Hello! I just got back my MCAT and I was hoping to get help tailoring my med school list. Hoping to apply this cycle with no gap year.
Residence: Michigan (hoping to stay in state)
Background: ORM (Muslim, South Asian Female)
cGPA/MCAT: 3.64/519
LORs/PS: LORs are from two MD and two science profs should be average/above avg, and the PS is fairly basic discussing cultural competency in medicine mainly.
Shadowing: 110 hours in Oncology + 44 hours Pediatrics
Clinical: 100 hours in Phlebotomy (projected about 200 hours more)
Volunteering: 30 hours volunteering in general ward of hospital (restocking, patient surveys) + 100 hours Crisis Text Line (projected 50 hours more)
Leadership: On board of an advocacy/tutoring club, raised $3000+ for an initiative to help local community schools, about about a year and a half/70 hours
Research: Worked 300 hours in a wet lab where biological basis of neurological diseases were studied, 1 publication out of it (non first author)
Misc: involved in the campus Muslim Student Association, was heavily involved in student life/student organization logistics, was involved in secretary work at a religious academy, misc hobbies
Which schools are not worth keeping on here? Which should I add? I made this list prior to getting my MCAT back, so I'm not sure what is my best step after this. I'm hoping to mainly apply MD, is that a possibility with my stats/background?
School List:
University of Michigan Medical School
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Michigan State University Osteopathic School (only DO)
Western Michigan Homer Stryker School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Central Michigan University College of Medicine
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (reach >_<)
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Howard University College of Medicine
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
State University of New York Downstate Medical University
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine
Albany Medical College
University of Calfornia, Davis
University of Cincinnati
East Virginia Medical School
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Tulane University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (big reach, but that free tuition >_<)
Thank you!

I'm not trying to sell a SaaS product, or any other type of service. Nor am I only looking for stories involving "big data." If you worked with an analyst with a handful of data in Excel, thats just as valid and valuable as pulling in someone who works with a data warehouse and fancy models.
I have 15 years experience working in industry delivering reporting, analysis and data science, and about 3 years as a professor teaching undergraduate data science. I've also done a small amount of consulting and training/data literacy work. My experience has been that there's a gap between people who work in the data-space and people who work in the business space.
In the business space, there are a lot of people who want better insights from the data they have, but don't have time or experience to do it themselves... But people in the data-space often lack the business understanding to deliver results that directly help the business unless they're micro-managed. There are many exceptions, but IME that has been the trend.
I'd love to hear some of what went well and what went wrong when you worked with an outside (or internal) data consultant/analyst/scientists/other helper. What was the project? Did they deliver something workable? How was the communication? What were the results? Did you continue to use the process/model after they had moved on?
I ask both as someone who is considering moving into this space, and as someone who works with aspiring data scientists and would like to teach them how to best work with business leaders.

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Sr Data Scientist at Fanatics

Hello everyone, I have a question. I am considering applying for a master's program in the USA, but I'm concerned about my GPA, which is 2.48 in my bachelor's degree in computer science. To compensate for this, I developed a compelling Final Year Project (FYP) in my local language. I'm contemplating including this experience in my statement of purpose. However, I'm uncertain about my chances of securing admission in computer science or related fields such as data science, data engineering, or data analytics. I'm seeking advice on this matter. Please help me as I am very anxious

I am a recent retiree from the Army. I have been interviewed for one position I did not get, and I am looking for pointers on improving my resume. I also use the USA.jobs resume creator when required. I have 15+ years of operations experience up to the Sergeant Major level but also just graduated with an accounting degree with honors. I am trying to leverage my education and experience, but also applying to the fields separately. I keep getting conflicting advice on my resume, so any help is appreciated.
Citizenship: Yes - United States Citizen Security Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Availability: Full-Time/ Permanent
PROFILE SUMMARY
Accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in operations, strategic planning, and team leadership. Dedicated to driving organizational excellence through dynamic strategies aligned with institutional objectives. Proven track record of adept leadership, fostering cohesive teams, and ensuring timely project delivery. Skilled in problem-solving and communication, adept at identifying and resolving operational challenges. Proficient in fiscal management and cost optimization, resulting in budget-friendly solutions and improved profitability. Experienced in organizational development, enhancing work culture, and boosting employee engagement and retention.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[U.S. Department of the Army](): Senior Operations Manage Operations Sergeant Major 1-314^th Infantry Battalion - Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ April 2022 to Retirement (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Trained and supervised staff on financial databases and digital systems crucial for accurate financial record-keeping and daily operations
• Received formal recognition for administrative expertise, driving successful financial operations, and influencing process improvements
• Collaborated with operational partners to facilitate two Army-level training exercises and coordinate financial aspects of all training activities
• Conducted specialized correspondence training for financial and operational staff, enhancing financial reporting accuracy and efficiency
• Identified, remedied, and approved Defense Travel System travel claims, resulting in substantial cost savings and heightened quality assurance in financial processes

