Am I Doing Things Right?

[The Broccoli Industry]

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[Lost in Translation]

I thought I was going to score a 36+ on the MCAT. I wasn't close.

Food for thought.

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

I thought I was going to score a 36+ on the MCAT. I wasn't close.

Food for thought.

Yes but I've already started studying. And by already start I mean studying 1-2 hours a day (just doing practice passages). I'm also naturally pretty good at the basic sciences which is 3/4 of the MCAT. Considering I still have over 2 years until I take it, I'm fairly confident that I can get a 520+

 

[Lost in Translation]

There's such a thing as over studying.

 

[Hospitalized]

Go get 'em tiger

 

[efle]

I can amass over 1000 volunteer hours, 300 shadowing hours and 2 pubs (already close to one). Considering I maintain my 3.95 GPA and score a 520+ on the MCAT, am I missing anything for top 10 med schools?

If you actually do all that, you should be good to go.

But, it is dangerous to assume things like pubs or an MCAT in the top couple percent - copious studying is necessary, but not sufficient. You're already in good shape spending time online reading about what to do as a freshman and making A's at an Ivy. Just don't get too neurotic or tie your identity up with how prestigious a med school you can attend.

 

[laughingfrog]

Your plan is actually solid. The best thing I've read in it is not taking difficult classes that will tank your GPA. People think that getting a B- in Immuno will look good "because it's a tough class"... Suckers. If you have good diverse EC's in the amounts you listed, and a few pubs, you don't even need a 3.95+ and 520+... 3.8+ and 515+ will do it. Good luck!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Please come back when you have a 520+. The MCAT is not a direct result of how much you study. There are many compounding factors.

Also planning on getting published are famous last words of many students. I have a friend whose been "about to be published in nature" for 3 years lol.

In any case good luck.

 

[clippers50fan]

Please come back when you have a 520+. The MCAT is not a direct result of how much you study. There are many compounding factors.

Also planning on getting published are famous last words of many students. I have a friend whose been "about to be published in nature" for 3 years lol.

In any case good luck.

I feel you. I've been on the verge of sleeping with Mila Kunis for 4 and I'm starting to believe that it may not actually happen. But when asking how my life is, that's my go-to fact.

 

[md-2020]

Hey guys, I'm a freshman at an ivy (not HYP). Here's my plan for sophomore and junior year:

During school year:

Take a very light course-load (15 credits with 2/3 being research per semester) of only courses that'll help me with the MCAT (ex: orgo, biochem, anatomy etc.)

Inflate my GPA with lots of research credit and TA bio credit (4 credits and also will help me review for MCAT)

What about your major(s) coursework? Graduation/field/distribution requirements?

Agreed with everything else said above, plans are great but don't put too much stock into a certain desired "best case" result.

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

What about your major(s) coursework? Graduation/field/distribution requirements?

Agreed with everything else said above, plans are great but don't put too much stock into a certain desired "best case" result.

Graduation and distribution requirements are all good.

The only concern I have is that I would only be taking 11/12 credits of classes. Would med schools frown on that?

I am only doing this because if I took a normal 17/18 credit courseload, I would graduate a year early (lots of ap credit) which my parents won't let me do. So I'm planning to use all that extra time not taking classes on the MCAT and volunteering

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I guess a more general question is have I covered everything? With this strat I got:

-Lots of research
-Lots of shadowing
-Lots of volunteer
-Leadership in volunteer organizations

Am I missing anything? Should I join any premed clubs or medical interest groups or is my interest already implied by the massive amount of shadowing/surgical research I'm going to do?


Also is my light coursework going to be a problem?

 

[planeblue]

If you actually do all that, you should be good to go.

But, it is dangerous to assume things like pubs or an MCAT in the top couple percent - copious studying is necessary, but not sufficient. You're already in good shape spending time online reading about what to do as a freshman and making A's at an Ivy. Just don't get too neurotic or tie your identity up with how prestigious a med school you can attend.

This is great advice. You want to live and enjoy your life too, so don't get so preoccupied with MCAT studying (as a freshman!) that you don't have time to enjoy the finer things in life.

Often times, the things you do for yourself--and not the application process--like hobbies or non-medically related passions are the things admission committees like to see and talk to you about in interviews. Those are the things which will actually set you apart from the dime a dozen pre-med who did research and shadowed and got good numbers.


