Extracurriculars- why do I feel like a hypocrite?

[DocMomNo1]

Hey everyone! I'm new to this forum. I'm a non-trad and my current non science GPA: 4.0, sGPA is 3.8. I'm taking the (new) MCATfor the first time n April!

I know ECs are very important for medschool admissions. So I already have some on my list but they're all non-clinical. So I just started volunteering at a hospital. This question may seem odd but I was wondering if it doesn't seem kind of fake? Of course I am doing it to gain some experience in a clinical setting, but at the same time, of course I am aware that it's a requirement for admission. If I was an adcom, I'd probably check when someone started volunteering and I'm not sure how happy I'd be to see that someone just started 5 months before the application cycle...has anyone had any experience with that? Or has anyone not been admitted for that reason? I'm worried about that

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[Goro]

We do note things like that, but people also come late to Medicine.

If you're merely box-checking, that sentiment can be sussed out in interviews. If you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years, prove it.

Hey everyone! I'm new to this forum. I'm a non-trad and my current non science GPA: 4.0, sGPA is 3.8. I'm taking the (new) MCATfor the first time n April!

I know ECs are very important for medschool admissions. So I already have some on my list but they're all non-clinical. So I just started volunteering at a hospital. This question may seem odd but I was wondering if it doesn't seem kind of fake? Of course I am doing it to gain some experience in a clinical setting, but at the same time, of course I am aware that it's a requirement for admission. If I was an adcom, I'd probably check when someone started volunteering and I'm not sure how happy I'd be to see that someone just started 5 months before the application cycle...has anyone had any experience with that? Or has anyone not been admitted for that reason? I'm worried about that

 

[Rogert]

Hey everyone! I'm new to this forum. I'm a non-trad and my current non science GPA: 4.0, sGPA is 3.8. I'm taking the (new) MCATfor the first time n April!

I know ECs are very important for medschool admissions. So I already have some on my list but they're all non-clinical. So I just started volunteering at a hospital. This question may seem odd but I was wondering if it doesn't seem kind of fake? Of course I am doing it to gain some experience in a clinical setting, but at the same time, of course I am aware that it's a requirement for admission. If I was an adcom, I'd probably check when someone started volunteering and I'm not sure how happy I'd be to see that someone just started 5 months before the application cycle...has anyone had any experience with that? Or has anyone not been admitted for that reason? I'm worried about that

I'm coming from a similar situation and I was rejected multiple times post-interview for not having clinical experience (presumably, as the schools refused to tell me why I was rejected and the adcoms here pointed that out as a hole in my app). I also expressed this exact sentiment. People got real mad at me for some reason. So regardless of how fake it is, everyone on here will say we have to do it if we want to be docs.

 

[DocMomNo1]

@Goro how do I prove that? I don't think my 5 months of volunteering will be a solid proof of that. Maybe that's where my personal statement comes into play...? I had already given up on my dream of becoming a doc many years ago as I became a mom and couldn't help but put my lovely kids first I have worked in a completely different field! But now they're growing up, I had to give up my career because my husband has been moved to the U.S. for work related reasons so I figured that this is a great time to go after my own dreams! I'm assuming you are an adcom member? May I ask for your opinion on whether 33 is too old to apply? I really appreciate your responses!!

 

[Goro]

33 is NOT too old!
Some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s; last year I graduated one at 50. If they can do it, so can you.

OK, you're a latecomer to Medicine. if you explain this in your PS, then it will be fine. Just get that volunteer experience in and be sure to relate what you've learned from those experiences. Many have been in your shoes before.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

One more point: this process is a marathon, not a sprint.

@Goro how do I prove that? I don't think my 5 months of volunteering will be a solid proof of that. Maybe that's where my personal statement comes into play...? I had already given up on my dream of becoming a doc many years ago as I became a mom and couldn't help but put my lovely kids first I have worked in a completely different field! But now they're growing up, I had to give up my career because my husband has been moved to the U.S. for work related reasons so I figured that this is a great time to go after my own dreams! I'm assuming you are an adcom member? May I ask for your opinion on whether 33 is too old to apply? I really appreciate your responses!!

 

[DocMomNo1]

Thank you so much @Goro! It feels great to hear that! We say you're only as old as you feel And to be honest, if I look back to when I was in my early 20s, I cannot say I would have been ready to become a doctor either.

As far as my ECs go, I think I should add another one!

 

[DocMomNo1]

Yes, I have read through this forum quite a bit and also researched the AAMC and TMDSAS websites. I think the application process will be very nerve wrecking..but I'm ready for it!