U.S. Department of the Army: Senior Operations Manage Future Operations and Planning Lead & First Sergeant Fort Drum Garrison Headquarters & 10^th Mountain Division Headquarters - Fort Drum, NY September 2019 to March 2022 (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Provided direct administrative and technical support to senior executives and a team of 15,000 personnel
• Revamped and optimized the future operations staff section, fostering a professional environment focused on organizational enhancement and superior customer service
• Handpicked to lead a planning and future operations cell, surpassing fifteen highly qualified candidates based on proven expertise and exceptional results
• Conceptualized, developed, and implemented standard operating procedures for expeditionary logistics nodes, resulting in considerable time savings for outload and mission command establishment
• Demonstrated mastery in overseeing six digital automation networks and executing senior operational actions for five international training exercises, ensuring seamless mission command
• Successfully planned and executed training exercises involving over 3,000 personnel across a dispersed area spanning 250 miles, achieving a 100% success rate

U.S. Department of the Army: Senior Operations Manage Current Operations Lead & First Sergeant 1-504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment & 82^nd Airborne Division Headquarters - Fort Liberty, NC December 2015 to August 2019 (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Supervised division current operations section, enabling rapid worldwide deployment of contingency forces within 18 hours
• Demonstrated effective communication, interpersonal, multitasking, and leadership skills, driving results in dynamic environments
• Maintained precision and diligence in performing duties, consistently delivering accurate results
• Excelled in planning and organizing tasks under adverse conditions with minimal supervision, achieving exceptional outcomes
• Conducted data analysis, program evaluation, and risk management for eleven joint-level exercises, earning formal recognition from executive leadership
• Coordinated real-world deployments, humanitarian missions, international exercises, orders production, emergency responses, casualty affairs operations, and daily correspondence with upper echelons
• Projected an expert proficiency with Microsoft Suite tools, PowerBI, and Tableau.
• Managed a $15 million renovation and transformation of a joint task force operations center, overseeing assets worth over $2.5 million

CIVILIAN EDUCATION
Institute: Southern New Hampshire University Degree: Bachelor of Science – 2024 Major: Accounting Honors: Summa Cum Laude (3.9 GPA)
MILITARY EDUCATION
Basic, Advanced, and Senior Leadership Course U.S. Advanced Airborne School Air and Unit Movement Officer U.S. Air Force Air-load Planner Combat Lifesaver Emergency Medical Technician
CERTIFICATIONS
· U.S. Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency – DOD Mandatory Controlled Unclassified Information, Awareness & Reporting · U.S. Department of the Army – Information Security Program, Army OPSEC Level 1 · U.S. Department of Defense – Certified OPSEC for EOP Operators/ OPSEC Awareness for Military Members, DoD Employees & Contracto Combating Trafficking in Person for Investigative Professionals/ Combating Trafficking in Person General Awareness/ Combating Trafficking in Persons for Acquisition & Contracting Professionals/ Level 1 Antiterrorism Awareness, Military Occupational Code, Managing your Transition, Financial Planning for Transition, Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition, Identifying & Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information PII, Introduction to Privacy Act 1, 2, & 3
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES (KSA)
· Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and proficiency in deployment and mobility operations, including wartime contingency plans and adherence to relevant instructions, regulations, directives, and local operating procedures.
· Proficient in handling classified and/or protected documents, with adeptness in utilizing various automated data management systems.
· Proficient in budget analysis and administration, encompassing knowledge of budgetary methods, practices, policies, procedures, regulations, and precedents, as well as the accounting system for budgetary information.
· Skilled in implementing security methods, rules, regulations, and principles, supporting security administration, resolving security-related issues, and performing diverse security assignments.
· Proficient in providing authoritative consultation and conducting complex training administration, with the ability to assess program needs, evaluate status, and recommend/implement improvement solutions.
· Proficient in applying tact and diplomacy in advising individuals and high-level officials on complex and sensitive issues, related to planning, organizing, and directing functions of small organizations.
· Demonstrates entry-level proficiency in applying basic principles, concepts, and practices of the occupation.
· Effective communication skills in conveying factual and procedural information clearly, both orally and in writing.
· Proficient in assessing and measuring organizational trends, concerns, and needs, identifying gaps in services, and providing recommendations for effective plans and tools.
· Ability to analyze problems, identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and utilize critical thinking skills to recognize solutions.
· Skilled in conducting one-on-one training, group presentations, and training sessions through oral communication.
· Demonstrates ability to plan, organize work, follow instructions, and manage multiple ongoing projects effectively, with proficiency in locating, assembling, and composing information for reports, inquiries, and limited technical correspondence.
· Proficient in identifying training needs, instructing personnel, and communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
Budget Analyst 2022 [– ]()2024 Knowledge Management Officer 2016 – 2018 Digital Master Gunner 2016 – 2018 Army Instructor 2011 – 2013 DTS Authorizing, Certifying, and Reviewing Official 2008 – 2024
AWARDS
Eagle Scout Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal (4) Army Commendation Medal (6) Army Achievement Medal (5) Army Good Conduct Medal (7) Drill Sergeant Identification Badge Combat Infantryman Badge Expert Infantryman Badge Command Cyber Readiness Award First Army Commanding General Award Friends of Lynn Woods Cyrus M. Tracy Award
ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION
National Eagle Scout Association Veterans of Foreign Wars National Infantry Association 82^nd Airborne Division Association
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY
Habitat for Humanity 2022 - Present Salem Hospital 1992 - 1996
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS AREAS
Organizational Leadership, Leadership Communication, Operations Management, Principles of Management, Human Relations in Administration, Principles of Finance, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I II & III, Advanced Accounting, Cost Accounting, Auditing Principles, Auditing and Forensic Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Business Valuation, Federal Taxation, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Business Law I & II, Global Business Dimensions, Driving Business Opportunities, Critical Business Skills for Success, Applied Marketing Strategies, Data Analytics for Financial Professionals, Statistics, and Technology in Society.

