Apply now or wait a year?

[Abi123]

Thank you.

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[freothalaf]

I would say go for it this year. You have a good GPA, standard EC's, and if you do well on the MCAT you should have a great shot at MD. The only thing I think you could work on(or maybe haven't mentioned) is some leadership experience. Other than that I think you will have a great opportunity to get in this year especially if you don't care if you go MD or DO.

 

[IDoIt4Love]

If you make a 30+ on the MCAT, apply this year. Your gpa and strong science background (including your ability to handle such a hefty courseload in the sciences!) shows that you can handle med school, and the 100 hrs of shadowing show that you've seen what doctors do and you're still interested, esp. if that shadowing was with multiple doctors from different fields. Clinical experience is a must, and can be a dealbreaker for certain schools, so get a job (volunteer or paid) where you actually deal with patients ASAP (like, now) so you have something to talk about in your secondaries and interviews. By the time schools start making the bulk of their acceptance decisions in winter, you should have a few months of clinical/patient experience under your belt to show for, and that should be enough, given your stats. You shouldn't have to wait a year.

Good luck!

 

[Abi123]

If you make a 30+ on the MCAT, apply this year. Your gpa and strong science background (including your ability to handle such a hefty courseload in the sciences!) shows that you can handle med school, and the 100 hrs of shadowing show that you've seen what doctors do and you're still interested, esp. if that shadowing was with multiple doctors from different fields. Clinical experience is a must, and can be a dealbreaker for certain schools, so get a job (volunteer or paid) where you actually deal with patients ASAP (like, now) so you have something to talk about in your secondaries and interviews. By the time schools start making the bulk of their acceptance decisions in winter, you should have a few months of clinical/patient experience under your belt to show for, and that should be enough, given your stats. You shouldn't have to wait a year.

Good luck!

Well, I volunteer at my local hospital. Does that not count as clinical experience?

I guess I will fill out the EMT application today. I also have the application for Hospice. I was planning on doing Hospice earlier, but it is really far away from my home (takes 1/4 of my gas tank just getting there and back). Those should count as clinical experience, correct?

The activities I do would most likely be volunteer work b/c paid positions require a hefty time commitment.

From,
Abi

 

[IDoIt4Love]

Well, I volunteer at my local hospital. Does that not count as clinical experience?

I guess I will fill out the EMT application today. I also have the application for Hospice. I was planning on doing Hospice earlier, but it is really far away from my home (takes 1/4 of my gas tank just getting there and back). Those should count as clinical experience, correct?

The activities I do would most likely be volunteer work b/c paid positions require a hefty time commitment.

From,
Abi

If you interact with patients while volunteering, then yes, that's fine! Apply this year.