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[dinotso]

From what you've written, you just sound just like every other premed who has every box ticked (and yes, those activities certainly would check off just about every box). It's definitely important to have all those things, but many top schools put a lot of value you you being more than just a pre-med by having real outside interests, like sports, music, writing, debate, etc. Just something to think about.

 

[neekzg]

I'm only going to comment on the volunteering part. I would start off doing those 5 orgs for maybe a year but as you go into your third and fourth year, narrow it down to 1-2 and really invest yourself in the ones that matter to you and try to gain a significant leadership position. It is important to demonstrate commitment through prolonged engagement but this is not a # of hours game as much as it is how the experience shaped your character and motivation for medicine, and how well you can articulate that through essays and interviews.

You definitely do NOT need to join pre-med honor societies or anything of the sort, especially if you do not enjoy being in them.

Also, go live your life and enjoy college. Undergrad is not just a stepping stone to med school.

 

[gmbz]

Yes but I've already started studying. And by already start I mean studying 1-2 hours a day (just doing practice passages). I'm also naturally pretty good at the basic sciences which is 3/4 of the MCAT. Considering I still have over 2 years until I take it, I'm fairly confident that I can get a 520+

lol, this is awesome.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Inflate my GPA with lots of research credit and TA bio credi

A lot of schools recognize this tactic, you must do well in your actual classes as well. If it appears you actually struggle in real classes and your GPA is a result of all this fluff then schools will call you in it.

Oh and studying for the MCAT 2 years in advance is pointless.

 

[ChrisMack390]

My answer would be NO, you are not doing things right. You are not exploring your personal interests, you are not developing meaningful relationships with peers, you are not enjoying college life before moving on to the grind that is medical school, and you are not establishing a real, meaningful motivation for pursuing medicine.

If all of what you wrote works out, including the 520+ MCAT, ya you'll probably get it. If it doesn't work out you are just a shell of a person with no compelling story. I'm not saying you shouldn't work hard, but you should take some time to actually make the most of college, not just gun your way to medical school.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

This is great advice. You want to live and enjoy your life too, so don't get so preoccupied with MCAT studying (as a freshman!) that you don't have time to enjoy the finer things in life.

Often times, the things you do for yourself--and not the application process--like hobbies or non-medically related passions are the things admission committees like to see and talk to you about in interviews. Those are the things which will actually set you apart from the dime a dozen pre-med who did research and shadowed and got good numbers.


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My answer would be NO, you are not doing things right. You are not exploring your personal interests, you are not developing meaningful relationships with peers, you are not enjoying college life before moving on to the grind that is medical school, and you are not establishing a real, meaningful motivation for pursuing medicine.

If all of what you wrote works out, including the 520+ MCAT, ya you'll probably get it. If it doesn't work out you are just a shell of a person with no compelling story. I'm not saying you shouldn't work hard, but you should take some time to actually make the most of college, not just gun your way to medical school.

Quoted for emphasis. College is an amazing and critical time to grow as a person. Don't miss out on that opportunity, as it may never present itself again.

I've done a few group interviews on the trail, and in every one I've watched first hand as at least one high metric* applicant gets decimated by an Adcom for having no life outside premed.

Quite often the best interviews are the ones where you talk about things completely unrelated to medicine

*How do I know the person in question was a high stat applicant? "I got a 39 on my MCAT" is not a fun fact...

 

[caffeinemia]

Gaming the system already ay...I see the makings of a CPT unbundler in our midst.

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

Quoted for emphasis. College is an amazing and critical time to grow as a person. Don't miss out on that opportunity, as it may never present itself again.

I've done a few group interviews on the trail, and in every one I've watched first hand as at least one high metric* applicant gets decimated by an Adcom for having no life outside premed.

Quite often the best interviews are the ones where you talk about things completely unrelated to medicine

*How do I know the person in question was a high stat applicant? "I got a 39 on my MCAT" is not a fun fact...

What do you exactly mean have a life outside of premed? Outside of premed I enjoy photography and powerlifting. However, these things are merely stress relievers. What I am asking is what I need to do to get into a top 10 med school.

Also are on campus health organizations good to join (such as raise awareness for cancer and etc. through fundraisers and events) or would my time be better served volunteering?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

What do you exactly mean have a life outside of premed?

If you have to ask this then that means you don't have one.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

What do you exactly mean have a life outside of premed? Outside of premed I enjoy photography and powerlifting. However, these things are merely stress relievers. What I am asking is what I need to do to get into a top 10 med school.