I am a student whose 12th board results just cameout and I don't know how but I got 67%, now for some background, I come from a somewhat toxic family, and a lot of things happened while I was in 11th and 12th beacuse of which this happened. I had got 91% in 10th from that because of the things going on in my family life I could'nt focus on my studies at all until the very end months and things went completely south, I got way lower marks than I expected in all subjects except Hindi and English,
Physics-57
Chemistry-47
Maths- 44
Computer Science - 81
English - 90
Hindi - 63
I dont know how my maths became such bad as it was the only one out of PCM that went good during the exam.
The thing is now my parents admitted me into this college in Kolkata through management quota where the average Placement is 4.48lpa (while I'm sure that's equal if not more than the amount my parents paid for my admission).
So is it still possible to turn my life around ? I always had interest in tech and coding thanks to video games, when I was younger I wanted to learn how to code video games and be a game devloper but my parents weren't supporrtive and I heard there isn't an idustry for that in India so it's useless, right now I am into Machine Learning which I got into after finding about an AI model made just to beat and break the video game Tetris, I want to create or work on projects like that.
Also it's my dream like anyone else to work for a big tech company and earn atleast a lakh an year just after graduating college. But I'm scared if my 12th qualifications will hold me back, can I still acheive that, whatshould I do and how harder do I need to work

First of all, thank you so much for this community and the people who have responded to my questions and provided helpful tips and tricks - I could not have passed without y'all's guidance. I do not have formal project management experience, I have a PhD in Social Sciences so I had experience managing research projects and am currently working in government, so I manage small and medium size projects. Here is my experience and some tips that may help you as you are preparing for the exam:
[These are all my personal experiences]

1. General: This is not an easy exam: Please study all the processes, abbreviations, specific contents within subtopics (such as what are the 5 ways to deal with negative risks, etc). Although everyone says you don't need to memorize, there are some things that memorizing will help you out a lot in addition to understanding.
2. Study Materials: Primarily used AR's Udemy course for preparation - he was my best friend for 3 months. I watched that course twice in 1.75 speed, and took detailed notes on processes. Got 75% on his mock exam. I bought study hall and I used it for the mock exams and practice questions. I scored 63% on the first mock and 67% on the second [with expert questions]. On the mini sections, I would score 65-70 with expert questions and 83-85 without expert. I realized that the expert questions just confused me, so I started ignoring them closer to the exam date. I have a long commute to work, so I also listened to Scott Payne's PMP prep book on Audible. This guy is so fun and incredible, and uses very engaging case studies to help you learn. If you're like me and are able to focus on audiobooks, I strongly recommend him. I only discovered David Maclachlan a week-ish before the exam date, so I would just look at his YouTube videos for 30 mins - 1 hour before going to bed.
3. Mindset: Nail this down. Even when questions seemed confusing, AR's mindset came to my rescue because I was at least able to eliminate choices that deal with escalating things to the management. Along with his mindset, here are some things that I learned by doing the questions again and again:

• Whenever there is a conflict, speak to BOTH parties, not just one.
• The answer almost always starts with “review,” “plan,” “assess,” “sit down with,” “evaluate” AS OPPOSED to with “perform,” “change,” conduct,” because you always want to evaluate the situation before jumping to action
• Removing team member should be the last resort UNLESS they do something unethical
• I know AR keeps saying that co location is the best option - IT IS NOT WHEN THERE ARE GEOGRAPHICAL AND BUDGET LIMITATIONS (This may be too obvious for most people but wasn't for me, LOL)

4. Exam day prep: EAT and hydrate please. I was so nervous, so I thought I wasn't hungry, but I downed a whole sandwich before the test (It was at 2 PM, I am not a morning person), and that helped me sustain my pace throughout the exam. I used the two breaks and drank water and did some stretches. I asked the test center people for a calculator and they gave it to me, although there was no question that required any calculation.

• Even if the section is on the easier side, DO NOT RELAX too much. I finished with 6 minutes to spare and was rushing towards the end.
• DO NOT LOSE HOPE if some questions are hard on a row. Keep going, keep flagging, keep using mindset. KEEP GOING.
• I suggest to not take any mock exam on the day of or even a day before the exam. These tests are so draining, so relax, do something fun, eat good, and give it your all at the exam.

1. Other: I blocked at least 2 hours per weekday for 3 months to study

I hope this note helps you as you are preparing for your certification, I am rooting for you!

