MD Chance me/CA ORM School List Help!

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[Mr.Smile12]

You certainly have a strong shot at the brand schools. Which schools have you networked with? When did you move to the US (how old were you)? Did you go to high school in Colorado?

Check with APAMSA and AMWA student chapters for networking as you apply. If you need to prioritize, don't include activities where you have not yet spent 50 hours.

 

[chilly_md]

If you can add another 200 hours of clinical experience and get a total of 300 or more hours at the housing development by the time you apply, you would have good chances of being interviewed at either CA schools or other competitive programs.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

On the admissions screening side of things, the applicant pool is such that you put yourself at a disadvantage if you do not have a minimum of 150 hours of clinical exposure and 150 hours of non-clinical volunteering experience showing service orientation. Community service showing service orientation includes food distribution, job placement services (which yours qualifies as), housing rehabilitation, shelter volunteer (ditto), or transportation services. So your estimate is around 60 hours at the shelter and 60 more hours with the prison TA/re-entry program (even though it is STEM tutoring)... so maybe getting another 60-100 hours??? Again, I'd have to know your potential application better.

And 200 hours isn't that much different from 150 hours, but it puts you on the safe side of the "cut line" if we were to use golf terms... you have to stay or be better than par. It may be challenging to get those hours before applying (which is usually what programs are screening for), but do whatever you can.

But I think the main point @chilly_md and I agree upon: keep doing that activity for longer. Keep consistent hours, and you'll have more than enough by the time you apply next cycle. You have time if you are applying in 12 months to get 200 hours (that's 4 hours each week).

Now the number may be higher because you are competing with other in-state California applicants, so "standing out" on numbers may require you to do more hours. Of course, considering your whole journey, I think you can set up a very interesting profile that schools will want to interview you. Network around and see if you can find others like you attending any of the UC schools at least. Most of the admissions professionals and student ambassadors have opportunities for you to find out more about their school and their admissions process (webinars with premedcc.org for example are archived on YouTube...).

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[chilly_md]

Additional 200 hours of clinicals will be very doable, but my current weekly commitment to the housing program is low due to how my role works. I feel like I will realistically only get up to about 200 hours total there before my application cycle if my responsibilities/weekly time commitment stays the same. I will project hours too but obviously those don't hold nearly as much weight.

I think that makes me ask the question of at what point does the difference between 200 hours vs 300 hours make a difference? My work there is very important to me, but I also would like to be able to work full (or at least part) time at some point to make extra $ to support me and my partner. It would concern me if I could not get interviews due to a difference like that, but who knows I am not an adcom!

200 is good, but I would recommend more if you wish to stay in-state. Consider also volunteering at a food bank or soup kitchen if the housing program does not give you enough to do every week.

I am not sure what income potential you could have at full-time for the job you are looking at (research it sounds like?), but part-time while giving the rest of the time to these ECs could potentially lead to a scholarship that you otherwise would not have gotten at a school. That likely could end up being worth much more monetarily. Clinical research coordinator with heavy patient interaction could get you the clinical experience while paying you if there are too many activities to manage for you at this time.

 

[chilly_md]

I see, that makes sense. 200 additional clinical hours would total to about 350 hrs of non-clinical exposure by the time of my application - do you mean that I should aim for more than that to stay in state? There will be more to do with the housing program than just my GED tutoring (as noted in the original post), I just don't wanna over-predict yet so I'm only making commitment assumptions based on what I am doing right now (-:


That is true - part time + volunteering may be the best move for my resume. Thank you sm!!

I meant 200 cumulatively for non-clinical since you were wondering if there was a difference between 200 vs 300. If you can get to a final total of 350-400 hours of non-clinical volunteering, that would be great.

The additional 200 for clinical experience specifically would get you to 600 total it seems, which is a good number.

 

[MyOdyssey]

OP

When did you take the MCAT?

When will it expire?