lack of demonstrated commitment to medicine...

[razortoy]

So, I am early in the process, but am doing all my research to try and stack the deck in my favor to make up for my age (will be 38 almost 39 when I apply to med school).

One of the things that I noticed in the FAQs for the school I want to attend is that the #1 reason for passing over people is a "(1) lack of demonstrated commitment to medicine"

As a non-trad who has worked most of my adult life in the computer industry, how do I present a commitment to medicine beyond the obvious change of career?

I do a fair amount of volunteer work with a homeless program in LA - but that is more humanitarian than medical, and honestly, it would seem to be robbing Peter to pay Paul as it were, to stop one type of volunteer work in favor of another. I guess perhaps I could look more into volunteer work with a low income clinic.

Anyway, any tips you have on this would be greatly appreciated. I want to get an early jump so I have a few years "on the rolls".

Thanks!

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[DrMidlife]

I think you DO need clinical volunteering. LizzyM, an adcom who frequents pre-allo, says you have to have experience where you've smelled patients. Really, you need to clean up puke that didn't come out of your own kid at least once.

Can you add another 4 hr/wk gig to your schedule? ERs are pretty fun...

Also important is to know what business you're getting into, come interviews. Your competition is reading the NYT/WSJ health news every day and is studying healthcare ethics and policy. It worked well for me to have a ton of enthusiasm balanced with a fair amount of cynicism.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Law2Doc]

I do a fair amount of volunteer work with a homeless program in LA - but that is more humanitarian than medical, and honestly, it would seem to be robbing Peter to pay Paul as it were, to stop one type of volunteer work in favor of another. I guess perhaps I could look more into volunteer work with a low income clinic.

While volunteering is great, you absolutely will not get into medical school these days without clinical exposure. Meaning shadowing doctors and/or volunteering/working in a hospital or other healthcare environment. The reasons for this are twofold (1) to provide evidence of an interest/comittment to medicine, and more importantly (2) to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Medicine is not for everyone. And the only way you sort of know what it's all about is to get into a healthcare environment and see what it's all about. You need to see the doctor - patient interaction. You need to decide if you'd like working with patients by actually getting up close and personal with a few. Med schools insist on this. So yeah, you may have to rob Peter to pay Paul, because you won't get into med school without some healthcare work. Think of it as a prereq, because it pretty much is mandatory.

 

[gman33]

Agree with L2D. You need clinical experience.
I'd say at least 200 hours (4hr/wk * 1 year) to be meaningful.

Not that you can't get in with less, but it will be looked at as a minus.
I had about 30o hours when I applied and was told this was a weakness in my application by an adcom.

Also, besides the whole application thing, I don't think an applicant has any idea of if they really want to be a doctor until they spend a signifcant amount of time being around sick people. I think it should be a formal prereq. It's at least as relevant as learning the SN2 reactions.

 

[razortoy]

Okay cool, I will get in and volunteer either at Cedars-Sinai or UCLA (I live between them).

I actually grew up in and around a rural hospital in New Mexico - my mom was a single parent and a nurse on the evening shift - and I even studied with her when she was doing the classes (I was apparently decent at it but very young) - so I spent a LOT of time around the hospital hanging out with patients, doing homework, playing dominoes and just trying to be helpful and stay out from under foot. It was my plan to be a Doctor from the time I was very young, but some things happened and I took a different path (and am much less satisfied with my life for it).

Thanks again to everyone for the insights. Btw, anyone with experience at either of the above hospitals have any recommendations either way?

 

[Krisss17]

Okay cool, I will get in and volunteer either at Cedars-Sinai or UCLA (I live between them).

I actually grew up in and around a rural hospital in New Mexico - my mom was a single parent and a nurse on the evening shift - and I even studied with her when she was doing the classes (I was apparently decent at it but very young) - so I spent a LOT of time around the hospital hanging out with patients, doing homework, playing dominoes and just trying to be helpful and stay out from under foot. It was my plan to be a Doctor from the time I was very young, but some things happened and I took a different path (and am much less satisfied with my life for it).

Thanks again to everyone for the insights. Btw, anyone with experience at either of the above hospitals have any recommendations either way?

It might not be a bad idea to put that little excerpt into your PS, along with why you went into your present career and the pull you continued to feel towards medicine.