Profile of a successful pre-med applicant

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uclakid

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GPA, MCAT, ECs?

what are some good ECs?
almost everyone has a 3.6+ gpa and 33+ mcat
what do people do to stand out?

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Try requesting a mod move this to premed. I don't think this gets the same sort of volume and I'm not sure that this is the right forum.
 
This does not belong in the med student section.
 
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There is no cookie-cutter you can use to become the perfect applicant. It is also not true that "nearly every" applicant has a 33 MCAT. That is an excellent score. The average last year was just over 30 for acceptees... as in 30.something I'm not remembering.

Do things you enjoy as ECs, you'll be better able to motivate to do them and later to talk about them. Make sure you get some clinical experience, but not all your activities need or should be clinically related. Research is always nice, although not every student has it. (Honestly, most do, now-a-days)
 
GPA, MCAT, ECs?

what are some good ECs?
almost everyone has a 3.6+ gpa and 33+ mcat
what do people do to stand out?
45T and a 4.0, or else your screwed. Good luck!
 
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

Review the grid for MCAT +GPA vs acceptance.

Get some clinical experience (work or volunteer helping patients somewhere)

Do some non clinical volunteer to show you are filling an unmet need in your community. Look for something that would interest you and you could keep up with over a period of years. Think habitat for humanity, humane society, something like that.

Try to get a few leadership positions. Something like club (one that DOES something) president, start an organization (one that DOES something), or tutoring.

The most competitive applicants also have some research experience, and 1-2 publications. This is more important in the schools highly ranked by US News, as research funding is their criteria (that is why this list is useless for many other reasons).

Start building relationships with some professors now, because you will need their letters of recommendation.
 
You won't stand out. Just realize that now and stop worrying. The only way you're going to make yourself stand out is to do something illegal and/or stupid, which will get you rejected.
 
GPA, MCAT, ECs?

what are some good ECs?
almost everyone has a 3.6+ gpa and 33+ mcat
what do people do to stand out?

AAMC has the data for GPA/MCAT.

As for ECs, pursue what you're really interested in. Whatever you do, do it well and excel because you're passionate about it. Go well and beyond what is expected of you.

Just think about what would make you interesting to an adcom, and a lot of times, what makes you interesting is what you are really passionate about.
 
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It only seems like everyone has a 3.6/33. Most don't. With those numbers you will likely get in somewhere. Add to that some interesting extracurriculars, some work with the community (volunteering maybe), and some exposure to healthcare work and I think an acceptance would be very likely assuming you apply intelligently.
 
Plus ECs: take a new cancer drug through complete clinical trials, find a cure for HIV, and create world peace.
Why stop at HIV? Find a cure for death, I'm sure at least one adcom would find that somewhat important.
 
Why stop at HIV? Find a cure for death, I'm sure at least one adcom would find that somewhat important.

oh thats easy, make a deal with the devil and have him paint u a painting then u can hide it from your self for ever.
 
Why stop at HIV? Find a cure for death, I'm sure at least one adcom would find that somewhat important.
I dunno.. might want to cure the diseases before curing the relief from disease =P
You won't stand out. Just realize that now and stop worrying. The only way you're going to make yourself stand out is to do something illegal and/or stupid, which will get you rejected.
So true... I would wager that adcomms see at least three of any "unique" anything, each cycle.
 
I had a 3.6, 36 MCAT, well known University. Mostly non-clinical volunteering(Like 500+ hours?), some clinical (200 hrs, mostly at a CD adults group living home, which I actually enjoyed and some at a hospital), 60 hrs shadowing 3 physicians, 2 majors (Chemistry and Biology).

Honestly, I did what I wanted to do, took the MCAT, and told myself good luck.:xf:

Be yourself, do the best you can, and for your own sake... Don't be a weirdo.

I received 4 interview invites, only went to my 1st interview because it was my first choice, and got in.

In retrospect - GO TO ALL YOUR INTERVIEWS. I wish I would have... but I'm still very happy with my decision!

Alright, there's $.02 :luck:
 
So true... I would wager that adcomms see at least three of any "unique" anything, each cycle.

Bet you my exact experience is unique. The general category it falls under is not, but my exact one is. I'm the President of a web-based non-profit organization aimed at getting students to talk about issues important to them. No one else on the staff is applying, or has ever applied, to medical school. Got a few nurses, but no pre-meds.
 
Bet you my exact experience is unique. The general category it falls under is not, but my exact one is. I'm the President of a web-based non-profit organization aimed at getting students to talk about issues important to them. No one else on the staff is applying, or has ever applied, to medical school. Got a few nurses, but no pre-meds.

Bet you it's not.
 
Bet you my exact experience is unique. The general category it falls under is not, but my exact one is. I'm the President of a web-based non-profit organization aimed at getting students to talk about issues important to them. No one else on the staff is applying, or has ever applied, to medical school. Got a few nurses, but no pre-meds.

Okay, maybe there's not someone who is also the president of said company. But there is someone who's president of an internet based nonprofit that helps kids do something somehow.
 
Okay, maybe there's not someone who is also the president of said company. But there is someone who's president of an internet based nonprofit that helps kids do something somehow.

Even if I just said I was on the staff, not the President, no one else on my staff is going, or even considering going, to medical school. Got nurses, lawyers, teachers, website designers, but no premeds or docs.

Like I said, I'm sure there's someone out there who runs a non-profit, or who does something in their community similar to what I do, but the non-profit itself is pretty unique.
 
Even if I just said I was on the staff, not the President, no one else on my staff is going, or even considering going, to medical school. Got nurses, lawyers, teachers, website designers, but no premeds or docs.

Like I said, I'm sure there's someone out there who runs a non-profit, or who does something in their community similar to what I do, but the non-profit itself is pretty unique.

And I'm positive that nobody my year is applying from my exact volunteer position. Go up one level of abstraction and you fall under the "people who made a really cool non-profit" category. So I guess you're right, you are unique.
 
And I'm positive that nobody my year is applying from my exact volunteer position. Go up one level of abstraction and you fall under the "people who made a really cool non-profit" category. So I guess you're right, you are unique.

i'm fluent in a language that most likely no other u.s. applicant (past or present) is. however, the fact that it's that uncommon of a language inherently means that it will probably be quite useless to my medical career unless i decide to go work with this people group. haha, sometimes being unique has its disadvantages :)
 
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