sGPA and cGPA ~3.7 Some insight please!

[sgm392]

~300 hours research in cell biology (molecular medicine) under a distinguished professor on campus
~50 hours shadowing a few different physicians
~45 hours non-clinical volunteering
~100 hours of music extra curricular from the choir that I was in.

Junior, planning to apply this coming cycle, taking the MCAT in May.

My question is: Is this a pretty good spectrum of ECs? Is there something I should focus on from now until I apply (ie more shadowing/non-clinical volunteering)?

Input is much appreciated, thanks.

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[AquiVoy13]

your research and shadowing look good. I would keep up the volunteering!

 

[sgm392]

Okey doke thanks for the input

 

[MedMinded]

~300 hours research in cell biology (molecular medicine) under a distinguished professor on campus
~50 hours shadowing a few different physicians
~45 hours non-clinical volunteering
~100 hours of music extra curricular from the choir that I was in.

Junior, planning to apply this coming cycle, taking the MCAT in May.

My question is: Is this a pretty good spectrum of ECs? Is there something I should focus on from now until I apply (ie more shadowing/non-clinical volunteering)?

Input is much appreciated, thanks.

It looks like clinical volunteering would be a good addition and fortunately, it should be one of the easier things to get involved in. Just look at the websites for various hospitals in your area, and there should be a page dedicated to volunteer opportunities.

If you have a chance at a leadership position, that could be a nice addition as well.

Everything looks great, so keep up the good work!

 

[Thoroughbred_Med]

Do you have any hobbies besides music?

 

[sgm392]

Thanks MedMinded! Called a nearby hospital, and they seemed pretty excited to have me volunteer. It's a nice change from how persistent I have had to be for some of my other ECs

hobbies... I play some soccer/tennis pickup games in my free time (when I ever have any). Would trying to fit in an intramural sport be a good idea? I would definitely enjoy it.

On the other hand, would the absence of anything more than my current ECs and the added clinical volunteering be a disadvantage? I am quite literally running out of hours in the day to do more than I am already doing.

 

[sgm392]

Some of my other ECs**

 

[sector9]

Moving thread to "What are my chances"

 

[sgm392]

I know it's pretty hard to tell without taking the mcat yet, but here's where I'm at so far. Applying this coming cycle.

sGPA and cGPA ~3.7

taking the mcat in May.

ECs:

Research under professor at community college ~40 hours

Research (molecular medicine) at my university's medical school under a distinguished professor ~ 500hrs by the time that I apply, much more by the time that I graduate.


~70 hours shadowing a few different physicians
~40 hours clinical volunteering at local hospital (by the time that I apply)
~50 hours non-clinical volunteering (animal shelter, food banks/homeless shelter)
~60hrs choir during community college

How would you say my profile is looking for US MD schools in general?

Input is much appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[sgm392]

Also CA resident, not URM.

 

[Catalystik]

I know it's pretty hard to tell without taking the mcat yet, but here's where I'm at so far. Applying this coming cycle.

sGPA and cGPA ~3.7

taking the mcat in May.

ECs:

Research under professor at community college ~40 hours

Research (molecular medicine) at my university's medical school under a distinguished professor ~ 500hrs by the time that I apply, much more by the time that I graduate.


~70 hours shadowing a few different physicians
~40 hours clinical volunteering at local hospital (by the time that I apply)
~50 hours non-clinical volunteering (animal shelter, food banks/homeless shelter)
~60hrs choir during community college

How would you say my profile is looking for US MD schools in general?

Input is much appreciated, thanks in advance

I think that a lot of schools will look at your late-begun active clinical experience as being on the weak side. I strongly suggest you continue to gain patient interactive experience through the application season (if you are set on applying summer of 2014) for the sake of Secondary questions, interview conversations, and in case you need to reapply.

Having 70 hours of shadowing is above the average listed (of about 50 hours). Perhaps that will help compensate for the above weakness in some schools' eyes. Be sure it includes an office-based primary care doc.

Peer leadership and teaching in some form also strengthen an application. See if you can work these into your plans. And try to get in consistent nonmedical community service at one place, like weekly, even if only for 1-2 hours, for a cause you care about. Any of the ones you mention would be suitable.

In general, except for the excellent research duration and shadowing, you have a lot of work to do to make your ECs stand out. Have you considered waiting a year to apply to beef them up?

 

[Ismet]

Merging related threads.

 

[sgm392]

I am definitely considering waiting a year to apply, although I would prefer to not take a gap year. I do have a decent amount of teaching experience (~50 hours over a year of teaching piano lessons) and next quarter I'm planning on being an undergraduate TA for a general bio lecture.

Are the areas that I'm lacking in enough to make applying this summer a stretch?

 

[Mad Jack]

If your MCAT is stellar, you could just go all out and apply this coming cycle. If not, gap year, build clinical and volunteer experience, and you're all set.

 

[Catalystik]

Are the areas that I'm lacking in enough to make applying this summer a stretch?

Keeping in mind that you have yet to even begin acquiring active clinical experience, and don't yet have an MCAT score, the strength of which might help adcomms at a less fussy program forget about the EC issues, IMO applying this summer is a stretch, particularly if you want a decent chance at a school in your home state of California. An extra year could make the difference between maybe getting in somewhere and getting into a program you'd love to attend.