Adcom advice - clinical hours enough?

[ktaspirestoberad]

I have over 200 shadowing hours in multiple disciplines, and I have 60 volunteer clinical hours. I have read that I need at least 50 hours of shadowing and at least 100 hours of clinical volunteering. Now that restrictions have loosened back up, my hours are supposed to begin again starting the 2nd week in June. I am hoping to get accepted at my state university. I believe the remainder of my application is competitive. Four questions:
(1) Do I need to wait until I have at least 100 clinical hours actually completed before I submit my AMCAS application? If so, I might need to delay submitting my application to AMCAS until mid to late July.
(2) I have not included any training hours for the clinical experience; do they count?
(3) Does the relatively high number of shadowing hours help to offset the lower number of clinical hours?
(4) Once my schedule starts in June, I am supposed to be on a regular schedule with 8 hours per week as a hospice volunteer. Am I able to include the future hours on my application so long as I designate them as future expected hours and separate them from the hours already earned?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

@LizzyM @Goro @Catalystik Anyone else?

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[Catalystik]

I have over 200 shadowing hours in multiple disciplines, and I have 60 volunteer clinical hours. I have read that I need at least 50 hours of shadowing and at least 100 hours of clinical volunteering. Now that restrictions have loosened back up, my hours are supposed to begin again starting the 2nd week in June. I am hoping to get accepted at my state university. I believe the remainder of my application is competitive. Four questions:
(1) Do I need to wait until I have at least 100 clinical hours actually completed before I submit my AMCAS application? If so, I might need to delay submitting my application to AMCAS until mid to late July.
(2) I have not included any training hours for the clinical experience; do they count?
(3) Does the relatively high number of shadowing hours help to offset the lower number of clinical hours?
(4) Once my schedule starts in June, I am supposed to be on a regular schedule with 8 hours per week as a hospice volunteer. Am I able to include the future hours on my application so long as I designate them as future expected hours and separate them from the hours already earned?
@LizzyM @Goro @Catalystik Anyone else?

1) It would be best, considering that future hours don't bear much weight. Perhaps you can ask for a heavier schedule for the next month?
2) Training is for you and is not volunteer time. You can mention those hours in the narrative, but don't include them in the Total Hours of the header (stating that those hours "are in addition to the above.").
3) Some schools add the clinical exposure hours all together, so for them yes.
4) Yes.

 

[ktaspirestoberad]

1) It would be best, considering that future hours don't bear much weight. Perhaps you can ask for a heavier schedule for the next month?
2) Training is for you and is not volunteer time. You can mention those hours in the narrative, but don't include them in the Total Hours of the header (stating that those hours "are in addition to the above.").
3) Some schools add the clinical exposure hours all together, so for them yes.
4) Yes.

Thank you for your reply. Is there anything published regarding which schools combine the hours? Is it advisable to ask the admissions offices of the medical schools I am most interested in how many hours they consider competitive or is that not appropriate? Thank you again; you have been very helpful.

 

[Catalystik]

1) Is there anything published regarding which schools combine the hours?
2) Is it advisable to ask the admissions offices of the medical schools
3) I am most interested in how many hours they consider competitive or is that not appropriate?

1) I have not seen a list, and websites may or may not give information on that issue. I suggest you ask the SDN hive mind on the main Premed-MD Forum, with the thread title being very specific about the information you're looking for.
2) Calling each school to ask may, or may not, get you the information, depending on the level of the staffer who answers the phone that day.
3) You can ask if the website doesn't answer the question. Some of them do have benchmarks listed.

 

[Goro]

In my book, the answer to 3) is no. Shadowing is a passive experience and not an indicator of whether you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years.

You should have >150 hrs patient contact experience that is not shadowing. Note that this is one of those rare times I disagree with my wise colleague the Cat.

 

[ktaspirestoberad]

In my book, the answer to 3) is no. Shadowing is a passive experience and not an indicator of whether you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years.

You should have >150 hrs patient contact experience that is not shadowing. Note that this is one of those rare times I disagree with my wise colleague the Cat.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your advice.

 

[ktaspirestoberad]

In my book, the answer to 3) is no. Shadowing is a passive experience and not an indicator of whether you really want to be around sick people for the next 30-40 years.

You should have >150 hrs patient contact experience that is not shadowing. Note that this is one of those rare times I disagree with my wise colleague the Cat.

What is the latest I can realistically submit my primary application to AMCAS this cycle to try to get my clinical volunteer numbers as high as possible before I submit and still have a realistic shot of acceptance into an allopathic medical school? My clinical hours have been impacted because of covid-19. Even now, I am finding opportunities are very limited for volunteers.
My MCAT is 512, GPA 3.95, and SGPA 3.87. I have very strong leadership on campus with awards, and I believe my hours in all other areas are competitive.

 

[Goro]

What is the latest I can realistically submit my primary application to AMCAS this cycle to try to get my clinical volunteer numbers as high as possible before I submit and still have a realistic shot of acceptance into an allopathic medical school? My clinical hours have been impacted because of covid-19. Even now, I am finding opportunities are very limited for volunteers.
My MCAT is 512, GPA 3.95, and SGPA 3.87. I have very strong leadership on campus with awards, and I believe my hours in all other areas are competitive.

For MD, this cycle only, mid-late Sept.
For DO, this cycle only, end of year

 

[ktaspirestoberad]

For MD, this cycle only, mid-late Sept.
For DO, this cycle only, end of year

Thank you again for your advice.