What’s up fam,

I’m seeing a lot of panic on the boards right now, and honestly, I caught myself slipping into that same mental trap earlier today. You hit refresh on your email 50 times, check Reddit, see someone posting "Just got my 5th II from a T10!", and suddenly you start questioning the entire game plan.

I had to step back, take a deep breath, and check my own energy. So I’m posting this for anybody else staring at an empty inbox right now: DO NOT PANIC.

In 2016, we were down 3-1 in the Finals. The entire world wrote us off. The media said it was over. But you know what we did? We didn't look at the big picture, we took it one possession at a time, trusted the preparation, and stayed locked in.

Med school admissions is a marathon, not a sprint. We are still in the absolute first quarter of the cycle.

Here is what we need to remember right now:

Admissions committees review thousands of applications. Just because your file hasn't been picked up yet doesn't mean it's a no; it just means you're still in the rotation. IIs run all the way through November, December, and into the spring!

Someone else getting an interview today doesn't take away from your story, your GPA, or your passion for medicine. Focus on your own court.

Channel that anxious energy into keeping your clinical hours up, working on your gap year project, or doing some light mock interview prep so when that call comes, you're ready to perform at the highest level.

We put in the work on the primaries. We grinded through the secondaries. The foundation is built. Now it’s just about patience, mental toughness, and #trustingtheprocess.

Keep your head up, stay positive, and support each other. Our time is coming.

Strive for greatness. 👑

Just a kid from Akron trying to get this MD.