Race: African/African-American
State: NC
School: Top 3 Liberal Arts School
sGPA: 3.81
ECs: >100 shadowing (General, Orthopaedic, and Neurosurgeons) 4 years of research (multiple poster sessions, no pubs), co-chair of Black STEM Association, Peer tutor for 3 years
Gap Year 1: Currently pursuing an Mphil in Clinical Neuroscience at Cambridge University
Gap Year 2:??? Any ideas would be helpful
Possible Weakpoint: Not that much clinical volunteering, I was hoping my shadowing would show that I have an interest in medicine. I may try to see if I can volunteer while I'm in the UK.
School List: Duke, Chapel Hill, Harvard, Tufts, Boston University, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Wash U, Brown
Thanks!
Shadowing only tells us that you understand what a doctor's day is like, and see how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.
Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanistic side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.
Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??
We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.
I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.
Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.
Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.
Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.
The key thing is service to others less fortunate than you. And get off campus and out of your comfort zone!
Examples include: Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Humane Society, crisis hotlines, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless or women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for students or coaching a sport in a poor school district, teaching ESL to adults at a community center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or Meals on Wheels.
