How are my Extra Curricular's? Also how are the rest of my stats?

[aledwards93]

Please let me know how good or bad my extra curricular's look so far and what specifically I need to work on. I'm also not sure if some of these are worth putting on my applications, but for this I'm just listing everything. I am going to be a junior next semester.

Leadership:
Vice President of Dorm Room floor, one semester.
Associate Member educator of Fraternity, one semester.
President of Fraternity, one year (lots of hours spent on various responsibilities/ meetings.)

Philanthropy/ community service:
participant in Rake-A-thon (fundraiser for multiple sclerosis that our Fraternity runs) one month every year for all four years, not sure how many hours.. maybe around 40+

Homecoming community service chairman, one week or so.

Participant in habitat for humanity garage sale, only one day (probably wont go on application)

I also plan on going on a ten day medicine oriented mission trip to Riobomba Ecuador next winter break. I also am looking into getting some volunteer hours at a hospital or nursing home (perhaps reading to the elderly, or something of that sort if I can find an opportunity.)

Research:
Helped record behaviors for a study on a poly-drug in rats. One summer.

Primary author on published paper researching conditioned place preference in rates after a single dose of nicotine. One summer (3 months), 5 days a week, about 7 hours a day (so A LOT of hours, around 400.)

Both research experiences where at a lab in Downstate Medical school.

Shadowing:
A Neurologist, two days, about 13 hours.

A psychiatrist, one day, only 7 hours.

Throughout anesthesiology department (in OR,) 6 days, about 6 hours per day, so 36 hours. Also plan on getting a letter of recommendation from anesthesiology attending.

All three were also at SUNY Downstate medical center.

I also plan on shadowing a cardiologist at a different hospital for one or two days.

Other stuff:

EDIT: forgot to mention also that I will most likely be tutoring organic chemistry a few hours per week next semester.

Worked at phone center for my college one summer, job was getting alumni to donate money to various school departments.

Worked at New York Fashion Braces for one summer, organized charts, escorted patients and also took patients dental photographs.

Member of Biological Honors Society (associate member for one semester, plan on being full member for rest of college.)

member of pre-med club.. probably wont go on application, didn't do much with them.

I currently have one professor (my Organic chemistry professor) writing me a letter, I obviously plan on getting more.


As for other stats to get an idea where I stand, currently my cGPA is only a 3.52, but its been improving dramatically (I had a 3.92 last semester, bad first year) and I plan on having it around the high 3.6's to low 3.7's by the end of junior year. If I retake a class, and do well next year my BCPM gpa should be higher than this (maybe mid 3.7's, maybe higher, too early to know.)

Obviously I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I intend to spend a summer studying for it, and I honestly think I will get a very good percentile.

I am a New York resident, but go to school at Iowa State University. I'm a white male who grew up in long Island.

I should also note that I have little interest in expensive top-tier med schools and right now, I'm thinking SUNY and other less expensive, middle of the pack schools.

Also, my mother is on faculty at SUNY Downstate medical school, and apparently that effects my chances of getting in there somehow..

So what do you guys think? How are my EC's looking so far? With my stats, how do you think I'm doing if I want to get into your average Medical school? What are my chances?

Let me know what comments or questions you have.

Thanks!!

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[RedICEE]

I'd look into finding a long-term volunteer opportunity. That appears to be the weakest part of your application at this time.

 

[aledwards93]

I'd look into finding a long-term volunteer opportunity. That appears to be the weakest part of your application at this time.

Thanks for the response. Hopefully I will be able to do something during the entire summer of my junior year.. hopefully that will be long enough term.

 

[October88]

Yes you need some more clinical experience beyond shadowing in the form of volunteering.

And keep your grades up!!!!

 

[Goro]

The ECs look very good except that you need a LOT more patient contact experience. The ideas you have sound very good. Shoot for ~100 hrs and you're fine.

Your numbers are withing strking distance of a number of NY medical schools and the upward trend always helps.

Having a mom on Faculty will always net you an interview, but not an acceptance. That's on you. They'll do you no favors by admitting you if they think you can't hack medical school or won't make a good doctor.


Shadowing:
A Neurologist, two days, about 13 hours.

A psychiatrist, one day, only 7 hours.

Throughout anesthesiology department (in OR,) 6 days, about 6 hours per day, so 36 hours. Also plan on getting a letter of recommendation from anesthesiology attending.

All three were also at SUNY Downstate medical center.

I also plan on shadowing a cardiologist at a different hospital for one or two days.

Other stuff:

EDIT: forgot to mention also that I will most likely be tutoring organic chemistry a few hours per week next semester.

Worked at phone center for my college one summer, job was getting alumni to donate money to various school departments.

Worked at New York Fashion Braces for one summer, organized charts, escorted patients and also took patients dental photographs.

Member of Biological Honors Society (associate member for one semester, plan on being full member for rest of college.)

member of pre-med club.. probably wont go on application, didn't do much with them.

I currently have one professor (my Organic chemistry professor) writing me a letter, I obviously plan on getting more.


As for other stats to get an idea where I stand, currently my cGPA is only a 3.52, but its been improving dramatically (I had a 3.92 last semester, bad first year) and I plan on having it around the high 3.6's to low 3.7's by the end of junior year. If I retake a class, and do well next year my BCPM gpa should be higher than this (maybe mid 3.7's, maybe higher, too early to know.)

Obviously I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I intend to spend a summer studying for it, and I honestly think I will get a very good percentile.

I am a New York resident, but go to school at Iowa State University. I'm a white male who grew up in long Island.

I should also note that I have little interest in expensive top-tier med schools and right now, I'm thinking SUNY and other less expensive, middle of the pack schools.

Also, my mother is on faculty at SUNY Downstate medical school, and apparently that effects my chances of getting in there somehow..

So what do you guys think? How are my EC's looking so far? With my stats, how do you think I'm doing if I want to get into your average Medical school? What are my chances?

Let me know what comments or questions you have.

Thanks!! [/QUOTE]

 

[aledwards93]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I will definitely have to make sure to get a volunteer position at a nursing home or hospital..

As for my numbers being in "striking distance," I'm assuming your talking about the cGPA I expect to have by the end of Junior year correct? I know that my current cGPA is definitely on the low side when it comes to med-school applications. Also could you give me the names of a few of the schools you are referring to? Besides the SUNY schools at this point I really don't know where else I will apply.

Thanks again for the response!

 

[aledwards93]

bump