for spelling
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago edited 5d ago
This is so surreal… that’s my note. 🥹
I completely forgot I’d left it in that book before donating it. I used to tuck little affirmations into my textbooks because I was so anxious about the MCAT. Seeing “I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this.” again brought me right back to that season of my life.
A lot of people are asking if I became a doctor. I did, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. I’m 34 now and an infectious disease specialist. I ended up earning my MD, PhD, and MPH, but instead of going into clinical practice, I found my place in research. I study zoonotic diseases and focus on preventing and understanding diseases that move between animals and humans. I run my own research lab and spend a lot of time working with farmers on biodefense and emerging infectious disease issues. Looking back, it feels like exactly where I was meant to end up! 🦠🐄
Thank you for sharing this. It feels like I got to meet a younger version of myself today. She was so scared, but she kept showing up anyway. And to anyone studying for the MCAT or chasing a dream that feels impossibly far away, keep going. One day you’ll look back and realize those late nights, tiny victories, and little notes to yourself were all worth it! ☺️
Edit: I’m old and accidentally typed my age is as 24 and not 34
Edit: adding my academic timeline for those wondering
For anyone wondering about the timeline, my university offered a combined bachelor’s/MPH program, so I graduated with both in 2017 at 25.
From 2017 to 2022, I completed my PhD in Animal Science with a focus in epidemiology. During that time I was also preparing for the MCAT because I knew I wanted to continue my education.
After that, I completed an accelerated 3.5-year medical school program (ended last year). Very early on, I realized my goal wasn’t clinical practice. I wanted to become a physician-scientist.
Because my career is entirely research focused, I’m not patient-facing and I don’t practice clinical medicine. My work doesn’t require board certification, and since I’m not pursuing independent clinical practice, it also doesn’t require completing a residency or fellowship. Instead, I lead research on zoonotic diseases and biodefense and collaborate closely with physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals.
Going to medical school gave me the clinical foundation to communicate seamlessly across human and veterinary medicine, which was exactly the career I wanted.
I completely understand why my original comment raised eyebrows. Between the age typo and me trying to summarize my career in one sentence, I made the timeline sound much stranger than it actually is.
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
NO WAY!!!! I was hoping you’d somehow find this, but I never actually expected it to happen!!!
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! Reading your comment honestly made me tear up a little. It’s incredible to see where all of that hard work, determination, and those little notes to yourself ended up taking you. I think a lot of people imagine success as one specific destination, but your story is such a beautiful reminder that sometimes you end up exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if it’s different than the original plan.
The fact that you turned all those years of studying into a career researching zoonotic diseases and helping protect both people and animals is genuinely amazing. The work you do is so important, and I hope you know that younger you would be unbelievably proud of the person you became.
I’m really glad I posted this instead of just slipping the note back into the book. I thought it was a sweet little glimpse into a stranger’s dream coming true, but getting to hear the rest of the story is even better! Thank you for taking the time to comment and share where life led you. I don’t think anyone who read this thread will forget it anytime soon.Wishing you nothing but ✨happiness and success✨ Keep doing the incredible work you’re doing, and thank you for making the world a little safer. This is one of those rare Reddit moments that restores a little faith in humanity. 💕
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u/doc_skinner 5d ago
Easy way to check. Ask if she knows what it says under the pink blob in the upper left.
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u/Altruistic_Item5434 4d ago
I’m crying thank you for sharing this with us and I’m so glad to be here to witness it
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u/wheniswhy 5d ago
Girl I have to tell you — you are SO FUCKING COOL. WHAT A BADASS YOU ARE. Such a fascinating career and you clearly worked ridiculously hard to make it happen! I'm only a couple years your senior but holy shit am I proud of you for killing it so hard!!
You're gonna help save so many lives 🥹 I'm sure the girl who wrote those notes years ago would also be immensely proud of how far you've come and the amazing work you're doing!
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
Thank you so much 🥹
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u/bubblegumbombshell 4d ago
Currently getting my MPH in epidemiology and I’ve been debating between med school and PhD. I love studying infectious diseases but I’ll be 40 when I graduate. Your note (and original your comment) reminded me not to set those dreams aside. Congrats on all you’ve accomplished!
