x

[sciontek11]

x

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

MCAT: plan on studying/taking summer before junior year. Will have most prereqs done

Plan on taking the MCAT after taking the classes that provide the groundwork for the test.
This is a pivotal part of your application. Under-performance on this test will have significant repercussions.
A weak score always remains visible in the AMCAS application.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi! I am a current college sophomore just looking for advice or ways I can improve my activities and plans early on

cGPA: 3.96, sGPA: 3.95
School: T20 private
Major: Biochem + sociology, language minor
MCAT: plan on studying/taking summer before junior year. Will have most prereqs done

Clinical Experience: Hospice volunteer (10 hours), hospital volunteer (40 hours), starting position as a MA at a derm clinic. Planning on stopping hospital volunteering when I start my MA job but continuing hospice volunteering.

Non Clinical Volunteering: ~30 hours at campus women’s support center, ~10 hrs sorting and organizing clothing donations at a thrift store that also supports a local women’s support center. Will be starting a guidance/counseling peer role in the fall at my school.

Research: Spending summer doing part time wet lab research (along side starting my MA job). Will have 220-250 hours at the end of the summer. I also did research the summer before undergrad (400 hrs) that resulted in a poster but I’m not sure if this counts as I wasn’t officially in undergrad yet.

Leadership: Minor leadership roles in cultural club and women’s services center.

Other activities: working out & disc jockey at a radio station. Will be starting a sociology internship in the spring

I guess my major worry is that I’m pretty low in hours right now because I spent the first semester getting used to college and building a good GPA before getting really heavily involved in clinical activities. I am planning on leaving the lab I’m at in the fall so I can work part time as a MA and increase my clinical exposure. I’m hoping to come back to the lab maybe junior year, but unsure if this is the right decision since I do enjoy research a lot.

Additionally, I was thinking of applying to the FlexMed Program since it would allow me more time to pursue my interest in sociology, but I’m unsure since the program is so competitive.

Any advice/tips would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Keep up that nice high GPA, but don't freak if it goes down a tad.

Take the MCAT when you have completed all the pre-reqs, not before.

The rest looks good provided that you increase your clinical exposure as planned.

If you can, try to assume more significant leadership roles.

Best,
Linda

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I guess my major worry is that I’m pretty low in hours right now because I spent the first semester getting used to college and building a good GPA before getting really heavily involved in clinical activities.

In a way, you did the right thing. So keep building those hours since I assume you have developed the study habits to keep doing well in college.

I was thinking of applying to the FlexMed Program since it would allow me more time to pursue my interest in sociology, but I’m unsure since the program is so competitive.

Finish off with a strong MCAT, and you'll be fine. Understand the benefits of being part of FlexMed so you can write about it and talk about it.

 

[sciontek11]

Plan on taking the MCAT after taking the classes that provide the groundwork for the test.
This is a pivotal part of your application. Under-performance on this test will have significant repercussions.
A weak score always remains visible in the AMCAS application.

The only class I won’t have done is orgo 2, and my school’s orgo 1 covers the majority of MCAT content. I’ll have everything else done (including biochem). Is this fine? I was planning on studying for it over the summer since I’ll have more time to focus solely on the MCAT.

 

[gyngyn]

The only class I won’t have done is orgo 2, and my school’s orgo 1 covers the majority of MCAT content. I’ll have everything else done (including biochem). Is this fine? I was planning on studying for it over the summer since I’ll have more time to focus solely on the MCAT.

Yes, that is fine.

 

[deleted1163682]

The only class I won’t have done is orgo 2, and my school’s orgo 1 covers the majority of MCAT content. I’ll have everything else done (including biochem). Is this fine? I was planning on studying for it over the summer since I’ll have more time to focus solely on the MCAT.

Honestly, most Orgo content on the MCAT comes from Orgo 1, so you should be fine. My UG taught aromaticity in Orgo 2 instead of 1, so definitely do review some topics that aren't in the scope of your first Orgo class.

 

[jhmmd]

Hi! I am a current college sophomore just looking for advice or ways I can improve my activities and plans early on

cGPA: 3.96, sGPA: 3.95
School: T20 private
Major: Biochem + sociology, language minor
MCAT: plan on studying/taking summer before junior year. Will have most prereqs done

Clinical Experience: Hospice volunteer (10 hours), hospital volunteer (40 hours), starting position as a MA at a derm clinic. Planning on stopping hospital volunteering when I start my MA job but continuing hospice volunteering.

Non Clinical Volunteering: ~30 hours at campus women’s support center, ~10 hrs sorting and organizing clothing donations at a thrift store that also supports a local women’s support center. Will be starting a guidance/counseling peer role in the fall at my school.

Research: Spending summer doing part time wet lab research (along side starting my MA job). Will have 220-250 hours at the end of the summer. I also did research the summer before undergrad (400 hrs) that resulted in a poster but I’m not sure if this counts as I wasn’t officially in undergrad yet.

Leadership: Minor leadership roles in cultural club and women’s services center.

Other activities: working out & disc jockey at a radio station. Will be starting a sociology internship in the spring

I guess my major worry is that I’m pretty low in hours right now because I spent the first semester getting used to college and building a good GPA before getting really heavily involved in clinical activities. I am planning on leaving the lab I’m at in the fall so I can work part time as a MA and increase my clinical exposure. I’m hoping to come back to the lab maybe junior year, but unsure if this is the right decision since I do enjoy research a lot.

Additionally, I was thinking of applying to the FlexMed Program since it would allow me more time to pursue my interest in sociology, but I’m unsure since the program is so competitive.

Any advice/tips would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Take a gap year. Some time to reflect. Med school isn't going anywhere.

 

[differentiating]

Research: Spending summer doing part time wet lab research (along side starting my MA job). Will have 220-250 hours at the end of the summer. I also did research the summer before undergrad (400 hrs) that resulted in a poster but I’m not sure if this counts as I wasn’t officially in undergrad yet.

You can absolutely include the pre-undergrad hours when you apply. I had two research experiences on my app - one from a lab I worked in from the summer after the junior year of high school to the summer after freshman year of college, and another from the lab I found at my undergrad. I listed all posters that came from both.

If you're interested in some of the more "prestigious"/research-oriented schools, your early research experience will be a boon, though I definitely would encourage resuming research in some form in junior year if you want to go for that angle.