What I mean is that med schools aren't looking for professional premeds. They're looking for real people who are also pre-med (if that makes sense). People who's world view extends beyond just the check boxes on Harvard's MSAR page.

Let me give you an example. In a group interview (3 students w/ 3 adcoms), the interviewer asks the interviewees to talk about a time they overcame a setback or defeat.

Premed 1 spends a very long time talking about his week volunteering on a medical mission in Honduras. He focuses on how he spent so much time and energy treating impoverished people, digging them a well etc. and was still unable to improve their situation.

Premed 2 is very shy, and speaks very briefly about a time he failed an Ochem test, but came back to get an A in the class.

Premed 3 talks about the time he was building a tree house, but it fell apart halfway through due to sloppy work. Describes how he came back to finish the project, and learned to acknowledge his own error and rectify it. (I've actually used some iteration of each of these in interviews)


Who do you think, honestly, has the best interview performance?


The point I'm trying to make is that for your own sanity, character, and med school app, you do not want to be one dimensional.
When Harvard looks over your app, and sees the extensive research, 4.0/520, and a million volunteer hours, they will put it in the pile with the other ~1000 apps with the same metrics. But the people from that pile that ultimately get the seat have all the things you described AND a multi-dimensional personality. Having a passion (or at least a hobby you care about) outside of academics is crucial.

Also are on campus health organizations good to join (such as raise awareness for cancer and etc. through fundraisers and events) or would my time be better served volunteering?

As for those I'm sure it varies, I found them useless. Just go join a couple clubs that do something you actually care about/enjoy.

Sorry for the rant, didnt mean to be that harsh

 

[Lost in Translation]

Pre med 3 is the most interesting candidate because medical missions are bull**** and pre med 2 is someone that you will have a hard time collaborating and being friends with.

 

[zero0]

What I mean is that med schools aren't looking for professional premeds. They're looking for real people who are also pre-med (if that makes sense). People who's world view extends beyond just the check boxes on Harvard's MSAR page.

... a multi-dimensional personality. Having a passion (or at least a hobby you care about) outside of academics is crucial.

Am I the only one who sees the irony in not being a checklist student being a part of the checklist?

 

[Lawpy]

Premed 1 spends a very long time talking about his week volunteering on a medical mission in Honduras. He focuses on how he spent so much time and energy treating impoverished people, digging them a well etc. and was still unable to improve their situation.

Premed 2 is very shy, and speaks very briefly about a time he failed an Ochem test, but came back to get an A in the class.

Premed 3 talks about the time he was building a tree house, but it fell apart halfway through due to sloppy work. Describes how he came back to finish the project, and learned to acknowledge his own error and rectify it. (I've actually used some iteration of each of these in interviews)


Who do you think, honestly, has the best interview performance?

Pre med 3 is the most interesting candidate because medical missions are bull**** and pre med 2 is someone that you will have a hard time collaborating and being friends with.

I pick 3 as well because tree houses are cool.

 

[IlyaR]

Yes but I've already started studying. And by already start I mean studying 1-2 hours a day (just doing practice passages). I'm also naturally pretty good at the basic sciences which is 3/4 of the MCAT. Considering I still have over 2 years until I take it, I'm fairly confident that I can get a 520+

From my experience content review has diminishing returns. The way to score a 35+ is to do tons of passages


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[memory tcells]

The only concern I have is that I would only be taking 11/12 credits of classes. Would med schools frown on that?

I am only doing this because if I took a normal 17/18 credit courseload, I would graduate a year early (lots of ap credit) which my parents won't let me do. So I'm planning to use all that extra time not taking classes on the MCAT and volunteering

I believe 11/12 credits is okay as long as you take courses that are challenging (aka science).
As for the not taking 17/18 credits, I don't believe undergrad institutions force you to graduate once you meet all major requirements. You could supplement your undergrad education with various classes such as business, arts, history, whatever else you might be interested in learning (but don't do it just for the easy A, do it because you want to learn because maybe in the future after shadowing and voluteering/working in clinical settings you might realize medicine isn't what you want to do).

