Does my current job i.e working as a Xray technologist (radiographer) look good on my app?

[xrayguy]

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Hello everyone,
My question is my work as a radiographer a plus on my app? and if it is will it make up for the ECs and other things that medical schools look for in their applicants? My job requires me to work directly with patients, nurses, doctors, etc. Basically, I take x-rays. I work in ED, OR, and outpatient dept. I have been working full time and I am on call most of the time including weekends so I have been taking a few classes here and there. My major is biology and I have been taking classes since 2006. My GPA is around 3.50 (I know its horrible). In one of my undergrad I did get 1 F in organic, but there was a family issue and I had to drop the class after the withdrawing date had passed, I was also working. I retook it but still got a B. Now I am 26 yo and I am ready to apply to medical school once I take the MCAT (in March 2014). I hope to score 30-35 on the MCAT. I do not have any other ECs or research, etc. These past 3 years have been really busy for me basically I lived in the hospital (at least that's what it felt like, working 80+ hours a week, working days, evenings, overnights.) Now I work 40 hrs/week so what else can I do to improve my application?

A little more in detail about what I have been doing for the past 3 years. In the ED I get patients who have anything from broken bones, kidney stones, chest xrays to r/o different things, Abdomimnal xrays to r/o stuff, people with foreign bodies in their respiratory tract and GI tract (both ends), and a lot of other patients with countless different problems. In the OR, I work directly with surgeons during surgeries such as orthopedic (IM nailing, open reductions, limb lengthening, etc), Neuro (Spinal fusions, laminactomy etc, pump installations, scoliosis surgeries, pain injections, discectomy, spinal cord stimulator insertions), General Surgery (Port-a-cath placements, Vascular stents placement, gunshot wound/trauma patients), GI studies (gallblader/pancreatic stone removals/stent placement, stent placement in any part of the GI tracts, dilatation, G-tube placements, also bronchoscopy, etc), and many other things, in the outpatient department I do different flouroscopic studies such as barium/gastrografin swallows, esophograms, small bowel series, barium/gastrografin enemas, VCUGs, Cystograms, IVPs, Modified barium swallows, etc. Of course my job does not include diagnosing anything but it is to get the best study/images possible for the radiologist and other doctors so they can make a proper diagnoses.

Apart from all of above I have, since I work in a hospital, come across situations several times where the patient coded and I performed CPR. I have witnessed many level 1 trauma cases and worked with the trauma team to stabilize those patient. Unfortunately, I have had patients die on me as well (not due to my fault tho). I have worked with a lot of medical students, residents, surgeons, ED docs, GI docs, Radiologists, Nurses, and patients of all ages. I have been spit on, got punched, yelled/cussed at, got blood all over me, peed on, pooped on, and more. Basically, I have direct patient care experience and I also know VERY WELL what I am getting into and I from the bottom of my heart would love to become an MD/DO. If I can somehow elaborate on all this on my application will my chances be good? I am thinking about applying to a ton of med schools and I will go anywhere in US. What are my chances as compared to someone who is young and have a competitive GPA and MCAT score along with the ECs and volunteering, research, LORs, etc? I can get LORs from doctors tho if that helps. I have people telling me that I have slim to none chance getting in US med schools and I should try outside US and then come back and try to get a residency here. I know for IMGs it will be impossible to get a residency spot in 5-6 years unless they increase the residency positions.

One more question, if I want to do research and want my name published, where do I have to go and what do I have to do for it? I am wrote this in a rush so please ignore all the spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes that I have made.

Thanks for you time.

 

[blehm98]

Yeah. