MD WAMC / Can these activities be counted as nonclinical volunteer? (4.0 GPA, 516 MCAT)

[chamomile_tea]

*removing for more anonymity*

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

To your question, I am setting aside all of your activities that have fewer than 50 hours. Better to show more significant activities than more activities that fill the W/A space.

You probably should declare your proficiency in ASL as a language in your profile, and all of your activities are similar to language teaching (like ESL). Because you have a lot of activities working with hard-of-hearing/deaf community members, much of your tutoring still qualifies as "tutoring," Now, I'll give you lots of respect with serving this community (Teaching Assistant 100 hours, President ASL Club), and that will factor into any consideration of your file as long as you can connect it to your raison d'etre as a physician.

Public safety work (so mostly the student safety escort program, but also interviewing DPS candidates) I would put under the non-clinical community service. It doesn't address the original definition of "service orientation" in alleviating others' distress, but you are volunteering in a role similar to a first-responder. You have additional training as an EMT in this capacity. The newer definition is, "Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself; demonstrates dedication to service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the needs of communities." Public safety and your social work positions address this point.

Look for schools that immerse you as an M1 as patient navigators/advocates (which I don't think include your Ivy schools, but I could be mistaken). Example: Geisinger MC, CWRU, Penn State.

 

[chamomile_tea]

Hi Mr.Smile12, thank you so much for the advice! Is it okay if I ask follow-up questions?: edit: i just realized all of these questions are basically one giant follow-up question to clarify what would improve my nonclinical community service

Look for schools that immerse you as an M1 as patient navigators/advocates (which I don't think include your Ivy schools, but I could be mistaken). Example: Geisinger MC, CWRU, Penn State.

thank you, I love this idea! I will add Penn State to my list

 

[chamomile_tea]

@Faha @Goro @LizzyM Hello, I hope your new year has been going well! If you would like to provide feedback I would really appreciate it, if not no worries. Are my nonclinical volunteer experiences too weak and how would you recommend I improve them?

 

[atriablack]

I also have a bunch of other awards/scholarships I got right before graduating HS that I put towards college, but I won’t put this in the app ofc if it doesn’t count.

Awards and Honors from HS are one thing I would list on your app as long as you have space. I listed a national award on my app from junior year of HS that came up in many of my interviews. That said, list only big ones and not necessarily local ones since you have multiple awards during your undergrad career (and make sure you have space for them over HS award)

I've definitely been inspired by my Deaf ASL teacher and community to become a doctor serving deaf/hard-of-hearing populations. I also am drawn to serving low-income and Spanish-speaking populations based on my experiences from the free clinic (very basic skills in Spanish but trying to become fluent).

Great themes to highlight in your app and secondaries.

 

[Goro]

@Faha @Goro @LizzyM Hello, I hope your new year has been going well! If you would like to provide feedback I would really appreciate it, if not no worries. Are my nonclinical volunteer experiences too weak and how would you recommend I improve them?

Kinda weak, and you should improve them. So get cracking!!!

 

[LizzyM]

You have been a tremendous advocate and volunteer for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. That is unconventional (which is good -- not cookie cutter). That counts in my book.

You could call the Social-work type work "non-clinical" when you describe it on the application. Ditto the activities with people with disabilities (rather than calling it tutoring).

 

[chamomile_tea]

Awards and Honors from HS are one thing I would list on your app as long as you have space. I listed a national award on my app from junior year of HS that came up in many of my interviews. That said, list only big ones and not necessarily local ones since you have multiple awards during your undergrad career (and make sure you have space for them over HS award)

Great themes to highlight in your app and secondaries.

Thank you that's really helpful to know and congrats on your award!

 

[chamomile_tea]

Kinda weak, and you should improve them. So get cracking!!!

Haha yes sir 🫡!

 

[chamomile_tea]

You have been a tremendous advocate and volunteer for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. That is unconventional (which is good -- not cookie cutter). That counts in my book.

You could call the Social-work type work "non-clinical" when you describe it on the application. Ditto the activities with people with disabilities (rather than calling it tutoring).

Thank you so much I love that idea!

 

[Goro]

1. Columbia
2. Harvard
3. Cornell
4. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
5. Kaiser Permanente
6. NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
7. Georgetown
8. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
9. University of Connecticut
10. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
11. George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Of the list above, I believe that these will be donations, for different reasons.

Suggest adding:
USF/Morsani
Mayo
U Miami
U MI
Keck
Western MI
U Cincy
U IA
Creighton
SLU
U VM

 

[chamomile_tea]

Of the list above, I believe that these will be donations, for different reasons.

Suggest adding:
USF/Morsani
Mayo
U Miami
U MI
Keck
Western MI
U Cincy
U IA
Creighton
SLU
U VM

Thank you, I'll be looking into these schools!

