Ga-PCOM (Acceptance Story Finished)

Ok, so I've taken several long posts to answer the simple question "where are you going to school?", and I think it's time to get to the point and then get back to writing more current posts.  But, first there would not have been a choice to make without a second acceptance.  So here we go. (This is going to be brief I promise)

So we were really excited about  being accepted to LMU and as we awaited a letter from Ga-PCOM we were beginning to hope I wouldn't get accepted.  Simply, so we wouldn't have the chance to make the wrong choice.  Frankly, after the mediocrity of my MCAT score was mentioned at my interview I was not too confident that I would be accepted.  But, on the Friday after Thanksgiving I received a letter from Ga-PCOM.  I was sort of unsure what to expect or how to feel while opening it.  I must say the personal call from the dean was the best way I could imagine to be notified of an acceptance, but as far as letters go this couldn't have gotten any better.  I opened it and read..."Dear Mr. Pruitt,   YES!!!"  No explanation or lengthy, round-a-bout, beat around the bush answer.  Just an emphatic YES!!.  It was a good feeling to be accepted to a school with a 110 year history despite the fact that it presented us with a really difficult decision.  We were very happy and vowed to soak in the moment and not think about our decision until Monday.  (haha how do you think that went)  Well lets just say it didn't, but I will skip all the details (that will be part of a later post but not necessarily soon).  It's a very good story and I will tell it sometime.  But to completely avoid a long story, after a few days and some painfully obvious "signs" we chose.................Lincoln Memorial University - Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU_DCOM).  I sent my deposit in and mailed a "thanks but no thanks" letter to PCOM and that was that.

Orientation begins July 26 so we will be moving in June most likely to Harrogate, TN.  We are pumped!  More to follow about LMU and Harrogate soon.

Monday, November 22

So, it had been one week since my interview at LMU and I was past the point of being so nervous I could barely think.  Overall I was calm, but was really anxious about getting a call.  Brooke and I had been keeping an eye on the Student Doctor Network (an online forum) everyday to see if anyone from my interview day had received a call.  We noticed that several people that had already been accepted received their calls either in the morning or early afternoon about 1:00.  So as 2:00 approached (which was 3:00 at LMU) I had given up hope for that day and was already hoping Tuesday would be the day.  I was sitting in the library with my student I work with at Huntsville High and we were using my phone as a calculator to help with some Physics homework.  All of a sudden my phone began to buzz and I immediately recognized the 423 area code.  I grabbed the phone said, "This might be that call I was telling you about" and began running (yes running) out of the library as I was hitting the Accept button on my phone....

"Hello"......"Hello?"  "CRAP!!!" 

HOW CAN YOU MISS A CALL AFTER ONE RING!!??  HOW!!!!!!!! FEWEST DROPPED CALLS MY...

Anyway, I continued running to the teacher's lounge and got there at the same time the "1 New Voicemail" message appeared on my phone.  I dialed as fast as possible.  My hand was shaking a little bit as I heard the most glorious voice in the world speaking to my voicemail box. 

"Hello, Justin.  This is Dean Stowers of the Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.  I just signed the letter offering you a spot in the medical school and I just wanted to be the first to say Congratiulations."

Wow! I just smiled. 

I actually called back, but of course he was busy making other calls, but I just told the Secretary Thanks and I was sorry I had missed his call (But I would soon realize missing his call was great because I got to listen to those words about 30 times that night and now have a recorded version on my computer to keep forever.) 

After hanging up the phone I leaned against the wall and all I could do was smile slightly.  I had been waiting for this moment for two years and now that it was here I didn't know how to act.  Truthfully I had thought I would cry, but I didn't.  I just felt content.  Relieved and content.  I walked back to share the good news with my student and then left work early to meet Brooke.  I must have left in a real hurry because one fellow employee asked if I had been fired as I passed him on my way out.

When I got to Nana's house Brooke was in the floor playing with Owen and Nana was in her rocking chair. I just walked in, handed Brooke the phone, and casually said, "Hey, listen to this."  It was really cool to see her face light up during the course of that 14 second phone message.  Getting the news was great, but sharing it with her was much better.  We had put so much time and effort in to applying and she had been so supportive throughout the whole process and that moment made it all worth it. 

We spent the rest of the night calling and meeting with family and friends and just flat out trying to soak it in.  The best reaction other than Brooke was that of good friend (not to mention an avid reader of this blog haha) Dr. Andrew D. Hodges.  He had been my biggest source of advice throughout the application process and it was really great to hear him leave me a message addressing me as "Dr. Pruitt".  Finally, All the work, and waiting had paid off.  I was in at LMU and still waiting for a letter from PCOM-Ga.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part (Continued Story)

Following the interviews, I experienced a wave of emotions that seemed to change every few days if not more often.  Now it seems more like a blur, but I assure you then it felt more like an eternity.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a tendency to... well, over think things. And let me tell you this mind has never been so active as it was after that first interview (although the feelings after the MCAT were very similar).  As soon as we were in the car, I was going over every single question, response, and facial expression.  That went on for about 2 or 3 days.  I won't go into details, but let me just say it was exhausting.  From days 4-7 I started feeling a little better all though a bit apathetic about the whole situation.  I guess I was just burned out from thinking about it 24/7 and sort of adopted this, "whatever, we'll be alright, attitude."  Which of course is sort of true, but I still didn't exactly have the right attitude.  This apathy about spilled over into my interview at LMU until the pizza dinner the night before.  When we saw the campus again, and met some of the students I sort of snapped awake. This is the reason Brooke was asking me interview questions at 2:30 in morning (mentioned in previous post).  I had felt like I had not adequately prepared and so I was scrambling.  Plus after meeting with the students I was really beginning to have an even better feeling about the school.

I already posted the interview day details so onto the waiting.  It was more of the same.  The first three days I was a nervous wreck (although my first and overall impression of the interview itself was better than PCOM).  However this time I never really slipped into that apathetic state.  As  Brooke likes to say I had "given it up" ( or at least was trying) and I really did have peace that I would be receiving a call.  But I confess I was still prety nervous.  Luckily, I wouldn't have to wait long with the committee meeting only three days after my interview.  Beginning Thursday I began "willing" my phone to ring.  Then Friday.  Then Monday....