No underserved experiences?

[kitkattwix]

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[Hopeful_vet]

Working with underserved is just one of the many ECs that med schools like. It can be a great application boost, but you're not sunk without it. Looks like you have all the other bases covered.


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[Toutie]

Hi SDN,

Also, I'm not really that into working with the underserved.

You do realize a good portion of the patients you will come in contact with in MedSchool will be underserved?... And also very likely a good portion of your patients when you are a doctor. The main reason why adcoms like to see this kind of service is to make sure you are comfortable with the kind of patients you will have to serve in the future.

 

[kitkattwix]

You do realize a good portion of the patients you will come in contact with in MedSchool will be underserved?... And also very likely a good portion of your patients when you are a doctor. The main reason why adcoms like to see this kind of service is to make sure you are comfortable with the kind of patients you will have to serve in the future.

Yes, I do realize that from working as a scribe for a year. I'm just not the type of person who wants to join Doctors Without Borders or go on medical mission trips all over the world. I just want a stable life in a normal city. Would that be bad to say during interviews/secondaries?

 

[WedgeDawg]

1. Not having any underserved experience won't be "bad" for your app as long as you don't draw attention to it

2. No one is going to ask you why you didn't work with an underserved community

3. You might arbitrarily be asked (not in relation to your app but just as one of many standard questions) if you think it is important for people to have access to healthcare - you can answer this intelligently without specifically implying or stating that working with the underserved is one of your goals.

Basically you're okay

 

[kitkattwix]

1. Not having any underserved experience won't be "bad" for your app as long as you don't draw attention to it

2. No one is going to ask you why you didn't work with an underserved community

3. You might arbitrarily be asked (not in relation to your app but just as one of many standard questions) if you think it is important for people to have access to healthcare - you can answer this intelligently without specifically implying or stating that working with the underserved is one of your goals.

Basically you're okay

Thanks so much!

 

[neekzg]

Hi SDN,

I am a first-gen in CA who is planning on applying to med school this year.

3.73/3.66 GPA, 515 MCAT, 1000 hrs of research, 900 hrs of scribing, 50 hrs tutoring, 120 hrs volunteering at diabetes center, president of a health organization, 3 great letters of recs

The only thing I'm concerned about is my lack of work with the underserved community. I am the first one in my family to pursue a health-related career and I didn't know this was important until I started lurking SDN. Also, I'm not really that into working with the underserved. I came from a poor family and worked really hard to make a better life for myself. I guess I've just always dreamed out getting out of that community and living in a better environment, so I decided to focus on clinical exposure and research during my undergrad.

I'm not sure what to do because it's too late to put anything significant on my application. I could start now and talk about it in secondaries but would that seem fishy to start right after graduation? Also, are there any medical schools I should avoid applying to?

I hope I don't come off as selfish or unappreciative Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading!

If you have a school list we could tell you which schools generally have a strong underserved focus. A few that come to mind are the PRIME programs at UC schools, Tulane, Cooper(?), etc.

Not having this experience will not dock your otherwise strong application. Don't worry, and don't feel the need to start it after submitting AMCAS. Proceed with whatever job you have lined up after graduation.

 

[kitkattwix]

If you have a school list we could tell you which schools generally have a strong underserved focus. A few that come to mind are the PRIME programs at UC schools, Tulane, Cooper(?), etc.

Not having this experience will not dock your otherwise strong application. Don't worry, and don't feel the need to start it after submitting AMCAS. Proceed with whatever job you have lined up after graduation.

Albany
Albert Einstein
Boston U
Columbia
Duke
Emory
Dartmouth
Georgetown
Hofstra Northwell
USC Keck
Temple
New York Medical College
Rosalind Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Stanford
Stony Brook
Ohio State
Tufts
UCSD
UCSF
UC Davis
UCLA David Geffen
UC Irvine
Rochester
University of Virginia
Cornell
Yale