Am I overthinking about my weaknesses?

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

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1) I only have 120 work hours at a hospital. However, very meaningful and helped me understand what it is like to work with healthcare staff and patients.

3) No leadership position

4) Very little community service (30 hours maybe)

Pros:

-Very dedicated to my instrument and sport for about 2 years

-3.9 GPA

-50 hours shadowing (to be conducted in summer 2016... arrangements have already been made)

 

[virchow?]

Are you applying this coming cycle?

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

When I apply, those will be the charastetistics of my application

 

[Terror Billy]

To be completely honest the best part of your application (MCAT score withstanding is your GPA). You might really want to broaden your experiences and have meaningful things to share about activities you've done.

Outside the hospital volunteering it doesn't look like you have anything that will resonate with schools. Also I'm not sure if you can list 50 shadowing hours if you're going to be doing it in the summer? I'm almost certain when you apply what you have is what you have, but you can mention what you plan on doing for the upcoming year...

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I'll apply after the shadowing. I have a lot of personal things that I want to talk about in my life.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Furthermore, my aim is low to mid tier MD schools

 

[Terror Billy]

Ahh I think applying earliest is your best bet though bud! Waiting to apply later with an app that might not be strong on ECs (not sure your MCAT) seems like a bad recipe. All schools are competitive, there are no safe schools with this process (low, mid, upper etc).

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

The shadowing is concentrated in a 3 week period so I'll apply at the end of June. And I know there are no safety schools but there are schools that are completely ok giving a secondary to someone with Good GPA + Good MCAT+ Decent Volunteering + Shadowing. And after the secondary I am sure that my personality and life experiences will help me!!!


And I anticipate my MCAT to be in the 510-512 range


I don't have fancy dreams. I'm just sincere about being a doctor and ok with going to a low tier school🙁

 

[meditative_premed]

You need a lot more community service hours (doing something to help those less fortunate than yourself, there are tons of easy volunteering opportunities in most cities) and more clinical exposure wouldn't hurt either...any research? When will your MCAT score be in? Your strong GPA is your best asset here.

 

[candbgirl]

Furthermore, my aim is low to mid tier MD schools

You think that matters? The whole application is hard no matter where you apply.


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[LoveBeingHuman:)]

You think that matters? The whole application is hard no matter where you apply.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile app

Of course it matters. Suppose an applicant had 200 hospital hours, 100 community service hours, 30 shadowing hours, a 3.7+ GPA, and a 32+ MCAT. That person doesn't stand a chance at Harvard, but is competitive for almost any DO and low tier MD schools like Albany or Tulane med school

 

[meditative_premed]

And I know there are no safety schools but there are schools that are completely ok giving a secondary to someone with Good GPA + Good MCAT+ Decent Volunteering + Shadowing. And after the secondary I am sure that my personality and life experiences will help me!!!

To be honest, med schools will send secondaries to almost anyone with a pulse...they will gladly take your secondary fee and then possibly never contact you again. The adcoms don't actually take a holistic look at your application (primary + secondary) until your secondary and all your LORs are in, so you can't bank on the mindset that secondary = II, because in a lot of people's cases, it doesn't.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

To be honest, med schools will send secondaries to almost anyone with a pulse...they will gladly take your secondary fee and then possibly never contact you again. The adcoms don't actually take a holistic look at your application (primary + secondary) until your secondary and all your LORs are in, so you can't bank on the mindset that secondary = II, because in a lot of people's cases, it doesn't.

I'd like to bring up the point that several schools do a screening process first. And if they do give secondaries to everyone, then I am sure that a holistic review of my application can at least give me an interview at some schools. I won't be applying this coming cycle. I''ll be applying next cycle.

 

[meditative_premed]

I'd like to bring up the point that several schools do a screening process first. And if they do give secondaries to everyone, then I am sure that a holistic review of my application can at least give me an interview at some schools. I won't be applying this coming cycle. I''ll be applying next cycle.

