3.6 cgpa, 3.7 sgpa, and an array of ec's. help?

[zakandsara]

i'm in my third year of college, and taking the mcats very soon. i will be taking a year off after graduation so that i could use senior year to build better credentials and such, but i really need some advice.

california is my home state.

biology major, 3.6 cgpa, 3.7 sgpa, no mcats yet

unfortunately my array of ec's are not very strong.

activities:
varsity athlete (this takes up the most time...)
tutoring (not volunteer)
two campus activist organizations.

research:
i've been doing research at two different labs so far, one at school and one not at school, neither of which ended in a publication. the one at school ended because the professor moved. i'm starting in a new research lab soon, but don't feel like a publication will come out of that either. would you suggest terminating my research experience and just concentrating on shadowing and volunteering for the rest of college?

shadowing:
aiming to do this senior year. would 50 hours be enough? i am also looking to get more shadowing experience this summer, but my parents live in a rural area nowhere close to a prestigious medical facility.

any help or advice would be sincerely appreciated. feeling really lost at this point.

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[StoicJosher]

1. Being from california, you are gonna have to do extremely well in grades and the MCAT to get a good shot in state.
2. Score at least 30+ on the MCAT - higher is better.
2. Being a varsity athlete is good. Adcoms understand that it takes up a lot of time.
3. But that won't make up for lack of clinical experience. If you can't do both the research and get clinical experience, I suggest doing clinical work. You are obviously lacking in that regard.
4. 50 hours of shadowing is about the average for applicants. Ideally, you would have it spread across different specialties.
5. Shadowing at a "prestigious medical facility" is not going to help your chances much. Just shadow any doctor you can (ref #4) and you will be fine.

 

[Catalystik]

i'm in my third year of college, and taking the mcats very soon. i will be taking a year off after graduation so that i could use senior year to build better credentials and such, but i really need some advice.

california is my home state.

biology major, 3.6 cgpa, 3.7 sgpa, no mcats yet

unfortunately my array of ec's are not very strong.

activities:
varsity athlete (this takes up the most time...)
tutoring (not volunteer)
two campus activist organizations.

research:
i've been doing research at two different labs so far, one at school and one not at school, neither of which ended in a publication. the one at school ended because the professor moved. i'm starting in a new research lab soon, but don't feel like a publication will come out of that either. would you suggest terminating my research experience and just concentrating on shadowing and volunteering for the rest of college?

shadowing:
aiming to do this senior year. would 50 hours be enough? i am also looking to get more shadowing experience this summer, but my parents live in a rural area nowhere close to a prestigious medical facility.

any help or advice would be sincerely appreciated. feeling really lost at this point.

How long have you spent with each research activity? Are they related? Does the third opportunity build from one of the first two, or would you be starting from scratch?

What is the plan for gaining clinical experience where you interact with sick people?

You might actually help your application stand out in the competitive environment of California by emphasizing your rural roots and shadowing a primary care doc back home. Fifty hours suits the expectations of nearly all med schools.

Is the activism political, social, school-related, or what?

 

[zakandsara]

How long have you spent with each research activity? Are they related? Does the third opportunity build from one of the first two, or would you be starting from scratch?

What is the plan for gaining clinical experience where you interact with sick people?

You might actually help your application stand out in the competitive environment of California by emphasizing your rural roots and shadowing a primary care doc back home. Fifty hours suits the expectations of nearly all med schools.

Is the activism political, social, school-related, or what?

i spent a summer doing full-time research at a different institution (not through any formal program though) and then did part-time research over sophomore year with a professor on campus. he left though, forcing me to find a different lab and start new research.

i applied to volunteer at my school's hospital, and a local clinic off-campus that serves low-income families. of course the clinic suits my interests more, but whichever one i start doing (and will be doing for about a year until i graduate) will be four hours a week. i am also hoping to be home this summer, shadowing and volunteering in my rural town so i can see what it is like to practice in a rural area. hopefully through that i will gain enough experience with patients..

and the "activism" is school-related -- targeted for students, like substance abuse intervention programs.

thank you for the advice

 

[zakandsara]

1. Being from california, you are gonna have to do extremely well in grades and the MCAT to get a good shot in state.
2. Score at least 30+ on the MCAT - higher is better.
2. Being a varsity athlete is good. Adcoms understand that it takes up a lot of time.
3. But that won't make up for lack of clinical experience. If you can't do both the research and get clinical experience, I suggest doing clinical work. You are obviously lacking in that regard.
4. 50 hours of shadowing is about the average for applicants. Ideally, you would have it spread across different specialties.
5. Shadowing at a "prestigious medical facility" is not going to help your chances much. Just shadow any doctor you can (ref #4) and you will be fine.

thank you very much for the advice, i will start shadowing as soon as possible for sure. i am hoping to get major exposure to clinical experience (surgical shadowing/internship program) so hopefully that'll let me get more clinical exposure and continue my research/sport next year.

 

[Catalystik]

would you suggest terminating my research experience and just concentrating on shadowing and volunteering for the rest of college?

With the current research, your involvement is about average for all applicants. If you are aiming for research-oriented med schools, then another year's worth would help you. Otherwise, it's less important to continue. And if the third research activity isn't building on what's gone before and leading to more creative input on your part (like movingtoward applying for funding, designing the study, and running it), I'm not sure it will help you much more regardless. Can you get a letter from the PI who left?

I think that many adcomms will look on your intercollegiate team involvement and campus activism as altruistic in nature, so I won't suggest a separate nonmedical community service since you seem to have that covered. It would be good to aim toward taking on a leadership role in one of these three organizations or elsewhere. Be sure to retain contact information to use on the application.

 

[zakandsara]

With the current research, your involvement is about average for all applicants. If you are aiming for research-oriented med schools, then another year's worth would help you. Otherwise, it's less important to continue. And if the third research activity isn't building on what's gone before and leading to more creative input on your part (like movingtoward applying for funding, designing the study, and running it), I'm not sure it will help you much more regardless. Can you get a letter from the PI who left?

I think that many adcomms will look on your intercollegiate team involvement and campus activism as altruistic in nature, so I won't suggest a separate nonmedical community service since you seem to have that covered. It would be good to aim toward taking on a leadership role in one of these three organizations or elsewhere. Be sure to retain contact information to use on the application.

No i don't think i can get a letter from the PI who left, but hopefully my current one? I am hoping that this research will potentially lead to a thesis project, in which case i would apply for senior thesis funding / grant of some kind.

catalystik (or anyone else!), i have another question. i come from a low-income background (almost a full scholarship to a top 15 undergrad, but some of the decisions i made in college were still based on finances) and have heard mixed opinions on whether the low-income status hurts in admissions, or does not matter..

 

[Catalystik]

Yes, the current PI is fine.

Low income status will not hurt you. I suggest you list the near-full scholarship somewhere on your application (either Awards and Honors, or in the Disadvantaged section if pertinent).