WAMC + School List
Got my MCAT Back today but luckily I’ve been pre-writing primaries and secondaries so I should be able to apply early.
Applying MD/PhD, research interest in Comp Neuro modeling diseased neural populations and resultant behaviors.
3.9X, 518 (131,127,129,131) , ORM, T200 Honors College Cellular Neuro major, data science minor
2k+ hours as student employee in context-dependent feeding behavior lab, 5 presentations, 4 in state and 1 national, and 1-2 pubs in prep but nothing sent in for review
200+ hours as researcher who attended month long international program about computational neuroscience, 1 presentation/project which won first place in the program
100+ hours as pediatric neurologist medical assistant, learned how to do EEGs on patients and T.O.V.A. Tests (1 summer, wanted to do longer but lived too far away)
100+ hours as hospital volunteer (2 years)
80+ hours as hospice volunteer (1.5 semesters)
80+ hours as non-clinical video game designer volunteer (made games to teach kids about neuroscience) (1.5 years, low hours per month cuz how it works idk)
7 awards, some state stipends based off of stats, a travel award for national conference, and fellowship to conduct research
President of research connections clubs, secretary of gaming club, vice president of chess club, all at least 50 hours and some across a couple years.
200+ hours as a gym desk assistant, tbh just did it cuz needed money
80+ hours as organic chem TA
School List: Medical College Wisconsin, Oregon H&S, UAB, UUtah, UMinn, UBuffalo, Penn State, UWisconsin Madison, Wake Forest, MUSC, Tulane, UConn, SUNY Downstate, Georgetown, Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill, Ohio State, UColorado, Einstein, UFlorida, Dartmouth Geisel, UMass Worcester, FAU, UCinn, Stony Brook, Boston, Icahn, Case Western, Duke, Harvard-MIT, Columbia, Yale
Some connections/reasons/cope for those higher tier picks: My PI is an Icahn Alum, one of my recommenders is a Columbia Alum, one distinguished guy who taught at the international program was at Yale and is now at Geisel, and one of my recommenders is transferring lab to Tulane, but will likely not be in same department as me, tho still Neuro.
Thanks a bunch if you read this long and I appreciate the feedback

Got my MCAT Back today but luckily I’ve been pre-writing primaries and secondaries so I should be able to apply early.
Applying MD/PhD, research interest in Comp Neuro modeling diseased neural populations and resultant behaviors.
3.9X, 518 (131,127,129,131) , ORM, T200 Honors College Cellular Neuro major, data science minor
2k+ hours as student employee in context-dependent feeding behavior lab, 5 presentations, 4 in state and 1 national, and 1-2 pubs in prep but nothing sent in for review
200+ hours as researcher who attended month long international program about computational neuroscience, 1 presentation/project which won first place in the program
100+ hours as pediatric neurologist medical assistant, learned how to do EEGs on patients and T.O.V.A. Tests (1 summer, wanted to do longer but lived too far away)
100+ hours as hospital volunteer (2 years)
80+ hours as hospice volunteer (1.5 semesters)
80+ hours as non-clinical video game designer volunteer (made games to teach kids about neuroscience) (1.5 years, low hours per month cuz how it works idk)
7 awards, some state stipends based off of stats, a travel award for national conference, and fellowship to conduct research
President of research connections clubs, secretary of gaming club, vice president of chess club, all at least 50 hours and some across a couple years.
200+ hours as a gym desk assistant, tbh just did it cuz needed money
80+ hours as organic chem TA
School List: Medical College Wisconsin, Oregon H&S, UAB, UUtah, UMinn, UBuffalo, Penn State, UWisconsin Madison, Wake Forest, MUSC, Tulane, UConn, SUNY Downstate, Georgetown, Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill, Ohio State, UColorado, Einstein, UFlorida, Dartmouth Geisel, UMass Worcester, FAU, UCinn, Stony Brook, Boston, Icahn, Case Western, Duke, Harvard-MIT, Columbia, Yale
Some connections/reasons/cope for those higher tier picks: My PI is an Icahn Alum, one of my recommenders is a Columbia Alum, one distinguished guy who taught at the international program was at Yale and is now at Geisel, and one of my recommenders is transferring lab to Tulane, but will likely not be in same department as me, tho still Neuro.
Thanks a bunch if you read this long and I appreciate the feedback

DISCLAIMER:
I'm not educated in Arabic and I am not knowledgable in Hadith and Quranic terminology espescially Hadith sciences, and thus may provide inaccurate information that will NOT affect the overall meaning of the message, hopefully lol.
For the sake of brevity, I'll gloss over a lot of these terms and may misrepresent them. Please forgive me if I speak in error.
This post is basically a mangled summary of this wonderful paper, Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam by Dr Shahab Ahmed. My post will NOT do this extremely detailed paper any justice. If you'd like to read it yourself in full, please DM me as I have the link to the book.

What is the Satanic Verses incident?

