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When did you submit your application? Why not Ph.D.?
Please break down your clinical and non-clinical experiences, including community service activities. What are your responsibilities in clinical research and medical assisting?
Please break down your clinical and non-clinical experiences, including community service activities. What are your responsibilities in clinical research and medical assisting?
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That's a long road, so good luck! This specialty comes as a fellowship after residency for what I can gather. Is this department where you are working as a CRA/CRC?
What is Surgical Oncology? Q&A with the Director of the New Division of Surgical Oncology
A conversation with Sam Yoon, MD, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Vice Chair of Surgical Oncology Research and Education.What is surgical oncology?Surgical oncology is an area of expertise that focuses on the surgical treatment of various cancers.
Shadowing specialties that are not represented in the work you are doing will help you, but until you are in a position to choose your niche in surgery/oncology, you need to be receptive to all the specialties where you have frequent cancer diagnoses. You also need to embrace interprofessional contributions and ultimately show teamwork and collaboration is a strength (and growing). The disabilities volunteering work you do is fantastic (need more consistency/year-roundwork if possible), but it doesn't connect with your goal as a surgical oncologist (as you describe it). Neither does the research, though that's not as critical... you can always try to pick up the bench research as a medical student, definitely if you go PhD.
Research as an MD is possible but requires a strong time management and mentorship component. Your letters, especially with residency and fellowship, will be key here.
Every major academic hospital should have surgical oncology, so what is your purpose as a physical? What is your mission match with the schools on your list?
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You will need 50 hours of shadowing, with some of that being in primary care.
If you have interest in service oriented schools, then it would be better to volunteer at a homeless shelter or food bank as opposed to an animal shelter. You don’t need to divert time to clinical volunteering anymore. You’ve already done enough as an MA. And the abroad volunteering may be seen as voluntourism.
Your current list is rather top heavy for a 513 MCAT. I suggest:
UC Irvine
UC Davis
UCR (only if from the IE)
CUSM
NYMC
Albany
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Dartmouth
Hackensack
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Vermont
George Washington
Georgetown
VCU
EVMS
Wake
Nova MD
Wayne State
Oakland
MCW
Rosalind Franklin
St Louis
Creighton
TCU
Tulane
Colorado
If you have interest in service oriented schools, then it would be better to volunteer at a homeless shelter or food bank as opposed to an animal shelter. You don’t need to divert time to clinical volunteering anymore. You’ve already done enough as an MA. And the abroad volunteering may be seen as voluntourism.
Your current list is rather top heavy for a 513 MCAT. I suggest:
UC Irvine
UC Davis
UCR (only if from the IE)
CUSM
NYMC
Albany
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Dartmouth
Hackensack
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Vermont
George Washington
Georgetown
VCU
EVMS
Wake
Nova MD
Wayne State
Oakland
MCW
Rosalind Franklin
St Louis
Creighton
TCU
Tulane
Colorado
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Schools want to see that you understand what it means to be a physician.
They are educating you to be trained in any number of specialties and the majority of those jobs are in longitudinal care specialties.
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That’s a clinical/health care job so it will go in a different category on your application.
Since you seem to have doctor contacts though, ask a few of them if you could spend a few afternoons shadowing.
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The point of shadowing is to observe how a doctor interacts with patients, and to see all the parts of their work day. See what approaches and communication styles you would like to adopt later. You don’t engage or interact with the patient encounter at all.
Not having 40-50 hours on your app will be seen as a lack.
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Double-dipping in an ophthalmologist's office will not give you the experience one gets in a primary care office.
...and we will see right through it.
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Dialysis clinic is clinical experience, not non-clinical volunteering. Teaching children with disabilities is admirable, but it is unlikely you will end up with substantial hours for service-oriented schools doing it at 2 hrs/wk (especially if that stops during part or all of winter). It would be best to have experience in the community with underserved adults.
Do not include the abroad volunteering.
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Lots
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Read the articles.
Building Your Best School List | Student Doctor Network | SDN
A great, targeted school list can lead to success with your medical school, dental school, or other health professional school application.
www.studentdoctor.net
Write Your Secondary Essays First | Student Doctor Network | SDN
Secondary essays are a critical part of your application that ensure your picking the right schools and prepare you for the interview process.
www.studentdoctor.net
Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Explore Your Story | SDN
The Other Impactful Experiences essay, new in 2023 for AMCAS and ERAS, allows applicants to share significant experiences.
www.studentdoctor.net
Mission Fit: Key to Your Success | Student Doctor Network | SDN
All medical schools have a stated mission. Understanding how you fit into that mission helps you focus your application for success.
www.studentdoctor.net
Eight Questions About the Pre-Health “Committee Letter” | Student Doctor Network | SDN
What is the committee letter and is it important? The most commonly asked questions about the committee letter for pre-meds and pre-dents.
www.studentdoctor.net
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You have received advice on your activities, which I concur with.
GPA and MCAT are locked in where they are. Retaking the MCAT is not advisable, and even if you score higher, many schools will average the results. Your clinical research is more than enough already too.
My point on shadowing had already been addressed, so don't forget that.
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