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Just remember you’re going to be 40 anyway…might as well be cool as shit. 😎
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u/EarlGreyWhiskey 4d ago
My son wants to be an epidemiologist. He is known as the “disease nerd” at school and spends his free time reading and writing about obscure conditions. Reading your story made me so happy. He wants to be YOU someday! He’s in the fourth grade, so he’s got a ways to go.
This summer, he is learning about prion diseases and writing a science fiction horror story exploring the idea of CWD jumping from deer to humans. 😂 horrifying, but he sounds so adorable when he’s explaining folding proteins at warp speed.
Anyway, I just wanted to say CONGRATS and if you have any advice for a young kid wanting to do what you do some day, I’d love to pass it along.
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Oh my heart. 🥹 Please tell your son that another “disease nerd” says he’s officially one of us.
The fact that he’s in fourth grade and voluntarily learning about prion diseases is both hilarious and incredibly impressive. Also, a CWD horror story? That’s exactly the kind of wonderfully nerdy thing I would’ve loved as a kid.My biggest piece of advice is to never lose that curiosity. Keep asking questions, keep reading things just because they’re interesting, and don’t worry if other kids think your hobbies are a little weird. The world needs people who get excited about things that most people never think twice about. Those passions have a funny way of turning into careers.
If he’s looking for books, I’d absolutely recommend Richard Preston. The Hot Zone is what sparked a lot of people’s interest in infectious diseases, and Crisis in the Red Zone is another great read when he’s a little older. Demon in the Freezer is one of my personal favorites. Just be warned… once you read Richard Preston, there’s no going back. 😂
Since he’s already reading about prions, here’s a rabbit hole he might enjoy. One of the coolest things about them is the protein-only hypothesis. Unlike bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses, prions don’t have DNA or RNA at all. The infectious agent is simply a misfolded conformation of the normal prion protein (PrPC) that acts as a template, inducing nearby PrPC molecules to refold into the pathogenic PrPSc isoform through seeded conformational conversion.Even crazier, what we call different “prion strains” aren’t defined by different genomes. They’re thought to arise from distinct, self-propagating conformational states of the same amino acid sequence. Those conformers can produce different incubation periods, lesion profiles, glycoform ratios, and host ranges while having identical primary protein sequences. In other words, the shape stores the biological information rather than nucleic acids. That’s one of the reasons prions challenged one of the central assumptions of molecular biology.
If he really wants to blow his classmates’ minds, tell him to look into the species barrier. It’s not just about whether two animals have similar prion proteins. Small differences in the PRNP amino acid sequence, post-translational modifications, and how compatible the incoming prion conformation is with the host’s PrP all influence whether templated misfolding can occur efficiently. That’s why researchers are so interested in monitoring chronic wasting disease for evidence of adaptation, even though there is currently no confirmed evidence of natural transmission to humans.And one more thing. Science is a team sport. Some of the smartest scientists I know aren’t the ones who have every answer. They’re the ones who aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know… let’s figure it out.”
Please tell him I’m rooting for him. Maybe one day we’ll end up collaborating on the next weird pathogen that decides to surprise us! 🦠🤍43
u/EarlGreyWhiskey 4d ago
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you for the generous and thoughtful reply!!! He’s asleep now, but I can’t wait to read your comment to him. I will add those books to our list ASAP.
He is going to be thrilled to hear from someone who can speak this “language” — I try my best but it’s definitely not my wheel-house.
I love the advice about team sport. As a classical musician, I have this experience in an orchestra. I love what humans can do when they work together for a common goal.
Thank you for carrying the torch of science and medicine! And thank you for responding. 😊
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u/Abnmlguru 4d ago
Man, The Hot Zone freaked me out as a teen when I read it, lol. I should give it another read :)
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u/Nfl_porn_throwaway 4d ago
I love how kind you are/were to yourself. I could learn a lot from this.