There's so many reports around it but the gist is that Muhammad pbuh reveals a a set of verses to tribes people that allows the worship of the polytheistic gods of Mecca in the agreement that these tribes people will eventually join Islam and forgo these Gods.
P:290 "The Prophet is remembered as consciously considering a temporary compromise with polytheism. He contemplates allowing Thaqīf to continue worshipping al-Lāt and al-‘Uzzā for a year as part of the terms of a negotiated agreement through which they will ultimately accept Islam. Thaqīf suggest to him that he make Divine Revelation the instrument by which to justify his concession."
Moreover, the early Muslims also believed that verses like Surah Al-Hajj 52-53 were in response to this incident where Allah rebukes Muhammad but also comforts him as if it was a natural part of the prophethood:
22:52
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍۢ وَلَا نَبِىٍّ إِلَّآ إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰٓ أَلْقَى ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فِىٓ أُمْنِيَّتِهِۦ فَيَنسَخُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِى ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ ٥٢
Whenever We sent a messenger or a prophet before you and he recited, Satan would influence his recitation. But Allah would eliminate Satan’s influence. Then Allah would establish His revelations. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Obviously, the early Muslims didn't believe these verses eventually made it into the Quran since Allah has rebuked it.

Did the early Muslims believe it?

The paper basically goes in extremely thorough detail on why early Muslims believed it and it was infact a major part of their understanding of the Prophet. I frankly couldn't understand his methodology cos I'm TERRIBLE at hadith, tafsir transmission and what not (very new to this) so I suggest you look through the paper where Dr Shahab proves beyond reasonable doubt that the early Muslims did indeed believe in this incident.

Why did early Muslims believe it, and why did Muslims after them reject the incident?

Okay so this is the really really interesting part in my opinion. Dr Shahab basically states that the concept of infalliblity proscribed to Muhammad was actually a concept that developed with the development of Hadiths. For early Muslims, Muhammad was actually seen as a fallible figure and that the satanic verses incident was entirely consonant with their world view. Similar to the stories of Yusuf where he resited the temptation of Zulaykhah or when Adam disobeyed his Lord and approached the tree. Dr Shahab writes about this here:
“The sīrah- maghāzī project thus had no need of an infallible Prophetic model for pious mimesis: there is little drama to be had from a hero who never makes mistakes. Drama arises when there is the possibility of things going wrong, of defeat, of failure, when events must be out- witted and setbacks overcome. This is precisely what happens in the Satanic verses incident.”

So why did Muslims later on reject these Satanic Verses?

Firstly, the hadith sciences that they had developed basically evaluated almost all of these hadiths as weaks. More importantly, and this is the REALLY INTERESTING part, the image of a fallible prophet who could succumb to the pressure of Satan and basically peer pressure didn't fit with their idea of the prophet espescially at a time when they were deriving laws from the actions of Muhammad pbuh. Dr Shahab excellently summarizes this view here: “In rejecting the Satanic verses incident, the Ḥadīth project—emerging with increasing force and definition from the mid-second century onward was disapprovingly at odds with the early understanding of Muḥammad’s Prophethood. The logic of the Ḥadīth project required an infallible Prophet whose words and deeds would lay down legal, praxial, and creedal norms for pious mimesis, as a definitive method by which to establish the veracity and authority of those prescribed norms. It is that logic, and that notion of Prophethood, that would later establish itself as Islamic orthodoxy.”

So did the Satanic Verses incident actually happen???

As to the actual historicity of this event, Dr Shahab Ahmed says that orientalist scholars in the past have generally taken this Satanic verses incident to be true BECAUSE early muslims accepted it despite it running contrary to their idea of an infallible Muhammad pbuh, HOWEVER in sight of how early Muslims actually viewed Muhammad pbuh as a person struggling with prophethood this argument does not have strong merit as there is presumably no reason why early Muslims could not have made it up.

Lessons to be drawn from this research (imo):

1. Muhammad was not infallible. He was a remarkable person who was a great moral character but NO he did make mistakes. This infallibility prescribed to him was a later invention!
2. Hadiths, Tafsir, Sirah or ANY Islamic materials outside of the Quran all reflect the biases and perceptions of Muslims of their time. Only treat Quran - the word of Allah as infallible!

Hi everyone! I have been feeling really uncertain in life and feel like I've spent the last few years of my life pigeon-holing myself into something that doesn't make me happy. In 2020, I got my BBA in IS/Cyber Security, and in 2022, I got my MS in Data Analytics, both from a decent but not elite university. I finished my masters with a 3.93 GPA. Prior to then, I had been working at a very small local bank, and to this day, after over 5 years, I still work there. I have moved up to a fairly decent salary, but the work in itself isn't fulfilling. I stuck around because it was comfortable, and there was a ton of flexibility since we've never had more than 15 employees or so. I started as an IT specialist, then got promoted to Accounting manager, mostly because it was the closest I could get to any financial data at the time, and the pay raise sounded nice at the time. Eventually, I got another raise, and was able to get a title that was marketable to my field, however, my CEO never actually let me pursue any projects I was passionate about, and now I'm basically an Accounting manager 2.0. I'd love to be a data analyst or data engineer, but my skills that I learned in school are outdated and rusty because I never really used them at my job. I've debated pursuing my PhD in Computer Science or something to just to get back in the growth mindset. I have started several different certifications, but can never get the motivation to actually finish them. I just feel like I really want a job that will challenge me and make me happy to wake up and work. I know I am a good employee who can excel, but analyst roles are so competitive and most large companies won't consider me because my skills are so outdated. Any advice would be appreciated :)