It is fantastic that you planned your next couple years but don't assume that everything is going to go the exactly how you plan it. It is better to use it as a frame of reference to gauge how far or close you are from your goal and make adjustments as needed. During my undergrad, I was a peer advisor for the biology department with many students also being pre-med focused. Most freshman/early-sophomore students who wanted to map out their entire undergrad plans for medical school had to readjust their plans (usually due to underachieving in a class/MCAT, or not getting in the class they wanted/needed to fullful pre-med requirements). Sure you could be the special peanut that achieves all your goals without compromise, buuut you could also be like many (rest?) of us. So, by all means aim high but also be prepared in case you don't meet all your expectations.

 

[ed*26]

Hey guys, I'm a freshman at an ivy (not HYP). Here's my plan for sophomore and junior year:

Take a very light course-load (15 credits with 2/3 being research per semester) of only courses that'll help me with the MCAT (ex: orgo, biochem, anatomy etc.)

Inflate my GPA with lots of research credit and TA bio credit (4 credits and also will help me review for MCAT)

Will med schools look down on the fact I didn't take a busy 16+ credit courseload?

I'm not sure how you plan to take 15 credits, only ~5 of which are "actual" classes, and still complete all of your pre-med and degree requirements on time. Unless you have crazy AP credits, I guess, but at that rate it would take you three semesters to complete one semester's worth of credit. Am I missing something here?

Also, I think schools may get suspicious if the majority of your sGPA is devoted to research/TA credit. The reason they even look at it is to make sure you can handle a full medical school course load, which you are certainly not doing. I would take the warnings in this thread seriously. However, a smaller amount of research & TA credit paired with some easy classes could work out for you very nicely.

I also think you're seriously underestimating the time commitment it takes to complete serious, "pub"-worthy research. Most of my friends that are winning at the research game (e.g. have many winning posters, publications, can speak impressively about their work) do 20+ hours during the year and full time over the summer, and have been present in their lab for 2+ years at the time of application. "Close" to one pub better mean that it's in review with positive feedback, otherwise you're not close.

Overall I agree with the advice given above. Someone with that many hours is impressive but not guaranteed to get in. I question whether your goals are realistic or even necessary -- i.e. do you need 1000 volunteering hours, or will 750 suffice? Same with 300 vs. 200 shadowing hours, 2 pubs and several labs vs. one really robust research experience.

Also, you do not need to spend 2+ years studying for the MCAT. That's valuable time you could be spending doing literally anything else.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I'm not sure how you plan to take 15 credits, only ~5 of which are "actual" classes, and still complete all of your pre-med and degree requirements on time. Unless you have crazy AP credits, I guess, but at that rate it would take you three semesters to complete one semester's worth of credit. Am I missing something here?

Also, I think schools may get suspicious if the majority of your sGPA is devoted to research/TA credit. The reason they even look at it is to make sure you can handle a full medical school course load, which you are certainly not doing. I would take the warnings in this thread seriously. However, a smaller amount of research & TA credit paired with some easy classes could work out for you very nicely.

I also think you're seriously underestimating the time commitment it takes to complete serious, "pub"-worthy research. Most of my friends that are winning at the research game (e.g. have many winning posters, publications, can speak impressively about their work) do 20+ hours during the year and full time over the summer, and have been present in their lab for 2+ years at the time of application. "Close" to one pub better mean that it's in review with positive feedback, otherwise you're not close.

Overall I agree with the advice given above. Someone with that many hours is impressive but not guaranteed to get in. I question whether your goals are realistic or even necessary -- i.e. do you need 1000 volunteering hours, or will 750 suffice? Same with 300 vs. 200 shadowing hours, 2 pubs and several labs vs. one really robust research experience.

Also, you do not need to spend 2+ years studying for the MCAT. That's valuable time you could be spending doing literally anything else.

I think he means having 2-3 classes being research or TA. I really doubt having 10 hours of research/TA credit is even possible. Although if it is I agree, that is a horrible idea and will look awful.

 

[Psai]

I went very heavy on the courseload in freshman and sophomore year and it impressed no one. Get a great gpa and mcat

(I am planning to join 5 organizations to serve the underprivileged)

Top notch idea (not sarcastic)

 

[Lost in Translation]

I wonder how many of those OP will still be a member of by the end of fall semester sophomore year.

 

[Kevin SM]

I'll give you the most important advice.

Fake it 'til you make it.

What do I mean? Med School admissions love a story. Spend the next 3 years faking it til you make it. Create a story you can confidently sell to adcoms and you'll be golden on top of all those stats. Make sure you tie in all your extracurriculars seamlessly. For example, lets say you're hispanic and so you care about underprivileged people and you focus your research on that area, you are volunteering in an urban environment, etc. and then you build this lie you can sell with a straight face.