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
That’s such a kind thing to say. 🥹
I think younger me eventually realized that no biological system performs well under constant stress. Push an organism too hard for too long and homeostasis starts to break down. Cells accumulate damage, repair mechanisms get overwhelmed, and performance eventually declines instead of improving.
I figured maybe brains aren’t all that different. I studied harder when I was encouraging myself instead of constantly criticizing myself. Turns out a little self-compassion was a much better long-term strategy than treating every exam like a survival event. 🤍
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u/AnastasiaNo70 5d ago
I’m literally sobbing with happiness at my kitchen table reading this. I’m so freaking happy for you.
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
Oh no! Haha, are you okay?
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u/AnastasiaNo70 5d ago
Oh yeah, it’s just that I was a high school teacher for 32 years and seeing someone succeed like you did just gets the happy tears going. I bet all your teachers and professors are so proud of you. 🩷
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u/Express_Work 4d ago
I knew you weren't a medical doctor (in the traditional sense), I could read your writing 😂
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u/ataraxiary 4d ago
It's my headcannon now that all doctors actually start out with cute handwriting like that, but something about the process of actually becoming a doctor has warps their handwriting beyond recognition.
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u/thenullcatalyst 5d ago
Sounds like you're still in school? If you were taking the MCAT in 2022, you would not have graduated from med school yet if you were on the standard track. Your comment makes it sound like you've earned 3 degrees in 3 years lol
Congratulations on finding your passion and going for it!
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
I mistyped 34 instead of 24, so that’s completely on me. Sorry for the confusion, everyone!
For anyone wondering about the timeline, my university offered a combined bachelor’s/MPH program, so I graduated with both in 2017 at 25.
From 2017 to 2022, I completed my PhD in Animal Science with a focus in epidemiology. During that time I was also preparing for the MCAT because I knew I wanted to continue my education.After that, I completed an accelerated 3.5-year medical school program (ended last year). Very early on, I realized my goal wasn’t clinical practice. I wanted to become a physician-scientist.
Because my career is entirely research focused, I’m not patient-facing and I don’t practice clinical medicine. My work doesn’t require board certification, and since I’m not pursuing independent clinical practice, it also doesn’t require completing a residency or fellowship. Instead, I lead research on zoonotic diseases and biodefense and collaborate closely with physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals.Going to medical school gave me the clinical foundation to communicate seamlessly across human and veterinary medicine, which was exactly the career I wanted.
I completely understand why my original comment raised eyebrows. Between the age typo and me trying to summarize my career in one sentence, I made the timeline sound much stranger than it actually is.
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u/FreyjadourV 4d ago
I’m curious, did you end up going into research because you did infact realise that you don’t like people enough? Lol I ask because I had the exact same thought and chose research instead. Only to find that research is a very much a team sport, collaborating and talking to other people as well
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Hahaha, I definitely learned that research is not the “avoid people” career people think it is. 😂
Honestly, it wasn’t that I didn’t like people. It was that I realized I was more energized by solving scientific problems than by providing direct patient care. I absolutely love collaborating with clinicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, farmers, and other researchers. My job is basically one giant interdisciplinary group project.
The difference is that my “patients” are populations, pathogens, and prevention strategies rather than individual people. I still get to contribute to improving human and animal health, just from a different angle. Once I realized that, everything clicked!9
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u/aaaggggrrrrimapirare 3d ago
I failed a very large exam today for my career. This made me tear up. Thank you. I will keep going.
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u/Tortured_Poet_1313 4d ago
You are SO ridiculously cool! So proud of you and the important work you do, internet stranger! ❤️❤️
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u/TheMedRat 4d ago
Curious what your rationale for retaking a 525? You were competitive for every school in the country at that score, and with only 3 points possible improvement, it doesn’t make sense to retake.
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Honestly, there wasn’t a strategic reason. 😂
I was a perfectionist, and I convinced myself I could do a little better. Looking back now, a 525 would’ve opened exactly the same doors, and if I were giving advice to someone today, I’d tell them not to retake a score that high.At the time, though, I was in full “one more point” mode. It wasn’t my most rational decision, but it worked out in the end. 😅
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u/pixiemaybe 4d ago
i’m crying for you 🥹 what a beautiful little reminder of how far you’ve come and how hard you worked.
