A Good Start?

[acegsm]

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Hi, everyone! I am currently a freshman at Northern Arizona University --- so I do not have much to say yet. However, I was wondering what you think I should add/stop/have more of:

- Secretary of Optimist Club (Community Service)
- The Service Jacks (Community Service)
- Pre-Medical Club
- Volunteer in the Emergency Room
- Shadowing an Ophthalmologist and a Cardiologist.
- Volleyball Intermurals
- 4 As, 1 B
- I am studying abroad the second semester of my sophomore year in Spain. I will be volunteering at the hospital while there. (Does this look good? Or, just something to add?
- Cancer Research Lab Assistant (Hands on.)

Woo! I'm excited, this site looks like a great place to get information.

 

[Mobius1985]

One community service is fine. I'd keep the one with the leadership position. Keep the ER volunteering. Do the shadowing. A few types of specialty would be good. Do each one as long as it's interesting, maybe 10-40 hours each. You have three years to get this done, so no rush. Do the sport. Keep your grades high. Only one B your first quarter is pretty good.

The premed club may great, or may be useless, depending on the leadership. If they provide shadowing and volunteer opportunities, and have physician and med student speakers that is great. If it bores you, let it go.

 

[acegsm]

Okay, thanks! Yes, the pre-med club has speakers come in from different types of surgery. Plus, they provide great information on medical school.

Any other input is more than welcome. : )

 

[acegsm]

I have been looking around, and it looks like what state you live in plays a good part in the application process. At least living in California. I live in Nevada, and I was wondering if this helps or hurts me at all. Also, since I live in Nevada (However, I go to school at Northern Arizona University.) will this help or hurt me with my chances of getting into University of Reno, Nevada. What is the general GPA and MCAT that they accept? Thank you!

 

[Mobius1985]

Mean MCAT=30, mean GPA=3.7 for University of Nevada's med school. Being instate for Nevada will definitely make it easier for you to get an acceptance than a California resident. Hopefully, your parents continue to live there, you pay in-state taxes, and have a Nevada driver's license, license plate, and voter registration, all of which help to confirm state residency if a school questions it. It would be a bit more difficult to get into the UArizona med school if you were instate there.

 

[acegsm]

I am stoked! I just found out that I get to be a lab assistant (However, I'll still be hands on.) for a graduate student. He is going to be doing research on cancer. : ) I hope it is long term!

 

[Mobius1985]

Terrific. That's the only other potentially important element of a med school application you hadn't mentioned yet.

 

[229141]

Hi, everyone! I am currently a freshman at Northern Arizona University --- so I do not have much to say yet. However, I was wondering what you think I should add/stop/have more of:

- Secretary of Optimist Club (Community Service)
- Pre-med Club
- Volunteer in the Emergency Room
- Shadowing an Ophthalmologist (How often should I do this? Should I shadow several different types?
- The Service Jacks (Community Service)
- Volleyball Intermurals
- 4 As, 1 B
- I am studying abroad the second semester of my sophomore year in New Zealand. I will be volunteering at the hospital while there. (Does this look good? Or, just something to add?

Woo! I'm excited, this site looks like a great place to get information.

Thats all really good. Focus very hard on your GPA though...get that B to an A. You will always be able to tag on extra clinical/volunteering and research if you don't get in right away...but your GPA is something that can be a little harder to fix. But 4 A's and 1 B' is a hell of a lot better than most freshman, nice work

 

[202781]

Just the fact that you
A) are concerned about your chances (as a freshman in October)
B) know what you want to do for a career
C) already know all the things you need to do to become a successful applicant
D) know what SDN is

...leads me to think that you will be just fine
good luck on your application in 3 1/2 years and keep up the good work

 

[acegsm]

Thats all really good. Focus very hard on your GPA though...get that B to an A. You will always be able to tag on extra clinical/volunteering and research if you don't get in right away...but your GPA is something that can be a little harder to fix. But 4 A's and 1 B' is a hell of a lot better than most freshman, nice work

Thanks! Will do. : )

Just the fact that you
A) are concerned about your chances (as a freshman in October)
B) know what you want to do for a career
C) already know all the things you need to do to become a successful applicant
D) know what SDN is

...leads me to think that you will be just fine
good luck on your application in 3 1/2 years and keep up the good work

Definitely! Medicine is such a broad and interesting topic, it is great. : ) The pre-medical club here at the university led me to this site. It has turned out to be very helpful. I did not realize how important research was.

 

[acegsm]

I was volunteering at the hospital this morning when a fellow Emergency Room volunteer started talking about an EMT course at the community college. I was wondering if anyone had any input on the matter (Just becoming an EMT in general even.). It is an eight credit course, in the spring, and upon successfully completing the coursework I would be certified as a medical technician. This seems a bit too easy, however it also seems like a great opportunity if it is true. Any input/advice? Thanks again!

Oh, also. A change in plans. I was thinking about getting a minor in Spanish and studying abroad in Spain. That way I can get a feel for the culture, and have some great opportunities to improve my Spanish. Good idea, bad?

 

[Catalystik]

Certification as a med tech or EMT will not help you at all in the med school application process, unless you use the certification in a job or volunteer situation. Remember that the grade you receive will count in your AMCAS GPA calculation, ie you will need to submit the transcript. I'd suggest you find out what percent of the class gets As before going ahead with the class, because you need to be one of them.

A study abroad experience won't hurt your application. Again, get a good idea of what you'd need to do to get good grades. I've read of others like you finding out that their European school has a strict, non-curved requirement to get an A. One poster got an F that was completely unexpected and ruined their GPA. On the positive side, travel matures one, gives one an improved world view, and could help get one closer to Spanish fluency, which is a terrific plus in medicine.