Weighing Options, Input Appreciated

[potentialsurg]

B.S. Biology, Minors in History and Chemistry (graduate in May)
NC Resident
Cumulative and BCPM GPAs are both around 3.85
MCAT to be taken in April (registered but on the fence about postponing until June)

Awards:
Phi Beta Kappa
Chancellor's and Dean's for all semesters
A few institutional scholarships

Research:
1 year in lab A: 2 poster presentations
1 year 5 months in lab B (current)
Individual research project resulting in a review paper, published online, received an institutional award

Leadership:
3 years in science-oriented club, currently President
3 years in honors/service organization, currently Chief

Education:
1 year 7 months of supplemental teaching
2 years 7 months of lab assisting

Clinical:
6 months as a CNA (current), volunteered at same place for about 60 hours
No shadowing

As the application cycle approaches, I become less confident (if I even was before) in my credentials but more and more sure that medicine is where it's at for me personally. I have 2 major questions if anyone would consider providing input.
1) Is postponing the MCAT until June going to send my application too late in the cycle?
2) Is my application even looking alright as is? I know the MCAT is a large contributor to any chances algorithm, but I'd like to know if my extracurricular activities are up to par given that my goal schools include UNC, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Johns Hopkins.

I've applied to several post-bacc research programs and am wondering if I should take those 2 years to keep gaining experience and re-group to apply later on, if it turns out that what I've done so far needs a little work/addition.

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[Catalystik]

B.S. Biology, Minors in History and Chemistry (graduate in May)
NC Resident
Cumulative and BCPM GPAs are both around 3.85
MCAT to be taken in April (registered but on the fence about postponing until June)

Awards:
Phi Beta Kappa
Chancellor's and Dean's for all semesters
A few institutional scholarships

Research:
1 year in lab A: 2 poster presentations
1 year 5 months in lab B (current)
Individual research project resulting in a review paper, published online, received an institutional award

Leadership:
3 years in science-oriented club, currently President
3 years in honors/service organization, currently Chief

Education:
1 year 7 months of supplemental teaching
2 years 7 months of lab assisting

Clinical:
6 months as a CNA (current), volunteered at same place for about 60 hours
No shadowing

As the application cycle approaches, I become less confident (if I even was before) in my credentials but more and more sure that medicine is where it's at for me personally. I have 2 major questions if anyone would consider providing input.
1) Is postponing the MCAT until June going to send my application too late in the cycle?
2) Is my application even looking alright as is? I know the MCAT is a large contributor to any chances algorithm, but I'd like to know if my extracurricular activities are up to par given that my goal schools include UNC, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Johns Hopkins.

I've applied to several post-bacc research programs and am wondering if I should take those 2 years to keep gaining experience and re-group to apply later on, if it turns out that what I've done so far needs a little work/addition.

1) If you submit your application at the beginning of June (to a single school) so that your transcripts are verified by the time your score returns, you will be at little to no disadvantage. Additional schools can be added that are appropriate to your MCAT score and newly added schools will get your entire application within a business day.

2) Considering that I have to make some judgments based on vague descriptions: Looks good to me, except that the active clinical experience may be on the light side, depending on when you did the 60 volunteer hours (and your role) and over how many months you did them at the place where you're a CNA now. Also you are lacking shadowing, which needs to be addressed prior to submitting, but that can be done in large blocks of time over spring break if need be. I'd also like to see some hobbies and/or artistic endeavors. The more unique, the more memorable you'll be.

What gives you the idea that you'd like to be a surgeon?

 

[potentialsurg]

My apologies, I should have been more specific concerning the clinical hours. I have ~625 employed CNA hours as of right now, and ~60 hours over the same amount of time from staying past my night shifts on weekends to serve breakfast to the residents and whatnot. I will definitely get shadowing hours in over Spring Break. As far as why I'd like to be a surgeon-working with my hands is almost as stimulating as problem-solving for me, and even though I haven't necessarily experienced combining the two beyond simple auto mechanics, I'm certain that whatever enjoyment I get from either will be additive. Although I appreciate preventative medicine, I view (necessary) surgery as giving patients a second chance they wouldn't have had otherwise. That's just from my experiences with family members and a few of the residents I work with who've come back from intense situations because of surgical skill. But again, I should probably shadow a surgeon or two to make sure I'm not too off-base.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I have ~625 employed CNA hours as of right now, and ~60 hours over the same amount of time from staying past my night shifts on weekends to serve breakfast to the residents and whatnot.

2) I will definitely get shadowing hours in over Spring Break. As far as why I'd like to be a surgeon-working with my hands is almost as stimulating as problem-solving for me, and even though I haven't necessarily experienced combining the two beyond simple auto mechanics, I'm certain that whatever enjoyment I get from either will be additive. Although I appreciate preventative medicine, I view (necessary) surgery as giving patients a second chance they wouldn't have had otherwise. That's just from my experiences with family members and a few of the residents I work with who've come back from intense situations because of surgical skill.

3) But again, I should probably shadow a surgeon or two to make sure I'm not too off-base.

1) Total number of hours of active clinical experience isn't as important as months of duration, as adcomms like to get a sense that you've tested medicine as a career over time and not made an impulsive decision.

2) I hope you'll include auto mechanics as a hobby if you are familiar enough about it to field some questions.

Your application is not meant to express your future specialty interest, BTW, as being open minded to all experiences in medicine is important. Statistics show that 80% of med students do not enter the field they were originally attracted to.

3) Watching some surgeries is fun, but doesn't give you the info you need for interviews that comes from observing (awake) patient-physician interaction and having the option of talking with the doc about challenges in medicine that you will face. I strongly recommend including an office-based primary care doc (for a view of longitudinal care), too, as these are the folks in the trenches who give referrals to surgeons.

 

[Nysor_bttw]

Your application is not meant to express your future specialty interest, BTW, as being open minded to all experiences in medicine is important. Statistics show that 80% of med students do not enter the field they were originally attracted to.

Not meaning to hi-jack your thread, but I do have a quick question: Is showing your interest in a career path also frowned upon? As in Academic, private, etc?

 

[Catalystik]

Not meaning to hi-jack your thread, but I do have a quick question: Is showing your interest in a career path also frowned upon? As in Academic, private, etc?

You might mention the aspects of a future career that seem appealing (and a reason), without relating negatives about other options. The same "rule" might be applied with specialties that draw you after limited experience.

 

[potentialsurg]

Thanks so much for your feedback, I'm definitely going to work on shadowing a number of specialties, including a primary care physician.