We're going to Medical School!!!!

Last Thursday, October 13th, 2011, Otto submitted applications to medical school. While it felt like that submit button was a long time in coming, looking back at the last year, it is really quite amazing what he has accomplished.

Last October at this time Otto was submitting applications to MBA programs. In the course of one short year, he made a decision, took 9 core science pre-requisites and respective labs, built up dozens of hours in shadowing, volunteering, research, and leadership in every club on campus. In addition, he studied for, and took the MCAT, and somehow had time for his wife and brand new baby. Ten months after a final decision was made, he put in his applications. Who does that? Who pulls that off? My Otto.

So here we are... living the charmed life. And it hasn't been for a lack of hard work, challenge, fatigue, doubt and fear. None of that is close to over; in fact we're diving into the deep part, head first. But the charmed part comes from overcoming all of that together, and looking forward to great challenging things ahead.

This week I created a fun way for us to track our progress. It also seems to be a necessary part because keeping track of 22 schools and a 5 step process is quite the challenge. Our living room decor has now changed slightly to include:

The process is long and consists of several components including Primary and Secondary applications, interviews, etc. Matriculation rate to any given school averages about 1% of total applications.

It's incredibly competitive, as it should be. Now we can only trust the many evidences we have that we have been directed this route, and that we will end up where we are supposed to end up.

That doesn't mean it isn't fun to speculate...

Choosing 22 out of 130 something schools was one of the most difficult time consuming process I have ever been through. At the end of the day, here is our final list: (If you can't read it above)
1. Boston University
2. Drexel University (in PA)
3. Hoffstra University (in NY)
4. Loma Linda University (in CA)
5. Medical College of Wisconsin
6. New York Medical College
7. Northwestern University (Chicago)
8. Oakland University (Michigan)
9. Rosalind Franklin University (Chicago)
10. Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana)
11. University of Arizona (Phoenix)
12. University of Arizona (Tucson)
13. University of California LA (UCLA)
14. University of California SF (UCSF)
15. University of Cincinatti
16. University of Indiana
17. University of Maryland
18. University of Minnesota
19. University of Utah
20. University of Washington
21. Virginia Tech Carilion
22. Wakeforest University (North Carolina)

So please weigh in, where do YOU think we will be in a year? (Vote on the poll to your right!)