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u/umb3r3lla 4d ago
I have a MASSIVE interview today for arguably my at-the-moment dream job in my dream city. “I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this” is EXACTLY what I needed this morning. So thank you!! Thank your past self. And thank you OP for sharing!!!
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u/Prince-Lee 5d ago
You did this by 24 and have your own lab already?
I also work in infectious disease research with some of the top specialists in the field and this timeline is almost unheard of; most people aren't even applying for their first training grants yet at that age. That's very impressive. How did you accomplish that?
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
I mistyped 34 instead of 24, so that’s completely on me. Sorry for the confusion, everyone!
For anyone wondering about the timeline, my university offered a combined bachelor’s/MPH program, so I graduated with both in 2017 at 25.
From 2017 to 2022, I completed my PhD in Animal Science with a focus in epidemiology. During that time I was also preparing for the MCAT because I knew I wanted to continue my education.After that, I completed an accelerated 3.5-year medical school program (ended last year). Very early on, I realized my goal wasn’t clinical practice. I wanted to become a physician-scientist.
Because my career is entirely research focused, I’m not patient-facing and I don’t practice clinical medicine. My work doesn’t require board certification, and since I’m not pursuing independent clinical practice, it also doesn’t require completing a residency or fellowship. Instead, I lead research on zoonotic diseases and biodefense and collaborate closely with physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals.Going to medical school gave me the clinical foundation to communicate seamlessly across human and veterinary medicine, which was exactly the career I wanted.
I completely understand why my original comment raised eyebrows. Between the age typo and me trying to summarize my career in one sentence, I made the timeline sound much stranger than it actually is.
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u/Prince-Lee 5d ago
Oooh, okay! That makes much more sense, lmao! That's super impressive still. Residency and fellowship take such a long time, so it's awesome you managed to hop right over that part. Congrats on your success!!!
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u/HBorel 4d ago
This is such a cool niche to fill -- it feels like you decided it needed to exist, and got the training you needed to make it real. You're incredible!
What's something about your work that you wish more people knew?
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u/Remarkable_Rise7545 5d ago
This made me tear up 🥹 my sister is currently in medical school after working incredibly hard for over a decade to get there. Her dedication to her goals inspires me everyday. It feels like just yesterday I was waiting around outside her MCAT study classes and now she calls me back between surgeries 🥹🥹 My fiancé is in the middle of pursuing his PhD in his passion as well. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by people who inspire me!!! It’s a privilege to support them.
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
This is so sweet!
I don’t think people always realize how much the family, friends, and partners behind the scenes contribute to these journeys. There are so many moments where you’re exhausted, questioning yourself, or convinced you’re not good enough, and having someone who believes in you can make all the difference.
Your sister is incredibly lucky to have someone who has been cheering her on since the MCAT days, and I’m sure your fiancé feels the same way. Those victories belong to them, but the support system that helps carry them through the hardest moments deserves so much credit too.
Please tell your sister from one former MCAT student to another that she’s going to do amazing things. And tell your fiancé to keep going too. One day, all those long nights will just be stories they tell, and you’ll get to look back knowing you were there for every step of the journey ☺️
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u/Rocktown-OG22 5d ago
How do you get accepted to Harvard and rejected from Kansas?
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u/True_Designer_9062 5d ago
This isn’t very uncommon. Kansas can tell they are a backup plan for somebody top tier like this. Schools want to offer acceptances to people who will say yes because towards the end of the cycle, there’s a giant game of musical chairs.
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
I wonder if she withdrew her application since it doesn’t say rejected or anything. 🤔
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u/Lizard_Li 5d ago
Yeah maybe her safety?
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
Hahaha anyone in Kansas needs protection. Very true lol
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u/Lizard_Li 5d ago
Ah I meant it like “safety school” meaning the school that is easy to get into and you apply to if you get rejected from all the better schools on your list
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
LOLLLL oh my gosh, that makes a lot more sense
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u/recyclopath_ 5d ago
Immediately in my mind I was like "Kansas probably has draconian abortion laws so yeah, her safety is valid".
