Please Critique my ECs

[nindra]

First of, I would like to say that I will be finishing my undergraduate degree this year (2008 - 2005). So that's 5 years of studying Undergrad, and about to apply to Med schools this summer.

Volunteer (Clinical):

April, 2011 - November, 2012: 200 hours: Clinical Volunteering at a Hospital
December, 2010 - December, 2011: 50 hours: Convalescent Home
February, 2010 - June, 2010: 30 hours: Pharmacy Department of a local Hospital
August, 2009: 100 hours: Volunteer/Intern/Shadow in a Foreign Country (Rural Location)


Shadow:

June, 2012: 15 hours: DO, Internist
September, 2012: 20 hours: MD, Orthopedic Surgeon
March, 2013: 20 hours: MD, Indocrinologist


Leadership:

June, 2010 - February, 2013: Independent Tutoring
July, 2007 - Present: Vice-Captain of my Soccer Team (ethnic team)
August, 2011 - Present: Coach for U-18 Team of my city of residence


Others:
December, 2010 - June, 2012: Community Service (mostly for religious reasons)
2 year member of my University's Pre-Med Club


I personally this my CEs aren't very stellar, especially compared to many others that post here. My obvious drawback seem to be the meager clinical volunteering hours.


A side question as well: How are the ECs valued by DO and MD schools? Are importance placed at different criteria by each?

Thanks.

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[Alejandro]

First of, I would like to say that I will be finishing my undergraduate degree this year (2008 - 2005). So that's 5 years of studying Undergrad, and about to apply to Med schools this summer.

Volunteer (Clinical):

April, 2011 - November, 2012: 200 hours: Clinical Volunteering at a Hospital
December, 2010 - December, 2011: 50 hours: Convalescent Home
February, 2010 - June, 2010: 30 hours: Pharmacy Department of a local Hospital
August, 2009: 100 hours: Volunteer/Intern/Shadow in a Foreign Country (Rural Location)


Shadow:

June, 2012: 15 hours: DO, Internist
September, 2012: 20 hours: MD, Orthopedic Surgeon
March, 2013: 20 hours: MD, Indocrinologist (ENDOcrinologist.)


Leadership:

June, 2010 - February, 2013: Independent Tutoring Not sure how that is leadership...can you summarize your role?
July, 2007 - Present: Vice-Captain of my Soccer Team (ethnic team)
August, 2011 - Present: Coach for U-18 Team of my city of residence


Others:
December, 2010 - June, 2012: Community Service (mostly for religious reasons)
2 year member of my University's Pre-Med Club


I personally this my CEs aren't very stellar, especially compared to many others that post here. My obvious drawback seem to be the meager clinical volunteering hours.


A side question as well: How are the ECs valued by DO and MD schools? Are importance placed at different criteria by each?

Thanks.

There isn't a calculation given i would imagine, but most people just have a feel for activities and things that make them stand out. Personally, nothing really stands out as you mentioned. My greatest concern is the leadership, tbh. Not sure exactly how tutoring falls into leadership, and Vice captain for a soccer team-I hope there was more to do with it than just being called captain.

My two cents.

 

[October88]

Your ECs don't really stand out to me and are pretty meager. I don't know the difference in ECs between MD and DO, but I do know that the majority of people applying to MD schools will have some research experience. Most of your activities are also very brief and you are not doing much (including volunteering) at the moment.

 

[nindra]

Thanks for the response guys. I was actually supposed to start volunteering in a different hospital in April, but an unfortunate injury has prevented me from doing it.

I haven't done any research. It does not really interest me.

The reason I put Tutoring in the Leadership position was because that's what one of my friends did when he applied last year. I guess it somewhat fits because you are basically being your own boss while guiding a bunch of students in their academics.

Also, is mentioning the fact that I was religiously active in my community (part of Community Service) detrimental to my application?

Overall, are my ECs considerably disadvantageous to me?

I plan to apply in June.

