Am I doing enough?

[chickpeagoals]

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Hello everyone!

Its that point in time where I'm starting to prepare for this upcoming application cycle. I wanted to make sure that I come off as a well rounded person. Here are my activities so far:

Honors program mentor - 2 hours per week
Pre-Med club historian - 3 hours per week
Public coordinator for an organization - 2 hours per week
Research - 7 hours per week
Founder of start-up business - 4 hours per week
Abortion Hotline Volunteer - 3 hours per week
Habitat for Humanity - 4 hours a week.

How do they look? I see people on here that have so many more activities than that. I don't want to stretch myself too thin with my time and end up sacrificing my grades.

Also, TMDSAS recommends 3 LORs from people who know about your academic ability. Would it be alright if I got 2 letters from science professor and the last one from a program coordinator of a program at my school?

 

[Catalystik]

Its that point in time where I'm starting to prepare for this upcoming application cycle. I wanted to make sure that I come off as a well rounded person. Here are my activities so far:

Honors program mentor - 2 hours per week
Pre-Med club historian - 3 hours per week
Public coordinator for an organization - 2 hours per week
Research - 7 hours per week
Founder of start-up business - 4 hours per week
Abortion Hotline Volunteer - 3 hours per week
Habitat for Humanity - 4 hours a week.

How do they look? I see people on here that have so many more activities than that. I don't want to stretch myself too thin with my time and end up sacrificing my grades.

What about active clinical experience where you engage with current patients in a helpful way? And physician shadowing, a passive observership where you learn what a doctor does all day?

 

[SpoiledMilk]

n=1

As someone with little or no scientific research ECs, I found success with mucho clinical volunteering experience that involved active patient interactions (vital) on top of all the other factors (leadership, etc.) this cycle. You'll need to consider making adjustments to your schedule to add this element for your upcoming app.

Take a look at this:

As for the letters, if you have a Health Professions Committee at your school, use it.

 

[chickpeagoals]

Thank you all. I planned on getting some clinical experience sometime between now and May. I've had an internship in high school that let me shadow several doctors over the course of a year ( I planned on weaving this experience in my personal statement and secondaries)

Sent from my Z833 using SDN mobile

 

[chickpeagoals]

Thanks all! I plan on getting some more clinical experience sometime between now and May. I was in a program in High School that let me shadow several doctors over the course of a year, so il be making sure to mention that in my personal statement and secondaries.

Sent from my Z833 using SDN mobile

 

[CyrilFiggis]

What about taking a gap year? If you have zero clinical experience in the last 4 years and your is to cram hours in the 6 months prior to applying, that doesn't really seem like a winning strategy. Now I admittedly know nothing about Texas med schools, but this seems like you're checking off a box. It might be better to give yourself 18 months, load up on hours and have a much stronger app rather than rush out an OK app.

 

[Catalystik]

I plan on getting some more clinical experience sometime between now and May. I was in a program in High School that let me shadow several doctors over the course of a year, so il be making sure to mention that in my personal statement and secondaries.

What about taking a gap year? If you have zero clinical experience in the last 4 years and your is to cram hours in the 6 months prior to applying, that doesn't really seem like a winning strategy. Now I admittedly know nothing about Texas med schools, but this seems like you're checking off a box. It might be better to give yourself 18 months, load up on hours and have a much stronger app rather than rush out an OK app.

I agree you should strongly consider this approach. Nothing screams "impulsive decision to go into medficine" like having less than six months of clinical experience before applying, when the average is about 1.5 years.

You need more current physician shadowing. You have far more mature insights to gain from the experience now than you did as a teen. Be sure to include a primary care doc. Aim for about 50 hours total. I agree it's fine to mention the old shadowing in your Personal Statement as part of your path to medicine.

 

[Catalystik]

if I were interviewing someone who lists abortion hotline volunteer, my first question would be is this to help young women get an abortion or work to convince them not to?

. . . . or to lay out all their options in a nonjudgmental manner.