Quite honestly, the admissions process is biased against people that are not "passionate" and if you're like me and are not passionate about anything with no real understanding why your best bet is to fake it til you make it. As for why I'm not passionate it's simply how I am. I get bored easily and don't really enjoy much but I do know I want to become a physician for reasons I will not share here as it will be included in my PS when I submit my app for this cycle and don't want to lose the anonymity.

And last thing, don't let anyone tell you "ha you can't get a 520+ I used to think I can", sure you guys couldn't but w/o knowing how smart OP is and how hard working he is, you can't say he won't get it. He's clearly a very strategic person willing to plot out things to ensure his own success and so I feel like he will be fairly good. He's also most certainly smart if he's getting a 3.9+ and is at a top 20 undergrad. (regardless of inflation, it's a feat most you didn't accomplish, and i certainly didn't in hs).

Also keep in mind admissions process is a crapshoot and in the end even after crafting this entire lie and having the stats you may just be flat out denied from every single top 20 program, but you'll still get in somewhere and you'll still become a physician so don't worry.

 

[md-2020]

Spend the next 3 years faking it

if you're like me and are not passionate about anything with no real understanding why

As for why I'm not passionate it's simply how I am. I get bored easily and don't really enjoy much

build this lie

crafting this entire lie

Look out, we've lost another one!

 

[ed*26]

I think he means having 2-3 classes being research or TA. I really doubt having 10 hours of research/TA credit is even possible. Although if it is I agree, that is a horrible idea and will look awful.

Actually, now that I look at it I think it may mean 2-3 research credits (since I'm not sure how one takes 2-3 research "classes", and which would still work out to a majority of the credits per semester). If this is so it seems like a pretty good idea.

Also, I'm jealous. At my school research credits are pass/fail and only serve as hour padding and to keep the really serious research people at full time.

 

[Avicenna]

u remind me of myself lol
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/blank-slate.1033611/

interesting to see how much things have changed since I made that post, in terms of how my plans have all been unfolding in front of my eyes.

Good luck buddy

 

[Tenk]

What I am asking is what I need to do to get into a top 10 med school.

You need a connection with someone who has authority. A connection is the only sure fire way to gain access to anything in life. I always find it funny how people are always posting about grades and mcats when a solid connection will land an infinitely greater pay off.

 

[Kevin SM]

Look out, we've lost another one!

I apologize that not all of us were blessed with the opportunity of a reason to become physicians aside from the fact that hey.. we think we would really enjoy being doctors. I'd also like to apologize that not all of us were blessed with being very passionate about an unrelated hobby. Also, I'd like to really really apologize that because of this we are almost certainly disqualified from attending top universities because we don't deserve to have the opportunity to network during medical school with the top of the medical field so that maybe perhaps one day our dispassionate selves, born with the inability to get super excited over anything, can become the top of the field and make a difference.

If admissions are biased against dispassionate individuals who just like medicine and want to be among the best physicians, then for a dispassionate individual such as myself to get into a nice school with a lot of resources.. I need to fake it. So no, you haven't lost another one. I've just never been one of what you consider deserving to be a physician.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

I've seen people with this 'Top 10 or bust' attitude end up burning out or taking multiple gap years just to make their ECs competitive, even though they could have gone to a good medical school way earlier. Look at the big picture, prestige is not worth sacrificing years of your life for essentially the same result. Starting your career early >> getting into a Top 10, which is never gauranteed even if all your plans work out.

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the advice/constructive criticism you've given me, it's been very insightful!

In terms of research, I meant 2-3 credits. Most of my semesters for the next two years will basically be 3-4 actual science classes (12-13 credits total) with the 2-3 research/TA credits as buffer for my GPA.

By no means am I sacrificing my life by following this plan. I am currently taking 21 credits (3 credits being research) while volunteering 7 hours a week and feel it is manageable. However, after browsing the forums, it seems that med schools would prefer it if I took less classes while doing more volunteering (as unbelievable as that may sound).

So instead of taking 21 credits with 7 hours volunteer/week, Would 15 credits with 20 hours volunteer/week and more MCAT prep be more beneficial instead?

As for publications, I realize that it is very difficult to get published. However the PI I am working with publishes regularly (2 pubs/month) and so I feel that it won't be as impossible for me to acquire a pub given I have 3 years to do so.

