Additional ECs for former international aid worker?

[mgzavri]

I’m hoping to get some advice on how to boost my ECs (if necessary) before applying this upcoming cycle.

A bit of background: I completed a pre-med track undergraduate degree at a top university (3.7 GPA), but instead of applying then, I decided to take an offer to work for an international humanitarian aid and development NGO. I worked (paid; not volunteer) for four years in Eurasia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East with a focus on refugee crises. While I didn’t work in a medical capacity, I was exposed to medicine in the humanitarian relief context and often worked alongside healthcare workers. My experiences were truly life changing and eye-opening, and by the end of 2013, I had decided that it was time for me to become an MD so that I could go back abroad with a skill set that would allow me to do more to alleviate the suffering I had witnessed.

I left my job and returned to the US summer 2014 and began studying for the MCAT, which I took in January this year, and did well (34).

In the few months before I submit my application, what should I do to boost my ECs? I’ve been offered a job as a caregiver for a family friend who is in hospice, but I’m also thinking of working as a scribe to get more (US) hospital exposure. Which would be better? Both if possible?

Do I need volunteer hours? I have many from undergrad, but that was 6-7 years ago.

An aside, but any idea what schools I should consider applying to?

Thanks!

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[CCEMTP]

As stupid as it sounds, some people don't like volunteer experience that you got paid for (even though we all know the pay didn't cover what you went through). So it definitely wouldn't hurt to do something, but what you've done will certainly be good talk during your interview.

Also, you want to make sure you have plenty of clinical experience so you can confidently say you know what being a doctor is going to be like enough to go to medical school. So scribe work is great for that in my opinion, but you can shadow in your free time instead as well, up to you.

When it comes to volunteer, do something you actually care about and keep doing that one thing. Better have someone spend 1hr/week at the same homeless shelter every week. Than someone who does an hour or two at something different every week.

 

[mgzavri]

Thanks for your reply!

It just seems silly to have to volunteer and shadow again when I did 100s of hours while an undergrad (I guess they expire?), but I don't want to give an adcom any reason to put my application in the rejection pile on a technicality, so I'll see what I can find in my area.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

It seems you have a very compelling story that will serve you well in getting into medical school.

In my opinion, the issue is that in the next few months before you begin the application process, you only have a limited amount of time. So you need to be judicious in deciding which EC's will best augment your previous experience. I agree with @CCEMTP that the top priority should be gaining clinical experience so you can demonstrate that you have some understanding of a doctor's life (especially through shadowing). If you feel that you have enough understanding through shadowing experiences in undergrad, though, (and could articulate it well enough in a PS and/or interview) then you may be fine with what you have. I don't think there is any expiration on volunteer or shadow work, though more recent experience may provide a slightly stronger effect. If this is the case and you're still concerned, the scribe position may be fine for reinforcing your previous exposure to the hospital environment.

As for volunteering, if you have the time and find something you actually care about, go for it. If not, then I wouldn't stress it too much. You've checked the box in undergrad and a few hours of working in a soup kitchen over the next few months will most likely be overshadowed by the experience of devoting four years of your life full-time to helping others around the world. Your numbers are solid enough for most schools and so the deciding factor will most likely be telling the story of why you want to go into medicine and show you understand what you're getting into.

I was in a somewhat similar situation, with a compelling story gained from years of experience through employment. Most of my volunteer experience was over 8 years ago (besides about a dozen hours with a relief organization in the past year) and I worried if that would be an issue. I've received several acceptances this year, though, and will be starting med school this fall, so I guess it wasn't a deal breaker. So no, your application won't go to a rejection pile automatically because you don't have recent volunteer hours.

In terms of school selection, your best bet will be with schools that are friendly to non-trads. Dartmouth, Miami, Pittsburgh, Boston, Case, and Vermont are a few that come to mind. I would apply broadly, including at least a few reach schools. Your story may help get your foot in the door to some schools with averages scores above yours. I'm still shocked I got an acceptance at the school I'm going to attend (scores alone would have definitely ruled me out), but I guess my story was compelling enough to the admissions committee.

 

[mgzavri]

Thanks @Just Call Me Doc for taking the time to write such a thorough response. It's encouraging to hear that your story helped you get acceptances to your reach schools.

Also, thanks for listing some of the non-trad friendly schools. I'm a CA resident, so I'll need all the help I can get in case I don't have any luck with the UC schools.

 

[Goro]

You're already as "outstanding" as a worker for a NGO. I personally have a strong bias for people working in hospice, and think that this will be > than a scribe. But if you can do both, that will be excellent.

You're already demonstrated your altruism and humanism, the only thing left is that you show that you know what you're getting into. if

In the few months before I submit my application, what should I do to boost my ECs? I’ve been offered a job as a caregiver for a family friend who is in hospice, but I’m also thinking of working as a scribe to get more (US) hospital exposure. Which would be better? Both if possible?

The typically medical school acceptee will have > 100 hrs in both clinical and non-clinical volunteering.
Do I need volunteer hours? I have many from undergrad, but that was 6-7 years ago.

Hard to tell without an MCAT score. But start with your state schools, if any. There are a number of schools that value service work, like Creighton, and non-trads, like Dartmouth.
An aside, but any idea what schools I should consider applying to?

 

[mgzavri]

Thanks for your input, @Goro, much appreciated.

My MCAT is 34 (12/10/12), which I hope is good enough for me to have a shot with top 20 schools.

 

[Goro]

Any research experience? The top schools almost require it. > 90-95% of their matriculants have research experience.

But as a start, consider:
Yale
NYU
Sinai
USC
Tulane
U Miami
Emory
Duke
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
BU
Creighton
Columbia
Cornell
Pitt
Loyola
Gtown
U VM

Thanks for your input, @Goro, much appreciated.

My MCAT is 34 (12/10/12), which I hope is good enough for me to have a shot with top 20 schools.

 

[mgzavri]

Thanks for the list!

Unfortunately, I do not have lab research experience, which I realize might hold me back.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

Thanks for the list!

Unfortunately, I do not have lab research experience, which I realize might hold me back.

No research experience may make it tougher to get into the top schools, but won't necessarily keep you out of them. The school I'm going to be matriculating at has the statistic of ~90% matriculating with research experience. MY research experience? Zero. Guess they have to pick some people to fill in the other 10%...

SDN seems to cultivate the notion that there is this magic checklist that EVERYONE has to mark off to go to med school: GPA > 3.5? Check. MCAT > 30? Check. 100+ volunteer hours? Check. 100+ hours shadowing? Check. Research? Check... If you're a traditional applicant straight out of school competing against the tens of thousands of cookie-cutter applicants with similar stats, this may be somewhat true. But for a non-traditional with some solid real-world experience, it seems to me that this checklist seems to start breaking down. Remember that the original reason for volunteering and shadowing experience (at least supposedly) is so that you sufficiently demonstrate that you have some altruism and understand the realities of medicine. Experiences such as yours should fulfill that better than any checklist hours. Sure, some of the research heavy schools would prefer you having research experience, but they also want to produce at least some good primary care doctors so may look past not having that particular box checked.

It can be tough to figure out which schools will weigh these experiences heavily over other aspects of your application (I didn't choose my schools as wisely my first application cycle and so came up empty handed that year), which is why it is recommended to apply broadly. The lists mentioned above are good places to start.

Good luck!

 

[pomegrenate0]

Hi, this is exactly what I want to do, to study medicine with the view of becoming an aid worker one day. I would love it if I could read about of your previous experiences, would it be okay if I pm you?

Wish you all the best in your medical school journey