I am not meeting the SAP for my term because I have too many credits. I have passed all my courses so I feel limited in explaining or giving a convincing appeal letter of my situation. The letter is below.
Hello. I am writing to explain the current situation of me not meeting my Standard of Academic Progress (SAP) for this summer term because I have exceeded the number of credits I can take for my program of study. I am pursuing my second associate degree in nursing, which explains the excess credits. After obtaining an associate in arts degree, my interest in nursing grew, seeing its dire importance in the healthcare field and how much I saw myself as a fit. The compassion nurses must put into ensuring patients' care and optimal recovery correlates with my health-conscious, constantly outgoing personality. Since transferring my program of study to Nursing, I have never been so sure of a decision. I have gained much confidence and pertinent knowledge applicable to the real world, such as initiating intravenous lines, knowing when and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or recognizing warning signs such as a deep vein thrombosis and preventing further harm. I have learned more, and I am eager to learn more about the human body and the most effective ways of providing care for recovery.
Nurses are not just in demand; they are urgently needed. In Florida, the nursing shortage has been a continuing issue, with some areas not fully recovering. A recent article by the Florida Health Association (FHA) discusses the critical need for nurses. According to the study conducted in 2021, Advent Health in central Florida was hit with a "...23% turnover rate largely due to high demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, that number is down to 16%." While this is a positive trend, FHA warns, "To address projected shortages by the year of 2035, an additional 2,300 RNs and 1700 LPNs would need to enter the workforce each year." This article emphasizes the urgency of the situation and the crucial role that current nursing students, such as myself, play in filling these gaps.
Not meeting my SAP for this semester was unexpected and has placed me in a challenging financial situation. Despite this, I am on the verge of completing my associate in science in my nursing program. I have consistently excelled in all my courses, and I am confident I can continue this success in my two remaining semesters. My goal is to make the most out of this degree by studying hard beyond school and throughout my career. I respectfully ask the person or people reading this letter to consider my situation.

23 y/o introverted gay dude with a silly/dumb sense of humor🐪 I get along best with people who are chill af and just wanna have a good time—and I avoid people who are toxic/mean, ragey, and overly competitive to the point where they're unfun to be around.
I'm autistic and social anxious, so I can be pretty awkward at times because I don't always know how to respond to people XD. My vibe is generally pretty chill and low-energy, but I can bounce between 0 (sleepy cat) and 100 (feral horse) real quick depending on my social battery levels, what we're up to, and how comfortable I am with you.
Other than gaming, I'm into gardening, houseplants, plant propagation, small DIY projects (usually plant related), anime, documentaries (history, nature, science, tech, and more), animated shows/movies, memes, drawing, and reading fiction.

Yellow y’all, I am a Junior in High School currently in a program my public school has where they send us to another school to take a class. I am taking the Veterinary Science Class and we have been working on a project for a bit now. It is a career project were we research a career we are interested in. There are 2 parts to the project. The first part is the research portion. We research what education we need and were we can go to get it to reach our career goal as well as information about the career relating to what it requires, does it involve travel, how laborious is it, what is needed for it, what are the patient relationships like, what is the social aspect like, the requirements for the career, etc. This is the easier portion for me, but the harder portion I have found is the second part. For the second portion is a grade by itself and contributes to the first parts grade. (Both summative grades) What is required for this second portion is we must find someone who works in the field and contact them about interviewing them on their experiences in the field. (What it has been like for them, what I should know about it, and any tips, tricks, or forewarnings I should know) I had ended up finding a farrier in the area that seemed nice and who is exspeinced and licensed. I had emailed them emailed them explaining who I am, the project I was doing this for, and where I go to school with the class the project was for. I covered everything my teacher had told everyone in the class to do. She had given us a template to use and base our emails off of and I did while changing it up a little bit to be friendly, but keeping the main necessary content in it. I singed off at the bottom of the email with my name again, my email that was used to send this email, and my phone number if she would prefer to use that instead. After about 2 - 3 weeks with no response I sent a follow up email that my teacher also gave us a template for. The email templates we had were made in class as a class. It was part of the creative/business aspect in the project. After about 10 days with no response I was ready to tell my teacher about the situation and ask what to do when I finally got my first and, spoiler alert, only response. She explained that she was traveling and didn’t check her email in that amount of time. She said that she was now trying to ketchup on her email now. In her email to me she said and I quote “Are you interested in learning about traditional horse shoeing? I am a natural hoofcare provider with my focus being barefoot trims. I only have a handful of horses in composite type shoes that I strictly glue on. I do not use nails or work with metal shoes so I am not sure I’d be the best fit if you are planning to attend a horseshoeing school. I can recommend other traditional farriers locally to shadow if that is the direction you may want to pursue. However, if you are interested in a natural barefoot approach then I am happy to chat with you and have you join for shadowing.” End quote. I showed my teacher the email the next day looking for advice as to how I should respond. My teacher said to continue to try and make plans for an interview and potential job shadow that she seemed interested in taking on. My teacher also told me to try and get the other recommendations as well. I then replied to her email saying how I would be happy to learn from her and job shadow with her or at the very least do an interview with her. I also then said how my teacher suggested I ask if I could have the other farrier recommendations. After that I mentioned again how much it would mean to me if she gave me the chance and for her to have a wonderful night. That’s was sent march 17th. Still no reply. After a bit of waiting for a response I tried calling her because in her email she left her number. It went to voicemail so I left a voicemail message saying who I am, my number, project information from my first email, and that I am still interested in the interview and at least a job shadow. I haven’t received a return call or any missed calls. In her voicemail she said if she isn’t able to get back to you within a few days to message her through text, so I did. I was then left on read for about a week until I asked my teacher what to do. She suggested I ask if I can at least interview her over the phone or have her just send me a message of answer to my questions. So that is what I asked her sending the same message through both text and email. I also provided her with example questions that I would be asking in the message. I have been since left on read with no reply. I am now turning to searching for someone new on here to help me. I just need someone to answer a few questions on their experience being a farrier. It would mean so much to me if someone could help me here. I understand everyone here has their own lives and must be busy with such, but this assignment is due may 22nd and today is may 14. I only have 8 days left for this second portion and I hope y’all understand. Sorry this came out to be so long. Please, have a wonderful rest of your day and my email is katelynnzannoni99@gmail.com if anyone can help. Thank you.

