Are my ECs too weak?

[mouster]

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Hey guys, long time lurker here. I'm applying entirely DO next year, and I'm wondering if my ECs are weak while I still have time to fix them. I have kind of a circuitous route to medical school (my grandmother who played a major part in raising me got diagnosed with Alzheimer's while I was in college, so I took time off school to spend time with her while she still knew who I was), so I've got a variety of ECs, but I'm not sure if I have "enough" (was working two jobs at 80ish hours a week until last February, got married in June). Any feedback on improving my app would be appreciated!

GPA: sGPA 3.2ish in college, cGPA 3.5ish. Did postbac in 2013-2014, cGPA/sGPA 3.82. Total around ~3.47 for sGPA, ~3.56 cGPA.
MCAT: took previous to grandmother getting sick, got 31, planning on taking in April because score expired

Volunteering

• 3 years student tour guide at college (around 400 hours)
• Assorted volunteering with my sorority (road cleanups, volunteering in nursing homes, etc) (around 100 hours)
• Bake sales during college for various organizations (Human Rights group, ACS, etc) (20 hours)
• Hospital volunteering at hospital in my hometown: 50 hours (had to stop because of job obligations)

Currently I volunteer at a rabbit rescue making treats and cleaning cages, around 10 hours a month, and I volunteer at a food pantry every other weekend. Will probably have around 120 hours at rabbit rescue by application time, about 100 at food pantry.

Sports

• Played rugby in college--1 year (D3 I think, we were a club sport)

Research

• First author/main investigator on research project in postbac about hearing, presented work at poster symposium on campus
• 150 hours researching tuberculosis at local hospital during postbac, no pubs, able to coherently describe my research and conclusions
• Helped gather data on West Nile transmission for public health department when working for local mosquito service

Clinical experience

• ~3000 hours of being caregiver for Alzheimer's patients (sometimes in homes, sometimes in hospitals) (unsure if this qualifies as clinical experience or work history)
• ~2000 hours as medical assistant at gynecology clinic serving mainly underserved Hispanic patients/uninsured or underinsured populations (assisting with procedures, doing patient intakes, giving shots, drawing blood, interpreting for Spanish speaking patients)

Shadowing

• helped father out with interpretation in his clinic
• will have around 100 hours shadowing local DOs, mainly hospitalists

Leadership

• held a few positions during my time in my sorority? idk

In addition I also worked ~30 hours a week during undergrad from sophomore to senior year in various odd retail/lab jobs.

Is this enough? If I do comparatively on the MCAT am I ok to aim for high-tier DO or not? Sorry about the novel, and many thanks for reading all that!

 

[Goro]

Your ECs are stellar.

Ace the MCAT and MD schools are in reach as well (those that reward reinvention).

 

[mathnerd88]

You are definitely good for DO schools. Apply early (submit AACOMAS by first week of June,) and you'll get into even the top tier ones.

Also, finish all your secondaries by end of July, early August. This way, you'll definitely maximize your chances at every school. I can't tell you how much relief I have by applying early. I got my first acceptance before September, and got the rest of my acceptances (some of them from top tier DO schools) in first week of October and early November.

 

[mouster]

Does it matter that I'll probably be kind of light on LORs? I've got a couple faculty at my postbac who are willing to write me good letters, along with my clinical director where I work and a DO, but I cannot seem to get ahold of my research advisor and I feel like it's been a little long for me to ask for letters from college professors (I graduated in 2012).

Also, thanks guys! That's a weight off! Now just to kill that MCAT. 🙂