Are ECs way too weak for MD?

[Brain Whisperer]

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Hey guys,
I've been recently thinking of applying to USMD (I'm Canadian), and since ECs aren't as important here as US I didn't focus too much on them. How bad would you say these are?

Research: in a lab ~200 hours

Non clinical: distress center ~100 hours

Clinical: hospital volunteering ~50 hours

Shadowing: ~40 hours

GPA 3.87, MCAT: TBD (aiming for 512+)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Goro]

I'm going to be blunt: “This is not the application of a person who dearly wants to be a physician. It is the application of someone who wants to be a doctor as long as it is convenient,”

 

[mosothoamosoeu]

Damn, that was indeed blunt!
I think what Goro is trying to say is you for sure should spend some more time volunteering/working in a clinical setting.

 

[ciestar]

In a less blunt way, you need more volunteering.

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

Hey guys,
I've been recently thinking of applying to USMD (I'm Canadian), and since ECs aren't as important here as US I didn't focus too much on them. How bad would you say these are?

Research: in a lab ~200 hours

Non clinical: distress center ~100 hours

Clinical: hospital volunteering ~50 hours

Shadowing: ~40 hours

GPA 3.87, MCAT: TBD (aiming for 512+)

Thanks in advance.

Did you do anything else during undergrad, work part or full time, participate in any clubs, etc?

I think an admissions committee could understand an inability to make time for volunteering because you need to support yourself, but I think you’d still be low on hours even with that stipulation.

 

[tri99]

Did you do anything else during undergrad, work part or full time, participate in any clubs, etc?

I think an admissions committee could understand an inability to make time for volunteering because you need to support yourself, but I think you’d still be low on hours even with that stipulation.

Not trying to steer away from OP, but I have been wondering this as well since I am about to start a career changer post-bacc. I have worked ~15 hours a week through undergrad as a personal trainer but because of this I have accumulated very few volunteer hours. I will be quitting working as a personal trainer during the post-bacc to focus solely on academics and getting ~250 hours of volunteering/shadowing throughout the year. Will this just be viewed as "box-checking" or being lazy/selfish for lack of volunteer hours?

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

Not trying to steer away from OP, but I have been wondering this as well since I am about to start a career changer post-bacc. I have worked ~15 hours a week through undergrad as a personal trainer but because of this I have accumulated very few volunteer hours. I will be quitting working as a personal trainer during the post-bacc to focus solely on academics and getting ~250 hours of volunteering/shadowing throughout the year. Will this just be viewed as "box-checking" or being lazy/selfish for lack of volunteer hours?

It depends on what you do, how long you do it for, and most importantly, how you talk about your experiences doing it.

An interviewer will know if you've been checking boxes when they ask you about an activity, because someone who is actively involved and cares will have a different demeanor and give a much different answer than someone who is just checking boxes.

 

[Brain Whisperer]

I'm going to be blunt: “This is not the application of a person who dearly wants to be a physician. It is the application of someone who wants to be a doctor as long as it is convenient,”

Well it was more of I (foolishly) only planned into going to McMaster which only cares about grades/mcat/casper with 0 focus on ECs, but I see where you're coming from since there is such a bigger focus on ECs for US.

Thanks for the input guys, guess I'll just save money not wasting it on secondaries for MD this cycle

 

[Kingsmen2018]

U need to stack more on the stuff u have. Also, get some leadership experience.

 

[harkas]

An interviewer will know if you've been checking boxes when they ask you about an activity, because someone who is actively involved and cares will have a different demeanor and give a much different answer than someone who is just checking boxes.

This. OP, this is why you need to do activities you are actually passionate about.

Pro tip: those “great” interview answers you cooked up from your cookie cutter ECs aren’t actually that great and have been said a million times beforehand. Try doing something you actually care about and work on self reflection with those activities.