Applying next cycle, no extra time to volunteer?

[JoshuaGuit]

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Hi guys,

Current Junior in BME right now. I have a moderate course load, 15 hours a week of research with 3 publications coming up this semester, submitting abstracts to the BMES conference and NSF fellowship, and studying for the mcats (test date: May 21st I think).

I just don't have any time for volunteering, but I am trying to get a few weekends of shadowing in before the beginning of the coming cycle. I'm hoping to go back to be a counselor at a meaningful medical camp this summer as well which is a one week camp (went summer after freshman year, couldn't go this last summer due to summer courses). Had an internship at a startup biopharma company that is now over 500mil summer after freshman year doing meaningful work. Current EC's include competitive powerlifting, tutoring, lots of Greek life leadership and lots of on campus leadership positions.

Is it going to absolutely kill my application that I haven't done EMT (clinical volunteering) since Freshman and [early] Sophomore year, as well as shadowing experience from two summers ago?

I really do not want to take a gap year and there is no way that I can fit in volunteering hours this semester. Last semester I had 19 credits along with the 15 hours a week of research, however the courses were fairly difficult (all engineering concentration courses). My cum. gpa is 3.62 right now, hopefully will get closer to 3.7 after the end of this semester. Pretty identical to my sGPA because I haven't taken anything but engineering courses (minus two psych classes).

Would my app still be competitive for MD schools? I'm really worried about the lack of volunteering. I absolutely know that I want to go to medical school, fairly sure about gastroenterology because I really enjoyed shadowing that specialty and have background health issues in the topic.

Thanks,
Joshua

 

[sliceofbread136]

No volunteering will hurt you. If you get an average MCAT you might want to take a gap year. It will be up to you whether you want to apply or not.

I remember I was very adverse to a gap year at first, but I realized my ECs were going to hold me back even though I have good stats. Only apply when you feel you're at your best.

Edit: I'm not sure I totally understood you're jumble of a post. Just do as you please, none of us are going to change your mind.

 

[capn jazz]

If you look at MSAR, 90%+ of applicants have volunteering experience. It will hurt you. Millions of premeds have done moderate-heavy coursework, had a job (research or otherwise) and found time for volunteering. You can do one Saturday morning or afternoon per week. It doesn't have to be every day, but you can find 4 hours a week to show you have a commitment to helping others.

 

[Stumpyman]

It's good that you volunteered freshman and some of sophomore year; that will help. Are you sure you can't find a few hours on a weekend to set a side for volunteering though?