As for the volunteer organizations, all of them have a theme (ex: educating juveniles and URMs in the Bronx), so I could paint a story using those experiences.

And to those who say that I am not living the college experience, I actually am. I still have free time to do the things I love, it's just that med school admissions has become so sophisticated that it extends to having to strategize like this. I just don't want to waste time on things that won't help with the process (when you'd think they would actually help with the process).

 

[The Broccoli Industry]

I'll give you the most important advice.

Fake it 'til you make it.

What do I mean? Med School admissions love a story. Spend the next 3 years faking it til you make it. Create a story you can confidently sell to adcoms and you'll be golden on top of all those stats. Make sure you tie in all your extracurriculars seamlessly. For example, lets say you're hispanic and so you care about underprivileged people and you focus your research on that area, you are volunteering in an urban environment, etc. and then you build this lie you can sell with a straight face.

Quite honestly, the admissions process is biased against people that are not "passionate" and if you're like me and are not passionate about anything with no real understanding why your best bet is to fake it til you make it. As for why I'm not passionate it's simply how I am. I get bored easily and don't really enjoy much but I do know I want to become a physician for reasons I will not share here as it will be included in my PS when I submit my app for this cycle and don't want to lose the anonymity.

And last thing, don't let anyone tell you "ha you can't get a 520+ I used to think I can", sure you guys couldn't but w/o knowing how smart OP is and how hard working he is, you can't say he won't get it. He's clearly a very strategic person willing to plot out things to ensure his own success and so I feel like he will be fairly good. He's also most certainly smart if he's getting a 3.9+ and is at a top 20 undergrad. (regardless of inflation, it's a feat most you didn't accomplish, and i certainly didn't in hs).

Also keep in mind admissions process is a crapshoot and in the end even after crafting this entire lie and having the stats you may just be flat out denied from every single top 20 program, but you'll still get in somewhere and you'll still become a physician so don't worry.

Thanks for this advice, it seems to be the most realistic out of everything I've seen so far.

As for tying research to serving underprivileged people though, that sounds a bit unrealistic. Because the basic sciences research that med schools generally seek have no connection to humanitarian actions. How would you go about drawing a connection between the two?

The most I could see as to tying an overall picture would be to have all 5 of my volunteer organizations having an overarching theme.

 

[Dro133]

As for tying research to serving underprivileged people though, that sounds a bit unrealistic. Because the basic sciences research that med schools generally seek have no connection to humanitarian actions. How would you go about drawing a connection between the two?

The question wasn't directed towards me, but I'd like add my input.

Get creative. Research, at its core, is about helping a lot of people, indirectly, while volunteering is usually about directly helping a few people at a time. It would be easy to tie research in say, a cancer lab, to time spent volunteering at a hospice, with the overarching theme being about helping patients with cancer.

You're in a good place since you're planning this all out in advance; you'll easily be able to align your activities to craft a cohesive story.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Graduation and distribution requirements are all good.

The only concern I have is that I would only be taking 11/12 credits of classes. Would med schools frown on that?

I am only doing this because if I took a normal 17/18 credit courseload, I would graduate a year early (lots of ap credit) which my parents won't let me do. So I'm planning to use all that extra time not taking classes on the MCAT and volunteering

You should be aware that more and more schools, including HMS which you probably have eyes on, do not accept AP scores to fulfil pre-med requirements. I came in with a LOT of AP credits but retook all my requisites (good review, free A, develop strong contacts early, why not?).

While it is okay to take lighter course loads with of course the most important thing being keeping a high GPA, there are students who can do it all i.e. take 20 hours and do more than what you do outside the class. Ultimately, I don't think course load plays any significant role beyond providing a bit of context for assessing how much time students had for ECs so prioritise your GPA but challenge yourself.

As for your question regarding what top schools look for, I think your plan (if achieved) will net you great acceptances but you probably won't receive love from the likes of HMS, Yale, UPenn, etc (the top of the top). What the top-top schools look for is quite cliche--something unique. It doesn't matter WHAT that is, but you must distinguish yourself exceptionally in some way or another. This is where not having a life outside pre-med really comes back to bite you. You like photography and powerlifting? Become a nationally renown photographer or the national champion in your weight class for powerlifting. That will get you into HMS; the 40 MCAT/4.0/pubs won't.

