Any Insight Please, it will be much appreciated!

[Ambiences]

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Hello there and thanks for stopping and checking my thread out. Can any readers please give some insight or thoughts on my situation? Any advice or input is appreciated!

I hope you don't mind this read.

I am a senior due to graduate in May of this year after the traditional 4-year program. Mid-way through the college experience, I decided Fall of my Junior year to switch from Exercise Science to Biology when I realized my love for the sciences. I was originally planning to go pursue athletic training or PT school, but my interest in that field was not solid. In Spring of my Junior year, I began looking into medicine as my career path based on my desire to improve the lives of others by giving them the means to succeed. In this case, I want to facilitate acquiring the good health that we all enjoy outside of sickness. This is similar to my experiences as a tutor/student mentor in which I assisted students in succeeding in their coursework. Thus, my goals are to gain exposure to patient care, get involved with the community, build my work ethic/character, network, and apply to medical school in 2015 or 2016.

Since having this desire to go to medical school, I worked hard to achieve consistent A's in pre-medical classes these past 12 months (Orgo I&II, labs, physics, genetics, cell biology, embryology). During my time studying in this past year, I only managed to get ~50 hours of research in a chemistry lab (worked with synthesis/application of nanoparticles, no publishings), 70 hours as a TA for A&P (taught labs, supp. review sessions, gave class lectures), became Historian/President of the Pre-health Club/AED Honor Society, shadowed doc's in PM&R for ~25 hours, and volunteered in the ED for 16 hours so far (signed on for 100 total). I spent my entire fall semester studying for the MCAT too (sitting on Friday, 1/23!) and my AAMC average is 31 (took 5,7,8,9,10,11). I've also arranged to continue shadowing with geriatrics, cardio-surgery, and PM&R at the local hospital. I should also mention I'm sitting at a 3.76 cumulative, 3.96 science/math GPA, and have a Governor's Scholarship.

Now, with my undergraduate year coming to an end, I feel that I have not done enough/need to do more for myself and my application before applying. The first option is applying to DO/MD schools with current stats. Some options I have thought over:

1) Extending undergraduate by a year to take advantage of all the research/EC opportunities and finish an Exercise Science program.
2) Enrolling in EMT classes and pursuing employment as an ED-Tech, along with trying to get a scribe position. (Volunteering to continue in other areas)
3) Seek employment as a research assistant.

So now that you have the full picture, can you, as a committed reader of my wall of text, offer any insight/advice/input on this situation of mine? It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[Relax!]

Seems like you are on the right path. Your GPAs look good, and you are on your way to getting clinical experience, which is great. My opinion is that it would be better to apply to MD schools (unless you have a strong preference for DO) in 2016, provided that you do well on the MCAT. Also do more clinical/non-clinical volunteering and continue with research. One thing you might want to consider--if you apply to medical school in 2016, then taking the MCAT now might be a bit rushed. 31 is a good score for both MD/DO but maybe you could do better with more studying? Otherwise, you are on the right track.

 

[ski89]

You have set yourself up well so far. Great GPA and it seems that you have a compelling story regarding your motivation to pursue medicine.

1. As you likely know, your MCAT is huge. If you can score your average of 31 or better then I think you can consider applying to MD programs this coming cycle (while continuing to boost your app in the coming months. If you score lower than that, say 27-30, you can definitely apply strong to DO with a few MDs sprinkled in. However, if you really want MD, you may need to consider taking the 2015 MCAT in August (using the summer to prepare) and applying in 2016.

2. If I were you I would favor clinical experience over research. You have a basic exposure to research which will get you at least a nod for checking it out. Clinical experience however is crucial and as you know, you need more. I would not go EMT unless you REALLY want to - too much money/training involved before you would even find a job (if you find one at all). I strongly endorse scribing, either ED or Hospitalist (I prefer the latter because I have learned so much more about both medicine and our healthcare system by working in the hospital.

3. Finally, fit in some volunteering where you can, preferably in areas that you are genuinely passionate about.

To reiterate. The timing of your application (IMO) will almost exclusively depend on your MCAT score and by extension your choice of school (MD/DO)

Good luck!!



Sent from my iPhone

 

[wildfan1]

Hello there and thanks for stopping and checking my thread out. Can any readers please give some insight or thoughts on my situation? Any advice or input is appreciated!

I hope you don't mind this read.

I am a senior due to graduate in May of this year after the traditional 4-year program. Mid-way through the college experience, I decided Fall of my Junior year to switch from Exercise Science to Biology when I realized my love for the sciences. I was originally planning to go pursue athletic training or PT school, but my interest in that field was not solid. In Spring of my Junior year, I began looking into medicine as my career path based on my desire to improve the lives of others by giving them the means to succeed. In this case, I want to facilitate acquiring the good health that we all enjoy outside of sickness. This is similar to my experiences as a tutor/student mentor in which I assisted students in succeeding in their coursework. Thus, my goals are to gain exposure to patient care, get involved with the community, build my work ethic/character, network, and apply to medical school in 2015 or 2016.