Hi All!
I am currently a manufacturing engineer in the aerospace industry (I have a chemical engineering bachelor’s and a master’s degree in project management) and have been thinking about a career change to teaching highschool math/science. Possibly also teaching entry level math at a community college?
In college I really loved learning about math and chemistry/helping other students in my classes with their homework/studying. When I really think back on it, it’s the only time I’ve truly enjoyed what I was doing. Don’t get me wrong, engineering is cool and pays well, but I’m starting to get rather bored with my day to day (been in industry for 5+ years), and I have a hard time feeling like I’m making an impact on anyone or anything. I don’t particularly like going to work and the only time I genuinely enjoy work is when I’m teaching someone else how to do something. I’m also a really social person and like interacting with others which isn’t always part of the engineering career path.
I am wondering if anyone has any advice on making this switch? Have you ever done it or know someone who has?
I’ve seen on this sub that there are many drawbacks to teaching (pay, hours, etc.). In regards to pay I don’t mind taking a pay cut (fortunately I have a partner who makes really good money), and I’m used to working 55+ hour weeks as an engineer already. Thankfully my degrees also give me the potential to go back into engineering if I ever want to transition back again in the future.
Side note: I also had a math teacher in high school that made me really love math and believe in myself and my ability to become an engineer in the first place. I’d love to have the opportunity to do that for someone else.
Also any positives on being a teacher or sharing what you love about doing it would be greatly appreciated!

Hi, I would really appreciate any advice you may have for me. I work in customer service remotely for a start up company. When I initially stated, it was great. We had great benefits and a great team. I took this job when I was young and I needed stability in my life after college. I have a degree in the social sciences area and I tried a few jobs that were part time with a non livable wage. I come from a family that has been constantly worried about finances. Having stability is super important to me and I still have a financial scarcity mindset because I'm not where I want to be finances wise.
I climbed the corporate ladder and I hate this job now, things have changed immensely. I am still in a customer service position, but in a "better" role, but they've now changed it into almost a call center like environment with incompetent bosses who provide wrong answers, took away some of the benefits, and hired workers who continue to provide wrong answers or incorrectly process things despite being here for several years. The quality went down immensely as the new boss implemented their call center ways since that's the background they come from. My specific supervisor is micromanaging me daily and this was never an issue in the past. They don't give us enough time to complete necessary projects and gaslight us with the "time management" talk.
I need to leave soon since this place is destroying my mental health. I knew this job wasn't going to be forever, but I have been here over 3 years now. Things are going downhill and my team and I feel targeted here, my manager is passive aggressive. I'm unsure if there's a point to going to HR or asking to switch managers. I don't know what I should do or what career that I should do next. I almost have a hard time leaving this job due to some financial obligations I have. I'm worried that the next job won't pay as much. I want to go back to school, but I don't know what it would be for. I enjoy helping others, problem solving, writing procedures, and I don't want to feel like how I'm feeling with this current job again. I feel like I'm looking over my shoulder, I'm being forced with others who won't pull their weight in projects, fixing mistakes caused by someone else, management doesn't even help us grow at all and are inconsistent. I need to get out, I have nightmares almost every day. I wake up crying. I can't be at this job anymore. I need to make good money. What can I do?
Sorry for the panicked writing, I am anxious.

