.

[edgydoc]

.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[KnightDoc]

Hey guys! I previously posted about an opportunity to gain additional clinical hours scribing at an oncology clinic, however it looks like this is going to fall through. So, now I’ve got this nagging voice in the back of mind telling me my app isn’t good enough and was hopping to get some input wether I’m stressing my self out for no reason or if there really is more I can be doing. With that said, this is my projected app:

Clinical (volunteering+work):
30 hrs hospital volunteering
1950 hrs ER scribing
250 hrs GI scribing

Non-clinical volunteering:
30 hrs Habitat for humanity
65 hrs food kitchen volunteering
115 hrs Meals on Wheels volunteering

Research:
300 hrs clinical research assistant
500 hrs wetlab research

Other:
2 yrs as treasurer for minority organization
250 hrs working as teacher’s assistant
Study abroad for 2 weeks in Ecuador for Spanish

GPA: c3.86 s3.86

No MCAT yet
0 shadowing hours
URM (half-white, half-AA female)

There is ALWAYS more you can be doing, but, with 2,000+ clinical hours, 200 non-clinical hours, no MCAT and no shadowing, do you really think another clinical opportunity falling through is what you should be stressing about???

With your GPA and URM status, you will be in GREAT shape, assuming you have a halfway decent MCAT score and get a few dozen hours of shadowing in before you apply. Your non-clinical looks fine, but if you are going to do anything, I'd add to the 200 before thinking about adding to the 2,000!!!

Are you applying this upcoming cycle? If not, you have plenty of time. If so, you should be totally focused on the MCAT now, with shadowing to follow as soon as you can.

 

[edgydoc]

.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for the reply! In-person shadowing opportunities are essentially non-existant where I’m located. Would virtual shadowing do the job?

I'm not an adcom, so don't give me too much credit -- I'm just an obsessive pre-med who has been studying this since freshman year!!! Shadowing is tough for everyone now -- are you going to apply this cycle? If not, you have plenty of time. If so, it is already very late, since applications open in a few months.

The point of shadowing is to experience what a doctor actually does, in order to demonstrate you know what you are getting into. Virtual is really not an adequate substitute. Whether adcoms will accept it is an open question, since it wasn't really a factor last cycle, and most people applying this cycle have at least some shadowing from before last March.

I'd imagine things will be opening up in the next few months, and, if you can line it up, projected live shadowing into next year would be more valuable than virtual shadowing now. Maybe a few adcoms will weigh in on this, since I can't speak for them and am only giving my opinion as a fellow applicant.

 

[edgydoc]

.

 

[KnightDoc]

Oh I see. On my last thread, a few previous applicants and adcoms mentioned scribing essentially is paid shadowing and with me having 2000+ hours of scribing, I clearly know what doctors get up to on a day-to-day basis. I do have 1 contact from prior to COVID-19 for shadowing if need be, so I feel ok about that aspect about my app.

Then you are fine, and you certainly don't need virtual shadowing. ER isn't exactly the same as regular shadowing. If adcoms say scribing is an aceptable substitute, I'd definitely go with that. Maybe try to pick up a few hours of primary care if you don't already have that, but otherwise it sounds like you are good to go, pending the MCAT.

 

[Banco]

Just do well on the MCAT and you’ll be good.