MD cGPA: 3.85 sGPA:3.8 FL resident. Avg ECs. Lacking volunteer hours

[henshouse]

Hi all

I'm a rising senior at a public NC university (FL resident), applying this cycle. Here's my stuff:

cGPA: 3.85
sGPA: 3.8
waiting on my MCAT (July 12): expecting ~31

120 hours shadowing w/ a pulmonologist at a top teaching hospital
30 hours volunteering at a clinic doing mostly data entry
20 hours volunteering in the ED
1 semester of research
Beginning a year long research project this fall that will include poster + presentation
AMSA/AED
Honors Program
I also play for my school's club ultimate frisbee team and develop iPhone apps.

Here's my list of schools:
All In-State (FL): UF, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, FSU, Miami
Out of State:
Rush
Howard
GW
Georgetown
Loyola
Tulane
Oakland
Mizz-KC
St Louis
Creighton
Albany
NY Med
Einstein
Drexel
Jefferson
Eastern VA
VCU
V-Tech
Vermont
U Washington
MC Wisconsin
Loma Linda
Iowa

Assuming my MCAT is around what I expect it to be (30-32), my academics are competitive, it's just my ECs, mainly the volunteering I'm worried about. Will adding a lot of hours over the next several months help much? I'd prefer to matriculate the semester after I graduate, but taking a gap year wouldn't kill me. My only concern with a gap year is that I won't be able to find a meaningful project/internship/job. Obviously I'd boost my volunteering, but I've heard adcoms like to see meaningful experiences apart from the typical/expected volunteering experiences. Any advice? Also, is my school list ok? Thanks!

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[Goro]

Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanism side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.

I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

What are you going to say when asked how you know you are suited for a life of caring for the sick and suffering? “That you just know”? Imagine how that will go over!

And go look up the mission of Howard.

MSAR Online is your friend.