Activities red flag?

[whosthatgirl12]

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[cheesin]

Yes, you absolutely need all of those things. clinical volunteering including patient contact and nonclinical community service.

 

[meditative_premed]

In short, yes, this is a huge red flag...when are you planning on applying?

 

[whosthatgirl12]

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[GCS-15]

Get some patient contact in dude. You want to become a doctor...but how do you even know that you like seeing patients and are able to communicate with them?

 

[whosthatgirl12]

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[GCS-15]

Would trying to fit it in in April/May before this application cycle seem too rushed/like I'm trying to check all the boxes

Yes. Wait a year, get involved in something significant. Clinical involvement is huge.

 

[piii]

no community service/volunteering/clinical experience/direct patient contact

Hm, if you don't have any of these, how can we reasonably expect that you like serving the community or evenknow what clinical work and patient contact really is? All we can say is that you like research... you should go for a PhD!

You realize medical school is for clinical work right? Not research.

 

[cheesin]

Yikes....I was planning on applying this cycle.
@cheesin- what would you recommend for nonclinical community service?

My undergrad had a few opportunities - one was being assigned an elementary school student and getting them to read more. Another was creating a curriculum and teaching in prisons. Many have suggested looking into volunteermatch.org to find a volunteering position.

 

[eteshoe]

You will need at least another gap year to not shoot yourself in the foot. Take the time and do things the right way.

 

[eteshoe]

Hm, if you don't have any of these, how can we reasonably expect that you like serving the community or evenknow what clinical work and patient contact really is? All we can say is that you like research... you should go for a PhD!

You realize medical school is for clinical work right? Not research.

The OP would have a hard time getting into any biomedical PhD with no bench research experience.

 

[piii]

The OP would have a hard time getting into any biomedical PhD with no bench research experience.

Yeah, I was just trying to convey the thoughts of the adcom when looking her ECs.

 

[candbgirl]

Try homeless shelters, habitat for humanity , ask
at your church about out reach opportunities, soup kitchens. In other words get off campus and out of your comfort zone. And get some clinical experience too. You really should consider a gap year or two!


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[The Knife & Gun Club]

How do you have shadowing yet no meaningful patient contact?

 

[Goro]

Lacking those ECs is lethal.

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.


What are you going to say when asked how you know you are suited for a life of caring for the sick and suffering? “That you just know”? Imagine how that will go over!

For my relevant medical activities- research and shadowing

but no community service/volunteering/clinical experience/direct patient contact

Is this a big red flag for medical schools?

 

[GoldenFish]

Goro's advice is money.

Aim for some research, clinical work, shadowing, and non-clinical service work. All should be present in ample opportunities to ensure you've got all bases covered.

An important point, that Adcoms WILL notice, is whether you have gone outside your comfort zone. Ie - cushy, brief stints that didn't require much out of you, vs things where you really had to go out on a limb to get involved, try something/somewhere new, etc. I saw people who shadowed only with their mom/dad - it didn't always come off well. How much you actually interacted with people matters too - ie did you speak with patients themselves and get an idea of their experience? Or only stick with doctors? Or only stand in the corner reading for physics class? The way applicants speak about their experiences is usually very revealing to the person sitting in the chair across from them about their true level of involvement.

 

[deleted659912]

My friend got into our state school with only research and involvement in an EMS club. He had a high GPA and MCAT though so your situation might be different depending on location, grades, scores etc. If your grades and scores are high, might as well apply to your state schools. I was a reapplicant this year and had much more success so I don't think checking the reapplicant box will hurt you if you don't get in this upcoming cycle.

 

[candbgirl]

My friend got into our state school with only research and involvement in an EMS club. He had a high GPA and MCAT though so your situation might be different depending on location, grades, scores etc. If your grades and scores are high, might as well apply to your state schools. I was a reapplicant this year and had much more success so I don't think checking the reapplicant box will hurt you if you don't get in this upcoming cycle.

So you are going against what actual ADCOM members advised? Really? Of course your response is exactly what OP wanted so I guess that's good.


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[deleted659912]

So you are going against what actual ADCOM members advised? Really? Of course your response is exactly what OP wanted so I guess that's good.


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Woah there, calm down with your condescension. I'm only relaying my opinion and my friend's situation. If OP has average scores, grades, research and shadowing, she probably won't get in but if she makes up for quantity with quality (like my friend), who am I to judge?

 

[osckey]

How do you have shadowing yet no meaningful patient contact?

How is no one else picking up on this?

 

[Goro]

You should always apply with the best possible app, even if it means skipping an app cycle. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

Would trying to fit it in in April/May before this application cycle seem too rushed/like I'm trying to check all the boxes