Applying Early & Confused with Covid

[rmflute]

Hi, so I am a math major and CS minor on the pre-med track and I am currently planning on graduating in three years. My plan right now is to self study for the MCAT (which I am doing) and also finish taking all my pre-med courses except Cell Bio and Genetics by the end of my second year. I thought I had everything together, but then Covid hit and I wasn't able to follow through with all the opportunities I had planned. (by which I mean like shadowing/clinical stuff I had set up for the summer got cancelled)

Would it make sense for me to continue to try to apply for medical school at the end of my sophomore year if I have a good number of shadowing/clinical hours? Would medical schools look down on the fact that they would all be mostly crunched into the beginning of 2020 and then the first half of 2021?

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[GreenDuck12]

Most premeds are going to be impacted in the same way that you are: limited opportunities for shadowing and clinical contact. It would be reasonable for schools to allow for some leeway in light of the pandemic. That being said, medical school admissions is competitive enough that you should apply only once you have a competitive application, even if that means a gap year. Keep in mind that in any given year, 2/3 of all applicants do not receive a single acceptance. As a younger applicant, you’re going to have to demonstrate your maturity, how serious you are, and your commitment to this path - more so even than if you were a few years older. Our dean of admissions told us on interview day that they want to admit us at the right moment, that some younger applicants would be encouraged to reapply in a year or two when they’ve had some more life experience. For now, focus on the things you can control: classes, mcat prep, building relationships with faculty for LORs, etc.

 

[rmflute]

Most premeds are going to be impacted in the same way that you are: limited opportunities for shadowing and clinical contact. It would be reasonable for schools to allow for some leeway in light of the pandemic. That being said, medical school admissions is competitive enough that you should apply only once you have a competitive application, even if that means a gap year. Keep in mind that in any given year, 2/3 of all applicants do not receive a single acceptance. As a younger applicant, you’re going to have to demonstrate your maturity, how serious you are, and your commitment to this path - more so even than if you were a few years older. Our dean of admissions told us on interview day that they want to admit us at the right moment, that some younger applicants would be encouraged to reapply in a year or two when they’ve had some more life experience. For now, focus on the things you can control: classes, mcat prep, building relationships with faculty for LORs, etc.

Thank you! This was really helpful, I'm still trying to figure out how to show maturity in a college application, any suggestions?