Hi Everyone, Right after I graduated with my Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, I directly entered into grad school, starting a Master's degree in the same university I did my undergraduate studies at. I (22F) am now completing the first year of my M.Sc program.
The summer after I graduated, I was visiting different professors to ask if I could intern in their labs for the summer time. One professor got back to me and told me to just start a Masters program and join his group in the fall. He didn't bother looking at my grades, or my recommendation letters, he didn't try assessing if I was ready for grad school (I wasn't). The program is free.
He was working on an artificial heart pump, and at the time I was vaguely interested in biomedical engineering. I said yes to his offer because I had no plan and I thought it was a good idea (not a good idea).
This professors main focus and area of expertise is mechanics, not necessarily biomedical device engineering/design. So that project he had focused on the pumping mechanism. To be clear he is the director of the mechanical engineering department at my university.
The first semester I chose to audit some classes because I lived very far from university and had personal things going on. The professor attributed my absence to me being a bad student. He would often make comments on my lack of presence (he expects grad students to be at the lab like a 9-5, which i learned eventually is normal). PI knew about my personal circumstances but was not accommodating. In the second semester (now), I improved slightly, would send in my weekly research reports, but focused more on my classes than the research because I didn't like the topic of my research.
Fast forward to now, I am taking three courses. I realized through them that I would rather pursue something with more science, more biology because I know more about those topics. I thought I could get into automation engineering, but the prof did not help me learn what knowledge is needed, what courses I should be doing, and I only wish he did because when I joined his group, I was 21 at the time and I did not have my passion/area of interest developed. I took on the insulin pump as my foundation to what could be my thesis, but I have no joy learning about pumping mechanisms. Also the lab group environment was the worst, no one made an effort to speak to me, I made efforts to interact with them but they like to keep to themselves, im pretty sure its because I am not a man. And I think they view me as less than because my background is not mech engineering (all of them are).
Right now (22), I am scared, because I do know in my heart that I do not want to stay in his group but that also means I need to find another one to join (which already sounds difficult). I know I want to leave because I generally hate being in that lab and when I would I feel so unhappy. And I havent even started the work on my thesis. I learned alot from my experience in the lab, I learned that I do not want to stay there. I learned that my prof is an expert, but not an expert enough to guide a beginner like me into a field I dont have any background in. My friend in the lab says to stick it out and make it work because other labs wont be better. But I disagree, and I feel like the experience should not be this bad.
Ive been feeling this way for months but I could not muster the courage to make a decision and I was trying to make it work, so my PI has no idea, he probably thinks Im just being a bad student, but it feels like Im making a huge life decision.
I havent been at the lab for two weeks, and I need to tell my PI whats going on, how should i go about this? Grad school is difficult and I could use some advice.

Hi everyone,
I completed my B.E in computer science in 2021 and worked for a company for a year and a half until dec 2022 and then i had to help out my dad with his business so have been involved in that since then but now i have decided to go to the US this fall to XYZ uni.
Business domain that i have worked in is completely off grid from CS.
This is the reason i’m looking to give if VO enquires me about my gap.
“I actively participated in my family's construction business, which specializes in installing 220 kV transmission lines. While working in the construction industry, I gained practical insights into project management, data analysis, and problem-solving, all of which are essential skills in the field of computer science. Coordinating the installation of transmission lines involved meticulous planning, resource allocation, and timeline management, skills that are directly applicable to managing data-driven projects in the computer science domain.
Will this be satisfactory enough to convince VO?
Pls help
Thanking in advance

Hi Everyone, Right after I graduated with my Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, I directly entered into grad school, starting a Master's degree in the same university I did my undergraduate studies at. I (22F) am now completing the first year of my M.Sc program.
The summer after I graduated, I was visiting different professors to ask if I could intern in their labs for the summer time. One professor got back to me and told me to just start a Masters program and join his group in the fall. He didn't bother looking at my grades, or my recommendation letters, he didn't try assessing if I was ready for grad school (I wasn't). The program is free.
He was working on an artificial heart pump, and at the time I was vaguely interested in biomedical engineering. I said yes to his offer because I had no plan and I thought it was a good idea (not a good idea).
This professors main focus and area of expertise is mechanics, not necessarily biomedical device engineering/design. So that project he had focused on the pumping mechanism. To be clear he is the director of the mechanical engineering department at my university.
The first semester I chose to audit some classes because I lived very far from university and had personal things going on. The professor attributed my absence to me being a bad student. He would often make comments on my lack of presence (he expects grad students to be at the lab like a 9-5, which i learned eventually is normal). PI knew about my personal circumstances but was not accommodating. In the second semester (now), I improved slightly, would send in my weekly research reports, but focused more on my classes than the research because I didn't like the topic of my research.
Fast forward to now, I am taking three courses. I realized through them that I would rather pursue something with more science, more biology because I know more about those topics. I thought I could get into automation engineering, but the prof did not help me learn what knowledge is needed, what courses I should be doing, and I only wish he did because when I joined his group, I was 21 at the time and I did not have my passion/area of interest developed. I took on the insulin pump as my foundation to what could be my thesis, but I have no joy learning about pumping mechanisms. Also the lab group environment was the worst, no one made an effort to speak to me, I made efforts to interact with them but they like to keep to themselves, im pretty sure its because I am not a man. And I think they view me as less than because my background is not mech engineering (all of them are).
Right now (22), I am scared, because I do know in my heart that I do not want to stay in his group but that also means I need to find another one to join (which already sounds difficult). I know I want to leave because I generally hate being in that lab and when I would I feel so unhappy. And I havent even started the work on my thesis. I learned alot from my experience in the lab, I learned that I do not want to stay there. I learned that my prof is an expert, but not an expert enough to guide a beginner like me into a field I dont have any background in. My friend in the lab says to stick it out and make it work because other labs wont be better. But I disagree, and I feel like the experience should not be this bad.
Ive been feeling this way for months but I could not muster the courage to make a decision and I was trying to make it work, so my PI has no idea, he probably thinks Im just being a bad student, but it feels like Im making a huge life decision.
I havent been at the lab for two weeks, and I need to tell my PI whats going on, how should i go about this? Grad school is difficult and I could use some advice.