3.95 cGPA, 36 MCAT Weak ECs and Clinical Experiences. Help!

[temporaryumm]

Ethnicity: Asian (Permanent Resident)

State Residency: CA

MCAT: 36: 11 VR, 11 BS, 14 PS, N in writing :/
GPA: 3.95 cGPA (science and non-science GPA are very close to this value)

Clinical Experiences:
Because I didn't originally intent to apply to medical schools, I started my clinical experiences pretty late into my college career.
Shadowed three different doctors for a total of 63 hours.
Volunteering at the local hospital: ~80 hours (started this February). I should be volunteering every week and reported 210 hours on my application.

Research:
Published two papers (one sixth, one second author)
Few poster presentations
Fellowships due to research

Extra Curricular:
Treasurer and then VP of an honorary club for science majors
One of the judges for handling cheating & plagiarism cases at the school
VP of a club that educates K-12 about STEM
Head of an environmental committee
Started a bike repair program at school. The school pays for all the equipment, and I install them for free for the students.
TAed for a bioc lab.
Stanford internship this summer (didn't list this on the app because it's in the future)

Now, this is where I need your help. I would really appreciate any input on my list of schools:
UCSF, UCLA, UCD, UCI

Columbia P&S
Stanford
Baylor
Emory
Case Western
USC
Tuft
Dartmouth
Boston
Albert Einstein
Albany
Drexel
GW

My worry is that my weak clinical experience might hinder my acceptance, especially for the "higher" schools. My PS is about what changed my mind from graduate school in chemistry to medical schools. Both my PS and LORs should be well written.

Thanks for the help!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Ethnicity: Asian (Permanent Resident)

State Residency: CA

MCAT: 36: 11 VR, 11 BS, 14 PS, N in writing :/
GPA: 3.95 cGPA (science and non-science GPA are very close to this value)

Clinical Experiences:
Because I didn't originally intent to apply to medical schools, I started my clinical experiences pretty late into my college career.
Shadowed three different doctors for a total of 63 hours.
Volunteering at the local hospital: ~80 hours (started this February). I should be volunteering every week and reported 210 hours on my application.

Research:
Published two papers (one sixth, one second author)
Few poster presentations
Fellowships due to research

Extra Curricular:
Treasurer and then VP of an honorary club for science majors
One of the judges for handling cheating & plagiarism cases at the school
VP of a club that educates K-12 about STEM
Head of an environmental committee
Started a bike repair program at school. The school pays for all the equipment, and I install them for free for the students.
TAed for a bioc lab.
Stanford internship this summer (didn't list this on the app because it's in the future)

Now, this is where I need your help. I would really appreciate any input on my list of schools:
UCSF, UCLA, UCD, UCI

Columbia P&S
Stanford
Baylor
Emory
Case Western
USC
Tuft
Dartmouth
Boston
Albert Einstein
Albany
Drexel
GW

My worry is that my weak clinical experience might hinder my acceptance, especially for the "higher" schools. My PS is about what changed my mind from graduate school in chemistry to medical schools. Both my PS and LORs should be well written.

Thanks for the help!

Weak ECs. Only a few publications, volunteering, shadowing, positions in clubs, TAed. This is not weak at all. You will be fine stop being so neurotic.

 

[temppg]

Another one of you... Just apply and get back to us when you get in. If you're worried just increase your list of schools.

 

[October88]

Ethnicity: Asian (Permanent Resident)

State Residency: CA

MCAT: 36: 11 VR, 11 BS, 14 PS, N in writing :/
GPA: 3.95 cGPA (science and non-science GPA are very close to this value)

Clinical Experiences:
Because I didn't originally intent to apply to medical schools, I started my clinical experiences pretty late into my college career.
Shadowed three different doctors for a total of 63 hours.
Volunteering at the local hospital: ~80 hours (started this February). I should be volunteering every week and reported 210 hours on my application.

Research:
Published two papers (one sixth, one second author)
Few poster presentations
Fellowships due to research

Extra Curricular:
Treasurer and then VP of an honorary club for science majors
One of the judges for handling cheating & plagiarism cases at the school
VP of a club that educates K-12 about STEM
Head of an environmental committee
Started a bike repair program at school. The school pays for all the equipment, and I install them for free for the students.
TAed for a bioc lab.
Stanford internship this summer (didn't list this on the app because it's in the future)

Now, this is where I need your help. I would really appreciate any input on my list of schools:
UCSF, UCLA, UCD, UCI

Columbia P&S
Stanford
Baylor
Emory
Case Western
USC
Tuft
Dartmouth
Boston
Albert Einstein
Albany
Drexel
GW

My worry is that my weak clinical experience might hinder my acceptance, especially for the "higher" schools. My PS is about what changed my mind from graduate school in chemistry to medical schools. Both my PS and LORs should be well written.

Thanks for the help!

So if I understand this right you reported having more than triple the volunteer hours than you actually do on the application????????????

 

[temporaryumm]

Well on the application, it says to write down the number of hours you plan to do during that time frame. Since I plan to be volunteering til May 2014, assuming only 4 hours a week, I can easily get up to 210. However, because I only worked for 3 months so far, I only had 80 hours. Did I do something wrong? Thanks for the help

 

[October88]

No if it has a space for the time you plan to do. I don't remember my application having thart last year - maybe its new?

 

[neuronerd24]

Because you do have weak clinical experience, I would definitely add some more safety schools to avoid the risk of not getting in anywhere! GW, for instance, receives almost the most applicants of any school, so that's not a safety.

 

[chajjohnson]

Well on the application, it says to write down the number of hours you plan to do during that time frame. Since I plan to be volunteering til May 2014, assuming only 4 hours a week, I can easily get up to 210. However, because I only worked for 3 months so far, I only had 80 hours. Did I do something wrong? Thanks for the help

I think the safest thing to do here is to put the number of hours you plan on having by the time you are interviewing with schools. In general, putting something on an app you haven't done yet is pretty iffy, especially if all you can say at an interview is "I plan on doing this in the future". If you apply early, interviews will happen ~October-January.

 

[neuronerd24]

I think the safest thing to do here is to put the number of hours you plan on having by the time you are interviewing with schools. In general, putting something on an app you haven't done yet is pretty iffy, especially if all you can say at an interview is "I plan on doing this in the future". If you apply early, interviews will happen ~October-January.

I thought you were supposed to put all of the hours you expected to complete overall in that activity. And I think, if you don't end up finishing that amount of hours, you need to notify schools. Did I misinterpret the instructions?

 

[Omppu27]

I thought it was hours competed at the time you submit your primary....

 

[temporaryumm]

This is what it says on the AMCAS website: "Indicate the total number of hours that you spent completing (or expect to complete) this work experience or activity during the date range that you indicate. If this is a repeated experience, enter the total number of hours for each date range you provide."

I think that the instructions are pretty clear. Am I doing this wrong to write down hours that I will complete in the future?

 

[Meihua]

No if it has a space for the time you plan to do. I don't remember my application having thart last year - maybe its new?

The format was changed from hours/week to total hours this year - I think it was easier to report ongoing activities in the hours/week format. Hopefully OP explained that ~80 of the hours had been completed and ~130 were projected.

 

[Ichiban88]

List looks good. Is the reason your not applying to UCSD bc you need an autobio?

 

[Benedictus123]

Your ECs are not weak. Lots of people have roughly the same amount you do. Don't base what you think normal ECs are on what the neurotic people that post regularly on SDN report.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I thought it was hours competed at the time you submit your primary....

I know this is random but I disagree with your signature.

Correct answer IMO is Wilt Chamberlain