It's a good thing you are starting early and knowledge is power. What you should strive to develop is a very pointy application. If you have your heart set on the best, then forget about being well-rounded. That's the pitfall 99.9% make because trying to be well-rounded makes you spend chunks of time everywhere. You become good at a lot of things (a jack of trades) but you won't be great at anything. If you aren't great/best at something, you blend in with everyone else who is good at stuff. As an aside, it almost seems like you are trying to volunteer too much; assess in terms of quality not quantity. Ask yourself why you are trying to be a part of 5 volunteer orgs. What do you want to get out of it? Don't tell us you're an angel...

Lastly, it is almost essential for a strong app to have a theme/story. You shouldn't try to force this or create a narrative that you want to live out; it will really come back to bite you. Yet, not everything has to relate to each other. If you tried to tie every single thing back to medicine, adcoms would probably smell BS. The story comes from who you are as a person and what you love and value about the world, whether related to medicine or not. For example, if you hate cigarettes and second hand smoking, you could volunteer at a crisis line/counseling center/etc while at the same time looking into policy and trying to have an impact in that arena. You might go and shadow those with lung cancer and work in a lab that studies therapies for reducing nicotine addiction. You might start a nonprofit or educational org to help people realise the dangers, fight companies, blah blah. You enjoy powerlifting? Volunteer for a special olympics centre, research something to do with muscles or in the nutrition sciences, shadow ortho (lol) sports medicine etc, compete at a high level, mentor others and try to help spread a sport that isn't very popular, blah blah. These are just ideas and you shouldn't do them for the sake of it; you don't even have to have that many connections to one topic! It really depends on what you want to do and whether you created a story to live or lived a story that was in the making will come out in the interview. The former gets rejected because adcoms can see through you, though pre-meds feel they themselves are the one exception to that. Don't put in a huge amount of effort, costs, etc to build yourself up only to fall down. As cliche as it is, follow your heart.

Now you have a good idea of what it takes so take a deep breath, forget about your plans at least for a weekend, and think about what you live everyday for. What makes you, you? Answer that and you are more than 50% of the way to being a star applicant. Then start devoting all your time to the one (maybe 2) things that you really want pointy, whether it's research or volunteer, or whatever.

Edit: IMO, stats and ECs get you to the door; the interview verifies that you actually embody and are genuine about what you did and gets you the acceptance. Trust me, it shows even if you think it doesn't or if you think you can fake it. It shows, the way your eyes change, the way your posture changes, etc when you start talking about something that really meant something to you.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

You're smart, ambitious, and successful (at the level thus far at least). But there are some flaws in your rationale:

1) You are making too many assumptions (scoring 520+ on the MCAT isn't easy)

2) You are trying to plan out your future. Not to mention that some of you things come off as "trying to improve my resume" rather than "passionate about it" (I mean, 5 organizations to help the underserved, really? Becoming president of one of those organizations and really doing something to make a difference would be MUCH more powerful).

3) Even if you do succeed in all this, you haven't thought about what you really want in life

4) Maybe you truly do want to become a doctor, but spending every waking moment improving your resume is not healthy. It might lead to burnout. Not to mention that it might destroy your motivation.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Thanks for this advice, it seems to be the most realistic out of everything I've seen so far.

As for tying research to serving underprivileged people though, that sounds a bit unrealistic. Because the basic sciences research that med schools generally seek have no connection to humanitarian actions. How would you go about drawing a connection between the two?

The most I could see as to tying an overall picture would be to have all 5 of my volunteer organizations having an overarching theme.

Many, many ways. One of the things top medical schools look for in candidates is leadership. You have to learn to identify problems and tackle them yourself. Figuring out a connection is only the first step BUT why try to figure out a connection in this case? You should do activities you want to do, not because a connection between them is nice. Connections between activities should just happen because of who you are and your passions, not because you actively try to make a connection for the sake of there being a connection.

 

[Kevin SM]

I've seen people with this 'Top 10 or bust' attitude end up burning out or taking multiple gap years just to make their ECs competitive, even though they could have gone to a good medical school way earlier. Look at the big picture, prestige is not worth sacrificing years of your life for essentially the same result. Starting your career early >> getting into a Top 10, which is never gauranteed even if all your plans work out.

I agree with you. I don't have a top 10 or bust attitude. I'll attend the university with the curriculum that best fits me and some of them such as Duke happen to fit in with that. Would I attend Harvard over Duke? Probably not. Would I attend Harvard over Case Western, again probably not unless they amaze me at interview day.

