GPA 3.9 and MCAT 34, but no hospital experience

[doctorquinn2]

Hi, I'm new here. Anyways, I have a 3.9 approx GPA at got a 34 on my MCAT. I'm a double major in biology and the arts, so in terms of being well-rounded, I think I have that covered. However, I have no hospital experience/volunteering etc. I'm not applying until June, so I have time, but I'm not sure how much/what types of hospital experience are most desired. Any thoughts?

Also, is it reasonable to think I could have a shot at schools with a median MCAT of 35?

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[baxt1412]

A major doesn't mean you are well-rounded.

In fact, having no hospital experience means you are severely "under-rounded". Your hospital experience starting now is going to look rather like box checking at this point. Obviously you won't get in without it, so go ahead and start, but you may need to explain yourself.

You're going to need physician shadowing. Preferably family medicine and a couple other specialties. You are also going to need to build good rapport with one of these physicians because you need a physician letter of reference for applying.

It is suggested to also get clinical volunteering. Often this is waiting room attendance, delivering hospital meals, turning over ER rooms, patient transport, etc. It's not glamorous but it gets you into a hospital.

You should also have non-clinical volunteering. It doesn't matter what it is in, preferably something you're actually interested in because it will make it more enjoyable.


Well considering a median MCAT means that half of the applicants had an MCAT above that and half below, I would say that at a 34 you have a slightly <50% of getting in if everything was solely based on numbers... but that's not how decisions get made.



Most importantly, why are you just starting this now? How long have you wanted to apply to medical school? You have really shot yourself in the foot by waiting this long.

 

[doctorquinn2]

A major doesn't mean you are well-rounded.

In fact, having no hospital experience means you are severely "under-rounded". Your hospital experience starting now is going to look rather like box checking at this point. Obviously you won't get in without it, so go ahead and start, but you may need to explain yourself.

You're going to need physician shadowing. Preferably family medicine and a couple other specialties. You are also going to need to build good rapport with one of these physicians because you need a physician letter of reference for applying.

It is suggested to also get clinical volunteering. Often this is waiting room attendance, delivering hospital meals, turning over ER rooms, patient transport, etc. It's not glamorous but it gets you into a hospital.

You should also have non-clinical volunteering. It doesn't matter what it is in, preferably something you're actually interested in because it will make it more enjoyable.


Well considering a median MCAT means that half of the applicants had an MCAT above that and half below, I would say that at a 34 you have a slightly <50% of getting in if everything was solely based on numbers... but that's not how decisions get made.



Most importantly, why are you just starting this now? How long have you wanted to apply to medical school? You have really shot yourself in the foot by waiting this long.

I'm actually getting four majors - bioengineering, mathematics, french, and piano, and have been very busy doing various requirements for my majors as well as tons of research experience.

 

[baxt1412]

I'm actually getting four majors - bioengineering, mathematics, french, and piano, and have been very busy doing various requirements for my majors as well as tons of research experience.

Why are you doing four majors? Again, you are shooting yourself in the foot. (assuming this is even a real thread....)

 

[chemguy79]

How can you expect an ad com to believe that you have a passion for or even a casual interest in medicine if you have absolutely no experience in your CV that illustrates that?

A well-rounded person without medical experience or volunteer experience, even with solid stats, risks spending an admissions cycle on the waitlist.

 

[doctorquinn2]

How can you expect an ad com to believe that you have a passion for or even a casual interest in medicine if you have absolutely no experience in your CV that illustrates that?

A well-rounded person without medical experience or volunteer experience, even with solid stats, risks spending an admissions cycle on the waitlist.

Well of course, I'm not stupid. That's why I posted this in the first place. i want to get experience but have had literally zero time to get it in so far. Hence why I'm trying to figure out my options now. I have a solid 7-8 months and I plan to work with that.

 

[Goro]

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients

Hi, I'm new here. Anyways, I have a 3.9 approx GPA at got a 34 on my MCAT. I'm a double major in biology and the arts, so in terms of being well-rounded, I think I have that covered. However, I have no hospital experience/volunteering etc. I'm not applying until June, so I have time, but I'm not sure how much/what types of hospital experience are most desired. Any thoughts?

Also, is it reasonable to think I could have a shot at schools with a median MCAT of 35?

 

[Doctor Dream]

How can you expect an ad com to believe that you have a passion for or even a casual interest in medicine if you have absolutely no experience in your CV that illustrates that?

A well-rounded person without medical experience or volunteer experience, even with solid stats, risks spending an admissions cycle on the waitlist.

A better question for OP is how do you know for certain you even want to be a doctor if you've never shadowed or even set foot in a hospital/clinic? You're going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of hours becoming a physician. Why on God's green earth would you go all in on physician without even getting some exposure first? There's a reason med schools want you to have clinical experience before you apply.

 

[chemguy79]

Well of course, I'm not stupid. That's why I posted this in the first place. i want to get experience but have had literally zero time to get it in so far. Hence why I'm trying to figure out my options now. I have a solid 7-8 months and I plan to work with that.

If I were in your shoes, I would be worried that an ad com will see that you are clearly attempting to 'box check' your volunteer and clinical experiences in a 7-8 month time period. There will be many other "well-rounded" applicants who have been able to achieve similar statistics while getting said experience throughout their academic career

In addition, since you're targeting at schools with an average of a 35 on the MCAT, the upper tier schools, those applicants will be stellar across the board, so I think that you're setting yourself up for some trouble by trying to cram in clinical experiences in such a relatively short time frame since you won't be showing a steady commitment to the population that you're looking to serve.

 

[Lamel]

Well you will definitely need some sort of clinical experience, so start now! 7-8 months isn't ideal, but it's not bad either. As goro said, you can look at hospitals or smaller clinics. Be sure to get some shadowing in as well.

 

[LizzyM]

You don't mention any research experience. Do you have that? Four majors is crazy. You have depth in four very different areas but no breadth as it is unlikely you took any courses outside your 4 majors and the pre-reqs. You should plan on at least one gap year to get additional experience and be sure that medicine is the right choice for you; it appears that you didn't narrow your choices for undergrad major which is now creating a problem in terms of extracurriculars.

 

[gyngyn]

You are also going to need to build good rapport with one of these physicians because you need a physician letter of reference for applying.

Though I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post,there is little utility in a physician letter for all but a tiny number of MD schools. DO schools tend to prefer them, though.

 

[baxt1412]

Though I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post,there is little utility in a physician letter for all but a tiny number of MD schools. DO schools tend to prefer them, though.

fair enough. that makes sense.