The pre-secondary screening process uses bottom of the barrel stats for most places, like at least a 3.0 GPA and 25 MCAT. I'm not trying to sound pessimistic, just realistic. If you take this next year to get in a lot of volunteering, clinical exposure, and physician shadowing, along with a great MCAT, you will surely get tons of IIs. I thought you were planning on submitting for the 2016-2017 cycle, in which case, there just isn't enough time to bring your ECs up to where they should be.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

The pre-secondary screening process uses bottom of the barrel stats for most places, like at least a 3.0 GPA and 25 MCAT. I'm not trying to sound pessimistic, just realistic. If you take this next year to get in a lot of volunteering, clinical exposure, and physician shadowing, along with a great MCAT, you will surely get tons of IIs. I thought you were planning on submitting for the 2016-2017 cycle, in which case, there just isn't enough time to bring your ECs up to where they should be.

Will filling in the leadership and community gap, with extra clinical hours make me more competitive?

 

[meditative_premed]

Will filling in the leadership and community gap, with extra clinical hours make me more competitive?

I definitely think so. Make sure you feel prepared before you take your MCAT, get a great score, and keep accumulating hours over the next year and I think you'll be in great shape.

 

[candbgirl]

Try to get both. You might already have some leadership stuff. Think what you did in college for clubs or other activities. For community activities look at homeless shelters, soup kitchens,, churches, habitat for humanity etc. you don't need a ton of hours but you should have some. You have plenty of time to get it done.


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[toast]

I just want to chime in say don't just volunteer any old place to get volunteer hours. Choose a place you actually care about, if you can be genuine and passionate about why you were volunteering in your application (esp in secondaries and interviews) beyond "I want to help people in a vague way" it will be much more powerful. Maybe you can use your skills in music or sports in a community service setting? maybe something that connects to other parts of your life and community? You want your application to tell a story about who you are and what you've learned. I'm not saying just stay in what you already know, it is great if volunteering takes you out of your comfort zone but put some thought into what you are doing beyond checking off boxes

 

[Nietzschelover]

When I apply, those will be the charastetistics of my application

Why? You almost sound determined to apply with borderline ECs (at best) and dare schools not to take you. Since you say you are waiting out another cycle before applying you have plenty of time to strengthen your credentials. You've already got the GPA on your side. Try to do as well as you can on the MCAT and do more shadowing and a lot more volunteering and/or a clinical job (scribing or something else). You have a shot at being an outstanding candidate. Why not shoot for that?

 

[Goro]

No, you're not. You know what to do.

1) I only have 120 volunteer hours at a hospital. However, very meaningful and helped me understand what it is like to work with healthcare staff and patients.

3) No leadership position

4) Very little community service (30 hours maybe)

Pros:

-Very dedicated to my instrument and sport for about 2 years

-3.9 GPA

-50 hours shadowing (to be conducted in summer 2016... arrangements have already been made)

1) I only have 120 volunteer hours at a hospital. However, very meaningful and helped me understand what it is like to work with healthcare staff and patients.

3) No leadership position

4) Very little community service (30 hours maybe)

Pros:

-Very dedicated to my instrument and sport for about 2 years

-3.9 GPA

-50 hours shadowing (to be conducted in summer 2016... arrangements have already been made)

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Your ECs are very mediocre, don't expect stats to just carry you. I personally know people with 4.0 and 515s that only got one interview and subsequent wait list because their ECs were weak. You are essentially daring schools to reject you.

 

[ciestar]

Find some volunteering gig involving something you love, and get going! Like animals? Volunteer at an animal shelter. Like tutoring? Find a YMCA and help out. Just find something. Ive noticed while interviewing myself this cycle that my nonclinical volunteer activities were asked a lot about. Also noticed on SDN that seems to set applicants apart...those with nonclinical activities tend to have more success. Med schools what altruistic students and with so many having a volunteering requirement in their curriculum now...it's becoming ever more important.

To be frank, your ECs as they stand now are WEAK. This will not help you land interviews. You need to you youre not all academics. I would not apply until they're more substantial.