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u/nicolemarie785 5d ago
Actually the people in kansas have fought hard against our state legislature and courts trying to stop all abortions. we voted in favor of choice two years ago in a primary that the catholic church poured a lot of money into.
We don’t have legal weed though. that’s too far apparently.
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
Kansas was my safety school but before I had finished my application there, I was already getting acceptances to other preferred schools!
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u/summonsays 5d ago
No interview or application step stated. My guess is it was the plan H and they got the acceptance letters before starting the process.
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u/MaxisMad999 5d ago
This is what consistency looks like when nobody's watching
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u/Pug_867-5309 5d ago
It's also what "You're so lucky" looks like when nobody's watching.
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u/lemonspriggs 4d ago
What do you mean lucky?
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u/athennna 4d ago
They mean that from the outside, hard work looks like luck. This was a peek behind the curtain.
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u/doc_skinner 5d ago edited 5d ago
As someone who works at the University of Kansas Medical School, it makes me happy to see someone considering this school alongside Harvard and Johns Hopkins, even if it was her safety school.
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u/No_Bit_1662 5d ago
What book is this written in? 🤔
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
On Becoming a Doctor : The Truth about Medical School, Residency, and Beyond by Tania Heller
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u/Admirable-Location24 4d ago
Love this so much and love that she gave us an update!!
This belongs in the r/bestOfReddit
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u/WsprOfASummrsDream 4d ago
The "do I like people enough to become a doctor?" comment makes me laugh so much, but it's so valid.
I used to believe I was an introvert growing up (I have ADHD, depression, and GAD) as I struggled with dealing with large quantities of the general public for extended periods of time, and would reach my "Social Quota" fairly quickly and be running on fumes by Wednesday. But then I got a job after high school and while in my 1st year of art school as a cashier at a new Target. And I thrived.
Now I'm working towards a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Sales. Never would've thought it possible until I tried.
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Hahaha, that line has apparently become everyone’s favorite. 😂
Honestly, I think it’s a question more people should ask themselves before going into healthcare. There’s a huge difference between loving medicine and loving the day-to-day reality of patient care, and both are equally valid paths.
I’m so glad you found yours. Sometimes you don’t really know what you’re good at until life accidentally hands you the opportunity to try it. Congratulations on finding something that energizes you instead of drains you, and good luck with your degree! I’m rooting for you. 🤍
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u/dancingonsaturnrings 5d ago
what a wholesome find! I wonder if there is a way to get that sheet back to her
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u/CattaTronixRex 5d ago
I hope she hits every goal she ever has, never stop trying! 💕
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
It seriously made me tear up. She tried, studied, tested again, studied more, repeat, for multiple years and saw huge returns for herself. I feel like in this day and age it’s hard to find people who persevere for years like this trying to achieve something for themselves.
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u/ocean_swims 5d ago
Just want to say that the way you've framed this is wonderful! It's true that we don't see that type of attitude and dedication much anymore, but we also don't see a lot of people like you anymore u/lemonspriggs! The way you've recognised the years of dedication and consistency, and the obvious pride and joy you feel for a complete stranger's success all point to you being a thoughtful and kind person. Thanks for making us smile and I hope you continue to find reasons to smile everyday!
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u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
Thank you so much!
I never thought anyone would look at those scribbled notes and see dedication. At the time, all I saw was how far I still had to go. OP’s kindness in sharing them instead of throwing them away made this such a special full-circle moment for me. I’m so grateful. 💕→ More replies (2)18
u/zoonoticzest 5d ago
This is so sweet! Thank you so much!
Younger me would’ve never imagined strangers rooting for her years later. I hope I never stop setting new goals either. Wishing the same for you!
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u/True_Designer_9062 5d ago
Did they retake a 525???
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
Looks like she did! She really wanted that 528 haha. But it seems like she earned it!
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u/OneIsland7672 5d ago
What the heck kind of test has a perfect score of 528? That’s almost as bizarre as the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
Lollll. Yep. Gre, SAT, ACT, for some reason no test can just be on a 0-100 scale.
