how does this look, what else can I do to improve?

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Hi, I am going to graduate in 1 year. This is what I will have to show(this is not some ideal case scenario, this is pretty realistic and most likely the case). I need to know what I am missing and how I can improve. I will be applying to medical schools 1 year from now.

-peer mentor for 2 months(~1 quarter) in general chemistry lab

-research with blood for 2 years, will do undergrad thesis

-research in fluid flow (not going into specifics for privacy reasons) for 1 year

-chair position in a certain group for my major for 1 year(falls under leadership)

-200 hours of hospital volunteering, (I currently only have 36 but I should be able to rack up 200 by the time I graduate).

-Volunteered at ARC about 20 hours

*need to get shadowing, but assume I get 50 hours.

What more do I need?

cumulative GPA projection: 3.6

I got straight B+'s in physics and straight B's in ochem, and A-'s in gen chem. I got straight A's in Pchem. Got a B in the first level bio class and A's in biochem/mol gen. Got C in one of the calculus courses but earned an A in the higher level courses.

MCAT: 39S(computer lagged, there were some questions which I couldn't get back to because it slowed down!!)

Originally Posted by Halogas

Hi, I am going to graduate in 1 year. This is what I will have to show(this is not some ideal case scenario, this is pretty realistic and most likely the case). I need to know what I am missing and how I can improve. I will be applying to medical schools 1 year from now.

-peer mentor for 2 months(~1 quarter) in general chemistry lab

-research with blood for 2 years, will do undergrad thesis

-research in fluid flow (not going into specifics for privacy reasons) for 1 year

-chair position in a certain group for my major for 1 year(falls under leadership)

-200 hours of hospital volunteering, (I currently only have 36 but I should be able to rack up 200 by the time I graduate).

-Volunteered at ARC about 20 hours

*need to get shadowing, but assume I get 50 hours.

What more do I need?

cumulative GPA projection: 3.6

I got straight B+'s in physics and straight B's in ochem, and A-'s in gen chem. I got straight A's in Pchem. Got a B in the first level bio class and A's in biochem/mol gen. Got C in one of the calculus courses but earned an A in the higher level courses.

MCAT: 39S(computer lagged, there were some questions which I couldn't get back to because it slowed down!!)

It would be nice to see some Teaching (TA, tutor, coach, etc). Mentoring might be considered to be in that category, but 2 months isn't much.

I see no hands-on nonmedical community service that helps the poor or disadvantaged, unless the ARC you refer to assists those with intellectual and development disabilities. Having 1-2 hours per week through the next year would help.

Shadowing 50 hours would be about average; be sure to include a primary care doc.

Don't forget Hobbies, sports, and artistic endeavors if you have them.

Originally Posted by Catalystik

It would be nice to see some Teaching (TA, tutor, coach, etc). Mentoring might be considered to be in that category, but 2 months isn't much.

I see no hands-on nonmedical community service that helps the poor or disadvantaged, unless the ARC you refer to assists those with intellectual and development disabilities. Having 1-2 hours per week through the next year would help.

Shadowing 50 hours would be about average; be sure to include a primary care doc.

Don't forget Hobbies, sports, and artistic endeavors if you have them.

Thanks.

ARC was me getting people signed in and getting them seated to donate blood.

I do not know what to TA/tutor/coach(I feel like this is what will deny me). I know nothing about sports, and the only thing I could probably teach is 1+1. I have the ability to TA for some engineering courses due to my high grades, but not sure if I would like it(I will do it if I really have to and there is no other option). What else could I do here? AC and TFA are out of the question as they seem to require many months of commitment (after I graduate).

I assume non-medical community service could be something like working in a homeless shelter, which I will get on ASAP.

I should be able to get over 50 hours of shadowing without too much of a hassle.

I have no hobbies, sports or artistic endeavors.

edit:I started boxing as a sport a few weeks but the only people who really know about it are me and my punching bag(its a person), so I don't think writing this will be a good idea.

Originally Posted by Halogas

ARC was me getting people signed in and getting them seated to donate blood.

1) I do not know what to TA/tutor/coach(I feel like this is what will deny me). I know nothing about sports, and the only thing I could probably teach is 1+1. I have the ability to TA for some engineering courses due to my high grades, but not sure if I would like it(I will do it if I really have to and there is no other option). What else could I do here? AC and TFA are out of the question as they seem to require many months of commitment (after I graduate).

2) I assume non-medical community service could be something like working in a homeless shelter, which I will get on ASAP.

3) I have no hobbies, sports or artistic endeavors.

1) What about teaching English as a Second language to immigrants at the local community center, or tutoring middle school kids from a poor district after school? Such an activity would actually cover two categories.

2) Some other ideas for community service might include Meals on Wheels, women's shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, crisis hotline, Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics or coaching athletic programs for the physically disabled, helping with a scout troop or other youth group, providing enrichment classes in a poor school (eg, science demonstrations or health topics), Habitat for Humanity, or Humane Society.

3) You don't read, or cook, watch old movies, or work out? You need to find something.

Originally Posted by LizzyM

what you need is a "hook". Something that makes us say, "how interesting! It would be fun to talk to this applicant, let's invite 'em to interview." Then when you are interviewed you need to show some enthusiasm and passion for something you've done as this draws people in makes them believe you are an interesting person.

So, let's say that you like to cook and you asked your grandmother to teach you to make a traditional dish and then you and your grandmother made 12 dozen of them for a special occasion. Now you might write in your PS that you learned your dumpling making skills from your grandmother but that she also provided your first introduction to [some chronic disease]. Then you go on about your mad dumpling making skills but also about how your interest in grandma's condition led you to do x, y, and z culminating in applying to medical school. Now you might get labeled as "the dumpling maker". Are you the only applicant who knows how to make dumplings? Of course not but that with your other stuff is going to be a memory aid to the adcom as your application makes its way through the system.

1) What about teaching English as a Second language to immigrants at the local community center, or tutoring middle school kids from a poor district after school? Such an activity would actually cover two categories.

I can speak English pretty well, but grammatically I cannot tell you where the commas and semicolons go. Good ideas though, I will definitely look into those.

2) Some other ideas for community service might include Meals on Wheels, women's shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, crisis hotline, Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics or coaching athletic programs for the physically disabled, helping with a scout troop or other youth group, providing enrichment classes in a poor school (eg, science demonstrations or health topics), Habitat for Humanity, or Humane Society.

I have heard about habitat for humanity since middle school (or maybe elementary even?)...I will look into that. I ignored them when they were read over the PA system.

3) You don't read, or cook, watch old movies, or work out? You need to find something.




Correct, I do not do any of those. I eat, sleep, use the restroom, and study when I have to. I guess the only thing I really like as a hobby is to watch the news, read the news, and learn about politics. Not sure if watching celebrity apprentice and the amazing race on Sundays counts.