community service

[ajdoc]

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what are my chances if I have no community service?
i have research, the grades, the mcat, some shadowing, but, to be honest, i'm relatively poor and had to work to pay for school. in hindsight i understand i should have just taken loans, but i did not.

 

[Catalystik]

It's not impossible to get into med school without altruistic activities, but a lot of schools won't consider you if you don't have them. You will probably get some forgiveness if you were working 40 hour weeks, but not so much with 15-20 hours of work per week. Other activities aside from community service can demonstrate altruism. If you are an intense althlete on the school's team, if you help to support your family, or are exmilitary, are some examples of ways you can show you are acting beyond your own self interest.

One of SDN's regular adcomm posters feels that if you can't find an extra two hours per week to volunteer, your application goes way down in her estimation (because young folk can go without a bit of sleep). You might consider getting something going so it will be on your application, then you can update schools in periodic letters as to additional hours acquired, hoping it will sway them positively.

 

[ajdoc]

yes, it was about forty hours a week for the first two years of school. then it was about 25 hours a week with some tutoring on the side as well. as school is paid for now, i'm starting hospice volunteering next week but i'm applying soon and i feel like it may be ignored.

 

[Catalystik]

If you have begun the experience, you can legitimately list it on the application. It won't be ignored, but they will see that you've only done it for a month or two.