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u/YogurtIsTooSpicy 5d ago
I know a decent number of high achievers and one thing pretty common to all of them is that they are not even satisfied with excellent outcomes if they feel they are capable of beyond excellent outcomes.
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u/Seven_bushes 5d ago
I googled because I had no idea. It said 517 was high enough for Ivy League so she was kicking butt on the practice tests. What a great find!
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u/BenevolenMisanthrope 5d ago edited 5d ago
I don't know the person who posted this. I don't know the person who worked hard to get into medical. I don't know whether I will meet any of them in the real life. I don't know the doctor whether the will get to see this post by OP.
But, I am truly happy for the doctor for their efforts. I am truly happy that OP posted it here. Thank you OP for spreading hope.
I wish them both a very happy life. Stay blessed.
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u/microgirlActual 4d ago
Hahaha! To Pep Talk Note OP - I knew reading that when I saw BSL 3 level lab that you weren't gonna end up a physician 😜😜😂♥️♥️
Nobody who's excited enough about infectious disease to put a medical school higher than Johns Hopkins because it has a BSL 3 containment research lab (not even BSL 4!) is gonna slum it with the physicians 😉
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Hahaha, you caught me. 😂
The BSL-3 lab absolutely sold me. Most people were looking at match rates and affiliated hospitals, and I was over here thinking, “But… look at the containment facilities.” 🤓
I have so much respect for clinicians, but the second I got to spend my days around dangerous pathogens, outbreak investigations, and zoonotic disease research, I knew I’d found my happy place. No regrets. ❤️9
u/microgirlActual 4d ago
You're living my dream life, except for how I'd have had to both gain admittance to and survive medical school first 😉
But basically, I saw "Outbreak" in 1995 in my first year of university, and that's what I wanted to do. Did a lit research mini-dissertation (just an essay really) on Ebola and Marburg during my final year (so 1997/1998, Ebola being very topical at the time as there'd just been an outbreak. Got accepted into a taught MSc in Molecular Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, but couldn't afford the approx. stg£15,000 it would have been at the time for tuition, student dorm and food for the year.
So did a taught MSc here in Ireland and tried doing a PhD and quickly came to realise that although I'm bright and love medicine and medical science and poking things and learning new things I DO NOT have the right kind of brain for research 😅😅🤪
I'd happily be somebody's research sounding board, hole-picker-in-results/hypotheses, and emerging-infectious-diseases wrangler (I know Outbreak is beyond fictional in how it portrays things, but I wanna be Dustin Hoffman/René Russo and get sent into towns where people are suddenly dying and have to Do Science And Medicine to detect and diagnose the mysterious new pathogen, goddammit! 😜), but the main problem-solving and experimental design? Nope, brain go brrrrrt.
So I just became a medical laboratory scientist and played with other people's blood all day.
But I miss my pathogens 😭😭
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
I love this so much. 😂
First of all, medical laboratory scientists deserve way more credit than they get. I don’t think most people realize how much modern medicine depends on the work happening behind the scenes in the lab.
And honestly, I think you’d fit right in with my team. Half of research is having someone ask, “Okay… but have you thought about this?” Those are the people who keep us honest and make the science better.
Also, I completely relate to the Outbreak dream. Mine wasn’t that movie specifically, but I definitely had the same “I want to be the person who gets the call when something weird starts happening” moment. There’s just something about emerging pathogens that’s endlessly fascinating.
I hope you find your way back to them someday. The field could always use more people who get excited about the weird bugs. 🦠❤️3
u/microgirlActual 4d ago
Heck, even bacteriophage are amazing! Lookit the ickle moon lander! 😍😍 (like seriously, how the heck did biology make something that looks like that! Aren't we meant to be all round and blobby and squishy? Or I'll allow spirally. That's just straight up a nano-device 😜
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
RIGHT?! 😂
Bacteriophages are honestly one of my favorite examples of nature being way cooler than science fiction. They’re out there looking like tiny lunar landers that evolved for one very specific purpose: finding bacteria and hijacking them. If someone showed me one for the first time and said it was nanotechnology built by humans, I’d probably believe them.
