Blank Slate

[Avicenna]

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This year is my first semester in college. I'll have an empty slate. If you could go back in time to my position, what would you have done differently? What new things would you try to bolster your AMCAS?

I'll stop at nothing to keep my GPA above 3.7
And I'm praying to God that the 3 month studying I'll be doing in the summer after year 2 will be enough to keep my MCAT competitive 31+.

But besides that, I've already gotten a position in research, joined 2 pre-med organizations, 2 organizations oriented toward sending students on international trips to provide medical aid, 1 social club students, and an [removed for anonymity] student association. I'll be trying to get officer/director positions later.

I've applied to volunteer at a hospital through a service program offered by my school, and will have 150 hours done by this year and maybe 150 more in year 3. I plan on shadowing three doctors (1 a week) for three weeks in the summer after year 1. I'll do habitat for humanity later as well for another 100 hours.

Later, I hope to tutor at a service my school offers for free, and maybe get a TA position.

But I feel this is all lackluster - adcoms have seen all this before. I'm not planning on any audacious enterprises at a top tier university - any state school is fine. Is this enough?

What are some things I could do - that you may have done - to set me apart or add diversity?

 

[DrFreshMeat]

i made a post like this a while ago..not the responses u prly want but if ur curious check it out

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=1029054

 

[Microglia]

This year is my first semester in college. I'll have an empty slate. If you could go back in time to my position, what would you have done differently? What new things would you try to bolster your AMCAS?

I'll stop at nothing to keep my GPA above 3.7
And I'm praying to God that the 3 month studying I'll be doing in the summer after year 2 will be enough to keep my MCAT competitive 31+.

But besides that, I've already gotten a position in research, joined 2 pre-med organizations, 2 organizations oriented toward sending students on international trips to provide medical aid, 1 social club for honors students, and an Iranian student association. I'll be trying to get officer/director positions later.

I've applied to volunteer at a hospital through a service program offered by my school, and will have 150 hours done by this year and maybe 150 more in year 3. I plan on shadowing three doctors (1 a week) for three weeks in the summer after year 1. I'll do habitat for humanity later as well for another 100 hours.

Later, I hope to tutor at a service my school offers for free, and maybe get a TA position.

But I feel this is all lackluster - adcoms have seen all this before. I'm not planning on any audacious enterprises at a top tier university - any state school is fine. Is this enough?

What are some things I could do - that you may have done - to set me apart or add diversity?

Honestly, my tip is to keep the organization and class commitments light freshman year. Spend time focusing on two things: keep the GPA up and make friends. Once you've got a handle on that, then I would start adding things one by one. This was my mentality going into college and honestly it was both the most fun and productive time of my life thus far. Absolutely 0 regrets about college.

 

[Avicenna]

Honestly, my tip is to keep the organization and class commitments light freshman year. Spend time focusing on two things: keep the GPA up and make friends. Once you've got a handle on that, then I would start adding things one by one. This was my mentality going into college and honestly it was both the most fun and productive time of my life thus far. Absolutely 0 regrets about college.

Good advice, but I was hoping for something more along the lines of AMCAS related accomplishments. I'll keep that in mind though.
By the way; I just noticed your MD/PhD status. That's impressive. I'm envious 😀

 

[Aerus]

This year is my first semester in college. I'll have an empty slate. If you could go back in time to my position, what would you have done differently? What new things would you try to bolster your AMCAS?

I'll stop at nothing to keep my GPA above 3.7
And I'm praying to God that the 3 month studying I'll be doing in the summer after year 2 will be enough to keep my MCAT competitive 31+.

But besides that, I've already gotten a position in research, joined 2 pre-med organizations, 2 organizations oriented toward sending students on international trips to provide medical aid, 1 social club for honors students, and an Iranian student association. I'll be trying to get officer/director positions later.

I've applied to volunteer at a hospital through a service program offered by my school, and will have 150 hours done by this year and maybe 150 more in year 3. I plan on shadowing three doctors (1 a week) for three weeks in the summer after year 1. I'll do habitat for humanity later as well for another 100 hours.

Later, I hope to tutor at a service my school offers for free, and maybe get a TA position.

But I feel this is all lackluster - adcoms have seen all this before. I'm not planning on any audacious enterprises at a top tier university - any state school is fine. Is this enough?

What are some things I could do - that you may have done - to set me apart or add diversity?

I would try finding more meaningful leadership roles. Also, short medical missions (3-4 weeks) don't mean anything to admissions. If you're only joining them for the short sight seeing trips, I would just drop them. There are better ways to spend your time.

 

[APrioriAporia]

yeah drop the medical missions. Why don't you volunteer in an underserved community nearby? We have lots of healthcare disparities in america that need addressing too.

My biggest advice is to go to class more, and talk to your professors more.

 

[Warrenc]

If I could redo it, I would stress the importance of good grades. It seems that you understand that importance already.
Be careful, it seems like you're trying to do too much at once, or expecting that you'll be able to do it. Juggling shadowing/volunteering in multiple places/EC's etc. all while maintaining mostly straight A's is very stressful and difficult.

Don't go too hard. It's _OKAY_ if you cannot do everything all at once and maintain it throughout your undergraduate.
Focus on numbers first, then do EC's as you have time to spare. Also, get out of the library on occasion. You need to have time to relax, not worry about school/commitments.

Lastly, try to start shadowing physicians early. It's very hard to if you don't have any personal contacts.
(I say this because time will fly by, and you'll be like me and you'll be towards the end of your UG with no shadowing prospects!)

 

[Reckoner]

yeah drop the medical missions. Why don't you volunteer in an underserved community nearby? We have lots of healthcare disparities in america that need addressing too.

My biggest advice is to go to class more, and talk to your professors more.

As long as you don't go in with the mindset of "saving the underserved," this trips can be great experiences. You get to see a new place, encounter medicine in a novel context, and meet people with different perspectives. It's not like you can't do these while also volunteering locally (which you should definitely do).

I would add that the best thing I did in college was forcing myself to get involved in an activity completely unrelated to science or medicine. It was fun, improved my application, and helped relieve some of the stress. Try writing for your school's newspaper, playing a sport, etc. You might find something you love, which will make undergrad so much more enjoyable.

 

[inycepoo]

Branch out into something not science or medically related at all. You will discover something you like, guaranteed.

 

[Goro]

From the 1000s of students and applicants I've seen, I have two key thoughts:
develop good time mgt skills
develop good coping skills when life throws you a knuckleball

Try to have some fun while in school now. A Medical career isn't do or die, not matter what your family says.

This year is my first semester in college. I'll have an empty slate. If you could go back in time to my position, what would you have done differently? What new things would you try to bolster your AMCAS?

I'll stop at nothing to keep my GPA above 3.7
And I'm praying to God that the 3 month studying I'll be doing in the summer after year 2 will be enough to keep my MCAT competitive 31+.

But besides that, I've already gotten a position in research, joined 2 pre-med organizations, 2 organizations oriented toward sending students on international trips to provide medical aid, 1 social club for honors students, and an Iranian student association. I'll be trying to get officer/director positions later.

I've applied to volunteer at a hospital through a service program offered by my school, and will have 150 hours done by this year and maybe 150 more in year 3. I plan on shadowing three doctors (1 a week) for three weeks in the summer after year 1. I'll do habitat for humanity later as well for another 100 hours.

Later, I hope to tutor at a service my school offers for free, and maybe get a TA position.

But I feel this is all lackluster - adcoms have seen all this before. I'm not planning on any audacious enterprises at a top tier university - any state school is fine. Is this enough?

What are some things I could do - that you may have done - to set me apart or add diversity?