u/GreekVegetable

My family is getting an Audi Q3. We aren’t sure whether we should buy the 2026 or 2025. Our local dealership has a 2025 with 9K miles for $36K. The only downside is it doesn’t have a heated steering wheel (we live in Minnesota). We also looked at a 2026 for $48K, but it seems like people are saying it has a lot of bugs. Which one would you buy?

I'm a premed who just finished undergrad. I have gender dysphoria and want to transition (FTM), but I'm worried that by doing so, I'd be jeopardizing my chances of becoming a doctor. Since I'll be applying two years from now and definitely won't pass as a guy, I'm scared that I won't be taken seriously during interviews and rotations. On top of that, I just started my first patient care job as a caregiver at a nursing home and I'm not sure how I would transition without losing my job. I don't want to confuse the residents, and I worry that some of them might start refusing care from me. If you're trans and in med school, or you transitioned while working a patient-facing job, what was it like for you? Would I be better off pursuing a career in the medical field with less patient interaction (e.g., perfusion)?

I just started my first job at an assisted living community 3 weeks ago. I work part-time and I’m scheduled to work tomorrow morning and Friday. I woke up sick this morning. I have a sore throat and a fever and I’ve been vomiting. If I’m still feeling sick tonight, should I call off? I wouldn’t be feeling well enough to work now and I’m starting to lose my voice. Many of our residents are immunocompromised and I don’t want to risk infecting them or my coworkers. I don’t know how I could safely take care of residents if I can’t speak.

However, my workplace is short-staffed (1 caregiver for every 30-35 residents) and the training videos said that staff should come to work unless they have COVID. When we call off, we’re expected to find someone to cover our shift, but I haven’t been given any contact info for my coworkers aside from the scheduling number. I’ve only worked 5 shifts so far (plus 6 days of on-the-job training) and I don’t want my coworkers to think I’m unreliable or faking an illness.

This was the only job I applied to that would hire me without experience, so I really need to keep my job. It feels like no matter what I do, I’m going to risk getting fired. Can I call off?

I’m a premed student currently taking a gap year. I just started working as a caregiver at a nursing home and I’m having doubts about whether a career with constant one-on-one patient interaction is right for me. I’m talkative with the residents when I need to be and I don’t hate my job, but I feel drained after every shift. I’d love to be a pathologist, radiologist, or anesthesiologist, but I can’t plan on it because it’s so hard to match those specialties, so I’d have to be okay with matching primary care. I also get voice fatigue because of my acid reflux, so a less social job would be ideal. I’m considering perfusion because I think I’d like the OR and would prefer less patient interaction. How social is this job? Is it a good option for an introvert?

I just graduated from college and am planning to apply to med school in two years. Wondering if I could have some feedback on my application so far so I can see if I’m on the right track. Since I haven’t taken the MCAT yet, I really just want to know how I can strengthen my activities. I want to practice in MN, so I’d like to be competitive enough for UMN and similar schools in the Midwest. 

Profile
State of residence: Minnesota 
Background: ORM (white, female)
Gap years: will be 3 at the time of application 

Academics
Graduated from a T30 liberal arts college
cGPA: 3.97
sGPA: 3.94
Major: neuroscience
Minors: Spanish, biology, psychology
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude
MCAT: currently taking biochem and will take physics in the fall/spring, so no MCAT yet – taking it next year 
Shadowing: none, but I’m currently reaching out to physicians and aim to have 50+ hours

Research

1. Research assistant in a cognitive neuroscience lab (3 years, part-time) – will be an author on a paper 
2. Research assistant in a behavioral neuroscience lab (4 months, part-time) – presented a poster at my college’s psychology symposium and gave my senior capstone talk on this research
3. Research assistant in a stroke/brain injury lab (3 months, part-time)

Healthcare experience

1. Caregiver at an assisted living/memory care community (recently started, part-time, can train as a medication technician soon). I really enjoy it so far, and I could see myself doing it for a while. If I applied with this as my only healthcare work experience, would that be enough, or do I need hospital/clinic work experience too? I wouldn’t be able to get a LOR from a physician at this job. 
2. Surgery center volunteer at a hospital (3 months, ongoing) – mostly stocking supplies, cleaning, and making beds. I interact with RNs and CNAs but not patients. Thinking about quitting, seeing if they could move me to a department with opportunities for patient interaction, and/or finding a nonclinical opportunity. 
3. Caregiver for grandma with cancer (3 months) – not sure if this counts as an activity.
4. Volunteer musician at a memory care community (2 months) – did this right before starting college, so I’m not sure if it counts, but it was very fulfilling for me as someone who’s passionate about music and caring for the elderly.

Other activities

1. Co-founder/president of my college’s open mic/concerts organization (4 years)
2. Violinist in orchestra and string quartet, guitarist in bands (2 years)
3. Program Board member (1.5 years) – planned educational/social events and was in charge of my college’s music festival

 

Possible red flags: 

1. B in gen chem 2 — the prof was notoriously difficult (and got fired for urinating in students’ water bottles), but that’s not a valid excuse. I have A's in all other classes.
2. W in ochem 1 — I dealt with many health challenges during my sophomore and junior years. I had a bad case of tendonitis and nerve damage throughout my arm, so I couldn’t write for nearly a year, giving me no choice but to withdraw and retake. I got A's both semesters. I’ve recovered and haven’t had any issues for the past year. 
3. W in choir — During sophomore year, I had severe acid reflux, which gave me breathing and voice issues for a year, so I had to withdraw. Probably doesn’t matter, but a W never looks good.
4. I started getting healthcare experience pretty late because my health issues prevented me from doing so for a while. Also delayed taking biochem and physics until my gap year because of my tendonitis.

How bad would it be if I took physics at a CC? I just graduated with a 3.97 (A’s in all prereqs except for a B in gen chem 2, currently taking biochem and missing physics). Taking two semesters of physics at my college would cost $14,000, and the college where I’m taking biochem only has 6-week accelerated physics ($5,000). If I take accelerated physics, I won’t be able to work, and I don’t want to risk getting bad grades. I live in MN and want to practice here, so UMN is my top school. Has anyone been accepted there (or other MD schools in the Midwest) with CC prereqs? I really want to save money, but I don’t want admissions committees to think I’m trying to take the easy way out.

How bad would it be if I took physics at a CC? I just graduated with a 3.97 (A’s in all prereqs except for a B in gen chem 2, currently taking biochem and missing physics). Taking two semesters of physics at my college would cost $14,000, and the college where I’m taking biochem only has 6-week accelerated physics ($5,000). If I take accelerated physics, I won’t be able to work, and I don’t want to risk getting bad grades. I live in MN and want to practice here, so UMN is my top school. Has anyone been accepted there (or other MD schools in the Midwest) with CC prereqs? I really want to save money, but I don’t want admissions committees to think I’m trying to take the easy way out.

I have GERD and want to try mushrooms. I’m planning on making a tea (grinding the mushrooms and combining them with Throat Coat) so I can minimize nausea and acid reflux. My friend told me that without something acidic like lemon, which I can’t tolerate due to GERD, the mushrooms will lose their potency. Is this true? Has anyone made tea without an acidic ingredient and still felt significant effects? Would .5-1g be enough for my first time?