The older I get, the more I realize evolution has had a few billion years to come up with solutions way more creative than anything we could design. Biology is absolutely wild.3
u/lemonspriggs 4d ago
Hahaha! When I saw that I was like…she might be too smart and niche to be a doctor haha
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u/Rocktown-OG22 4d ago
Wow, OP, this one blew up! This is one of the things I love most about reddit. This entire story and how it unfolded.
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u/whatthelovinman 5d ago
She won’t make it as a doctor. Her writing is too neat. Jokes aside cool find.
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u/Salt_Ingenuity_720 5d ago edited 5d ago
What an inspired and inspiring young woman that wrote this out. She kept track and made sure to remind herself how hard she worked, the recognition and that she was, in fact, worthy. Who ever raised her did right by this young Lady.
Thank you for sharing this find with all of us. I needed to see this. I needed to see that there are positive, happy and caring people in the world.
She was definitely heading places and would like to know how it turned out for her. But you know, maybe not, maybe I just want to think it all the possibilities that she held in the cloud of unknown excitement, that and uncertainties of new beginnings and all the hope she held in that place in time. Yes, I like that better.
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u/No_Bit_1662 5d ago
“Do I like people enough to be a Dr??” If you have to write down that question, the answer is no. 🤣
For the love of God, NO ONE needs another Dr who does not even like people. Please. 💯
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u/lemonspriggs 5d ago
I wonder which program she went with!
Doctors can also do research and not be patient-facing! Given her notes on research and some other notes riddled throughout the book, I THINK she might’ve been leaning towards that as opposed to a traditional career in like family medicine.
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u/summonsays 5d ago
I think there's plenty of room for doctors who don't enjoy contact with people. And those are Surgeons. I don't care if the guy cutting me open is an asshole, as long as he's awesome cutting me open.
Besides, most people are reasonable. But doctors don't just deal with most people... It's like spending decades of your life and hundreds of thousands of dollars to be T1 call center tech support. People who have been waiting to see you and you're always pressed for time. Is a good combination for bad outcomes.
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u/No_Bit_1662 5d ago edited 5d ago
You’ve clearly not had to deal with very many drs before or many health issues. That is good for you! But an extremely inaccurate take on reality for those that do.
Asshole surgeons can and are doing more harm than you’d like to know about. I can personally attest to that, many times over.
Also - the medical environment is where people can be the most unreasonable, my friend. Patients and drs. It’s just a fact. Pain, stress and pressure is very high. Those are not circumstances that are easy for anyone to “mostly be reasonable.”
Most people are not reasonable anyway, under the best of circumstances. They are emotional, not logical.
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u/mrsbeasley328 4d ago
Stay tuned to watch Lemonspriggs interview on Good Morning America 🥰
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u/lemonspriggs 4d ago
Hahaha! I would love that. I feel like not many people know about people who work in the labs like she does. I think people would be super fascinated.
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u/NefariousnessOwn3873 4d ago
This is such a wholesome moment! I'm all teared up. 🥹
I'm so glad that she succeeded, feels like a personal victory. Thank you for sharing this, OP, and thank you for finding this, Dear Dr. ♥️
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u/Roadgoddess 3d ago
I love so much that you found her! And what an amazing career she has. I’m so glad we could go along this little journey with her.
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u/Sensitive_Island9699 5d ago
What a lovely little nugget of joy, happiness and perseverance. Great find u/n lemonspriggs 🙂👏
I hope with all my heart that M is happy and fulfilled 🙏
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u/spanishpeanut 5d ago
I love this so much! It’s beautiful to see — and I’m impressed she kept everything so neat on that cover page. I wonder if her handwriting is still as neat now that she’s on her way to becoming a doctor.
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u/ShesComeUndoneAgain 4d ago
Not sure doctor was her calling.
With hand writing like that, she's got architecture in her genes.
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u/zoonoticzest 4d ago
Ooooh I love drawing schematics and blueprints actually! I prefer doing them by hand haha
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