 

[chamomile_tea]

Of the list above, I believe that these will be donations, for different reasons.

Suggest adding:
USF/Morsani
Mayo
U Miami
U MI
Keck
Western MI
U Cincy
U IA
Creighton
SLU
U VM

@Goro I know I can't improve my stats for Columbia harvard cornell etc without retaking the MCAT or getting published, but for the other schools are there ways I can improve my application to make it less of a donation? I'm trying to decide if I need to go all out for community service this semester or keep devoting time to every part equally.

 

[LizzyM]

You need to decide what kind of school you want to attend. Do you want a school that intends to mold physicians for positions in academic medicine (department chairs, associate deans, etc)? At the other end of the spectrum, do you want to be trained at a school that has a mission to prepare students to serve as primary care providers in underserved communities? There are schools that are in-between (some research but not required of every student, some focus on preparing students for specialties and subspecialties rather than a greater focus on primary care). What do you want?

Make a list of the schools that prepare students for the type of medical career you aspire to.

Next question: do you have what it takes to get an offer of admission from at least one of the schools on your list?

There is little point in putting Harvard, Columbia, and Duke on your list if you aren't aiming for a career in academic medicine with a focus on research/teaching/clinical care/administration. Sure, they are great schools but they might be great for you given what you want to do. It is, in large part, about mission fit.

PS: Rochester and University of Connecticut may love you because of their proximity to large communities of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. There may be others but those two jumped out to me when I looked at your list again.

 

[chamomile_tea]

You need to decide what kind of school you want to attend. Do you want a school that intends to mold physicians for positions in academic medicine (department chairs, associate deans, etc)? At the other end of the spectrum, do you want to be trained at a school that has a mission to prepare students to serve as primary care providers in underserved communities? There are schools that are in-between (some research but not required of every student, some focus on preparing students for specialties and subspecialties rather than a greater focus on primary care). What do you want?

Make a list of the schools that prepare students for the type of medical career you aspire to.

Next question: do you have what it takes to get an offer of admission from at least one of the schools on your list?

There is little point in putting Harvard, Columbia, and Duke on your list if you aren't aiming for a career in academic medicine with a focus on research/teaching/clinical care/administration. Sure, they are great schools but they might be great for you given what you want to do. It is, in large part, about mission fit.

PS: Rochester and University of Connecticut may love you because of their proximity to large communities of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. There may be others but those two jumped out to me when I looked at your list again.

For several years I thought about becoming an emergency medical doctor or perhaps doing general surgery, but the reason I hesitate on claiming that now is because most people tell me I can't really know what kind of specialty I want until I actually do clinical rotations. I might be leaning towards the "in-between" schools or programs with more flexibility, but if most schools have very specific trajectories I will take some more time to reflect to answer you better. I feel like I don't have a perfect fit anywhere right now and that's why I was trying to have schools of different styles. But I rly have to better understand each school's mission statements as I may remove harvard/columbia/duke based on what you're saying. Thank you so much for all of this information, I really appreciate you so much.

And I was really interested in Rochester, Pittsburgh, and the DC areas because of their proximity to deaf populations, I didn't know about Connecticut!

 

[LizzyM]

American School for the Deaf. Oldest school for the deaf in America. On the other hand, within recent memory, UConn Health Center was in some hot water for failure to provide an ALS interpreter. That said, the Hartford/Farmington area has a relativ3ely robust deaf population because of its proximity to the school which makes me think you'd find people you'd enjoy working with there.

 

[chamomile_tea]

American School for the Deaf. Oldest school for the deaf in America. On the other hand, within recent memory, UConn Health Center was in some hot water for failure to provide an ALS interpreter. That said, the Hartford/Farmington area has a relativ3ely robust deaf population because of its proximity to the school which makes me think you'd find people you'd enjoy working with there.

oh right I forgot they founded it in Connecticut!

And unfortunately I've heard many tragic stories about the lack of / untimely provision of ASL interpreters and what happens because of that lack of access . shameful and awful when it happens in healthcare.

it reminds me why all of the people with intellectual disabilities that I tutor happen to be Deaf, the program mainly caters to hearing students but they asked me to join after they started getting charged for ASL interpreting services with their Deaf students, when before it was provided for free. the program i volunteer with claim they cannot afford interpreting services, I'm just grateful I joined right when the previous ASL student left or else they would've discontinued accepting Deaf students entirely. I'm still trying to find a way to make sure they don't let go of those students after I graduate.

Anyways, sorry for the rambling and thank you so much for your help! I've seen your name in so many posts, I feel kind of starstruck honestly that I've had an online conversation with you. I'll thank you again if I get in somewhere and won't hold it against you if I don't