Since having this desire to go to medical school, I worked hard to achieve consistent A's in pre-medical classes these past 12 months (Orgo I&II, labs, physics, genetics, cell biology, embryology). During my time studying in this past year, I only managed to get ~50 hours of research in a chemistry lab (worked with synthesis/application of nanoparticles, no publishings), 70 hours as a TA for A&P (taught labs, supp. review sessions, gave class lectures), became Historian/President of the Pre-health Club/AED Honor Society, shadowed doc's in PM&R for ~25 hours, and volunteered in the ED for 16 hours so far (signed on for 100 total). I spent my entire fall semester studying for the MCAT too (sitting on Friday, 1/23!) and my AAMC average is 31 (took 5,7,8,9,10,11). I've also arranged to continue shadowing with geriatrics, cardio-surgery, and PM&R at the local hospital. I should also mention I'm sitting at a 3.76 cumulative, 3.96 science/math GPA, and have a Governor's Scholarship.

Now, with my undergraduate year coming to an end, I feel that I have not done enough/need to do more for myself and my application before applying. The first option is applying to DO/MD schools with current stats. Some options I have thought over:

1) Extending undergraduate by a year to take advantage of all the research/EC opportunities and finish an Exercise Science program.
2) Enrolling in EMT classes and pursuing employment as an ED-Tech, along with trying to get a scribe position. (Volunteering to continue in other areas)
3) Seek employment as a research assistant.

So now that you have the full picture, can you, as a committed reader of my wall of text, offer any insight/advice/input on this situation of mine? It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

First of all, congrats on your hard work and success thus far, and best of luck on your MCAT! If it were me, I'd not extend my undergrad as your GPA is solid and the things you are lacking would be harder to focus on if you were still taking classes IMHO.

I would immediately try and contact more physicians in other fields for shadowing experiences so that you can get a broader view of what medicine is like - start with primary care first, then look into specialties, but if possible continue to shadow in PM&R so you also have a longitudinal experience (and also cuz, in general, PM&R docs are pretty cool). Good to hear you are volunteering in the ED, and if you can also try and volunteer in the community with underserved populations (or really, volunteer in an area where you have an interest and would enjoy!) that would be great in addition to TAing. I would say go ahead an apply this summer if your MCAT goes well, and if you do enroll in EMT classes and are able to get a job in early June make sure to include this on your app.

Since you will graduate and have a year off before hopefully matriculating, it would be good to be prepared to do either a EMT related or research related job, but the EMT will be a semester of classes (at least thats the only option where I'm from) whereas research jobs you can just apply for to start right after graduation...If your sched allows you to enroll in EMT class this spring and you really can see yourself enjoying work as an ER tech then go for it, but again stay on top of applying for a job so hopefully you can include it in your primary app that you should submit in JUNE.

So I guess in conclusion I'd say don't extend UG a year, do EMT classes if you really want to work for a year as a ER tech and if you have time, and also I would look into research jobs starting after graduation as this would also bolster your app (ie maybe do a part time clinical research job and then work a ER tech (or scribe) shift too). Best of luck in your application and especially on your MCAT!!

 

[On Eagle's Wings]

First, best wishes for your MCAT on 1/23. Relax, take it easy, and don't stress too much.

GPA is solid; a 31 MCAT is a little low for MD but still acceptable.

Your activities look solid; I would try to continue them. Can you get some good letters of rec out of these?

I would likely apply with what you have currently, as most of your activities look good and your GPA is solid. Apply broadly and early.

Do you have plans for your gap year between applying to medical school in June and entering medical school the following year? Or are your 3 options your ideas for your gap year?

1) If you stay an extra year of undergrad, would you be able to get another bachelor's degree in exercise Science? If so, that does not sound like a terrible option. It would be cheaper than a post bacc and you could finish something yo already started. You would also still have access to your campus's EC's.

Option 2 is okay, but an EMT is not as good of clinical experience. Scribing is okay.

3) Research assistant depends on what you would be doing. If you are working on your own research project and actively conducting research, it is good. If you are pouring gels and washing dishes, it is not so good.

Hope this helps!