But it's still worth the attempt.

Many, many ways. One of the things top medical schools look for in candidates is leadership. You have to learn to identify problems and tackle them yourself. Figuring out a connection is only the first step BUT why try to figure out a connection in this case? You should do activities you want to do, not because a connection between them is nice. Connections between activities should just happen because of who you are and your passions, not because you actively try to make a connection for the sake of there being a connection.

Agreed, but sometimes you need to create a connection to tie in two hobbies into the same story instead of being all over the place. It makes you a more attractive candidate. For example, X likes computer science and majored in it, X ties his computer science passions into his medical passions to create a more technologically dependent and accurate medical field. While really you just happened to like computer science and probably only want to practice medicine and not do any research to create a more technologically advanced health care system.

Thanks for this advice, it seems to be the most realistic out of everything I've seen so far.

As for tying research to serving underprivileged people though, that sounds a bit unrealistic. Because the basic sciences research that med schools generally seek have no connection to humanitarian actions. How would you go about drawing a connection between the two?

The most I could see as to tying an overall picture would be to have all 5 of my volunteer organizations having an overarching theme.

Underprivileged was just an example story, you can make your own to tie in your activities. Doesn't have to be about underprivileged people haha. Be creative so that it's a unique story.

You're smart, ambitious, and successful (at the level thus far at least). But there are some flaws in your rationale:

1) You are making too many assumptions (scoring 520+ on the MCAT isn't easy)

2) You are trying to plan out your future. Not to mention that some of you things come off as "trying to improve my resume" rather than "passionate about it" (I mean, 5 organizations to help the underserved, really? Becoming president of one of those organizations and really doing something to make a difference would be MUCH more powerful).

3) Even if you do succeed in all this, you haven't thought about what you really want in life

4) Maybe you truly do want to become a doctor, but spending every waking moment improving your resume is not healthy. It might lead to burnout. Not to mention that it might destroy your motivation.

for some people, resume is their motivation and they don't get burnt out. People have different motivations. Prestige, success, money, love, family etc.

 

[bearintraining]

For some reason the OP makes me think of that saying about how you can go about planning your life as much as you want, but life may have a different plan for you.

Moral of the story: Do what you can to plan your future, but remember to live and be ready for the curveballs. They will come.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Agreed, but sometimes you need to create a connection to tie in two hobbies into the same story instead of being all over the place. It makes you a more attractive candidate. For example, X likes computer science and majored in it, X ties his computer science passions into his medical passions to create a more technologically dependent and accurate medical field. While really you just happened to like computer science and probably only want to practice medicine and not do any research to create a more technologically advanced health care system.

There is nothing wrong with having several interests that are seemingly unconnected to medicine. Does the mere act of weaving activities together make you look more attractive? Probably not. The reason why other posters in the past and I have said that it is good to have a theme and some connection between activities is because 1) you will perform better overall at those endeavours because they are tied to what you love to do (i.e. volunteer with special olympics instead of stocking pantries if OP's hobby is PL) and 2) be able to go in-depth about your passions from multiple perspectives (volunteer, research etc all focused on nutrition, for example) and leave a strong memory/impression of who YOU are. Synthesizing a connection to look good negates the benefits aforementioned because your lack of enthusiasm and passion won't help you perform better in those activities and you will have a very difficult time selling why you did what you did in the interview. In short, there is no bonus just because two activities are linked; rather, it is the intangibles associated with having a theme that indirectly helps an applicant.

 

[rotarman]

That's honestly a pretty good plan for matriculating. Taking such a light course load and no hard classes though will make adjusting to the rigor of med school more difficult but not impossible. You'll also likely get raped in the (very few) classes where actual thinking is required in med school, since you won't have done much in ugrad.

 

[Big&Juicy]

Solid plan. I used to be like you and wanted to have a 3.9/36+, but somewhere in college, I found I had way more fun indulging in school spirited activities, going out to bars with my friends, and taking full advantage of attending a historic top 10 party school than worrying about stats. While I did not graduate with a 3.9 or a 36+ MCAT, I look back and I would not change a thing. I had some great relationships during college; most of which, I would not have had if I spent my time sculpting that perfect resume. So back to your original question, are you doing things right? In terms of your current goals, yeah. Hell, I remember my freshman year, I had a 4.0 and thought everything was set in stone. But remember, you are young and lots of things can change. Be receptive of that and find peace with the decisions you make.