MY MCAT Score was 33R (11/10/12); cGPA: 3.65; sGPA: 3.55

 

[nindra]

Additionally, for the first 2 years of my Undergrad, I was working about 20 hours each week.
(My tutoring is usually 10-15 hours a week). That could explain why I did not have much activity in the first 2 years (on top of the fact that I was pretty undecided about Med School back then).

 

[Alejandro]

mmm...I wouldn't say that your tutoring counts as leadership.

Honestly, this might be too harsh, but if I were you, I wouldn't apply. If you said your decision to go to medical school was nonexistant for your first two years, why do you bother to rush into it now? TBH, I believe your experiences are unsubstantial, or lack depth and commitment. And your academic numbers are nothing to gloat about either.

Does that mean you won't get in? No, that's not what I'm saying. But if I were an adcom, I would abstain sending an interview invite to you. I think you need to take more time to really demonstrate your commitment to medicine and or attainment of real-life experience.

You may find some success in the admissions cycle this year, I will not deny that. However, you will have to bring something truly impressive or something that you have not disclosed on this tread to blow them away. Additionally, taking more time to really solidfy experiences can only help your application, and open you up for schools that will better fit you.

 

[nindra]

Thanks for the honest reply Alejandro. I already postponed from applying last year, so I will surely apply this year. (Which doesn't mean I am neglecting your suggestions. On the contrary, they have startled me and given me a reality check).

A further question. I am planning to start volunteering in about a week. So I was torn between either applying early June or late June. Early June means my application will be submitted pretty early. Late June means I will have a bit more time to add more clinical hours.

I thought about 200 hours of volunteering were somewhat enough...?

 

[miss chievous]

Thanks for the honest reply Alejandro. I already postponed from applying last year, so I will surely apply this year. (Which doesn't mean I am neglecting your suggestions. On the contrary, they have startled me and given me a reality check).

A further question. I am planning to start volunteering in about a week. So I was torn between either applying early June or late June. Early June means my application will be submitted pretty early. Late June means I will have a bit more time to add more clinical hours.

I thought about 200 hours of volunteering were somewhat enough...?

Welcome to SDN (Super Duper Neurotic).

Your MCAT is above average for matriculants, while your GPA is spot on around the average (remember, for matriculants, not for applicants). Your numbers are great!

As far as ECs go, I would say they're weak, but not weak enough to keep you out. They're only weak because they don't show commitment. As far as hours go, you're fine.

You'll be fine this cycle. Don't let this site freak you out.

 

[nindra]

Welcome to SDN (Super Duper Neurotic).

Your MCAT is above average for matriculants, while your GPA is spot on around the average (remember, for matriculants, not for applicants). Your numbers are great!

As far as ECs go, I would say they're weak, but not weak enough to keep you out. They're only weak because they don't show commitment. As far as hours go, you're fine.

You'll be fine this cycle. Don't let this site freak you out.

hah! Makes me feel somewhat better again

I asked because I have many so many of my former classmates that got in with between 150 - 200 clinical hours, with nothing much distinguishing in their overall applications.

I was thinking that the fact that I volunteered in a foreign country would give my application a little boost...? I did the volunteering/internship for about 3 weeks, nearing about 90 hours total. I mostly worked in tandem with the local doctors and nurses, and this "volunteering" experience was much more hectic than any other of my volunteering experiences I have had. Surely I learned much more out of it. For instance, the volunteers were responsible not only with some clinical activities (i.e. taking vital signs among others), but also in calming down the overwhelming numbers of patients, all in great panic, and transferring beds/tables/equipment/etc continuously between different rooms.

Also, can I include my experience in Convalescent Home as "clinical"? I mostly only fed the elderly and played games with them, but at times I "shadowed" the nurses when they were providing medications to the patients.

 

[Alejandro]

If you did volunteering abroad, make sure you take what you learned from that experience and apply it to how it will shape you as a physician practicing in the states. Sometimes these abroad experiences can work AGAINST you simply because people want to see what you've learned about US healthcare, rather than healthcare in other countries.