 

[Pholaffle]

It seems like you've got a great foundation for your EC's and you don't need to do a bunch of make up work for the GPA's. I'd say you shouldn't worry about extending your undergraduate career to finish the exercise degree, mainly because if medical school is your thing then you likely won't be using it in the future. Also you'd thank yourself later by saving on an entire year's worth of tuition. Furthermore you don't need to stay in college to participate in all the research or EC's (besides the prehealth society maybe) and you can easily continue them after college, maybe even take on more commitment to gain more hours/exposure.
I'm not sure what the requirements are for working as an ED-tech where you are, but at the hospital I am linked to, they want all their techs to have at least 2 years of being an EMT in the field, which may be out of your range. I personally love being an EMT just as is, but if the hospitals near you don't require such a duration of experience, then you could probably enroll in an intensive summer course like I did and get to work ASAP. Otherwise consider what others have said with Scribing to gain really good clinical experience.
Otherwise I would recommend applying for a research assistant position to bolster the experience you've already gained and maybe produce meaningful work.
I want to suggest preparing for an MCAT retake because while a 31 is fine, I know you've got it in you to do better. The only problem is that you're at the end of college and I doubt you'll have the space to take biochemistry, psychology, and sociology.

 

[Ambiences]

@Relax! @ski89 @wildfan1 @On Eagle's Wings @Pholaffle Thanks for the input guys! This was solid advice to read over!


The MCAT today went well for the most part (Refer to the January 23rd MCAT Thread to hear more!).


As for the next year, I can agree that extension of undergrad is not the best idea and I don’t see myself pursuing that option. I must begin researching positions for research assistants for post-grad though; do you fellows have any advice on that topic?


As for letters of recommendation, I can secure three letters at this point: professor I TA’d for/have worked with for 2 years now as a tutor for his class, boss (I work as an administrative assistant/secretary on the side), and the prehealth committee letter from my university. I was not able to befriend much professors through undergrad, so I am weary to ask them for STRONG letters. A doctor I talked with suggested to pursue shadowing a specific physician for a period of time before asking for a strong letter as well.


So, my decision to apply this year or forgo in opt for 2016 is heavily MCAT dependent. For the years to fill this time between now and ideally matriculating, I plan to remain active in the community and pursue medical/scientific research interests to obtain paid positions in either. I will have to pick at the ED Techs brains a little more to understand the nuanes of obtaining a position as well.


Thank you again everyone!

 

[wildfan1]

@Relax! @ski89 @wildfan1 @On Eagle's Wings @Pholaffle Thanks for the input guys! This was solid advice to read over!


The MCAT today went well for the most part (Refer to the January 23rd MCAT Thread to hear more!).


As for the next year, I can agree that extension of undergrad is not the best idea and I don’t see myself pursuing that option. I must begin researching positions for research assistants for post-grad though; do you fellows have any advice on that topic?


As for letters of recommendation, I can secure three letters at this point: professor I TA’d for/have worked with for 2 years now as a tutor for his class, boss (I work as an administrative assistant/secretary on the side), and the prehealth committee letter from my university. I was not able to befriend much professors through undergrad, so I am weary to ask them for STRONG letters. A doctor I talked with suggested to pursue shadowing a specific physician for a period of time before asking for a strong letter as well.


So, my decision to apply this year or forgo in opt for 2016 is heavily MCAT dependent. For the years to fill this time between now and ideally matriculating, I plan to remain active in the community and pursue medical/scientific research interests to obtain paid positions in either. I will have to pick at the ED Techs brains a little more to understand the nuanes of obtaining a position as well.


Thank you again everyone!

Glad to hear the MCAT felt good today for you!

If your undergrad has a job center that's the first place I'd go as they can help you get your resume together for research positions after graduation...also you could try and volunteer in a lab now so that, come graduation, the PI could be a job reference and/or make some calls on your behalf to labs on your campus that they know will be looking for an employee - this could help you get a job after UG as you might be able to snag something before it becomes available online (although they might still be required to post the job online, but the whole idea would be to get wind of any openings before looking online).

For a lot of schools you will need 2 science professor LORs, while others also require a non-science professor LOR. The tough part is every med school wants different letters. Whatever classes you are in right now, I would try and be or act as interested as possible in that subject (ie go talk to the professor or ask questions after class, get to know them even if you don't give a rats-ass about the subject) so that you can then go to them for letters in order to meet this requirement. I did not use a prehealth committee letter, so I am only speaking from experience about this, and maybe others can chime in on the whole prehealth committee letter. I do know that, if you use your boss, it would need to be a character letter as otherwise this would not be as valuable to some admissions departments as a science professor letter (but of course other adcom members might think this is valuable, just depends on the school and what they want). Take all of my advice about these letters with a grain of salt as I did not have the prehealth committee option and each school has its own requirements...

Also good to hear you will be shadowing - some schools want a physician letter (ie most DO schools) whereas others think the physician letter isn't as important as science prof letters, again school dependent. I would again encourage shadowing multiple physicians in different specialties in addition to sticking with one for a longer-term relationship. Finally, if you apply right now you might be able to get a scribe job starting in summer or fall, just FYI. Best of luck!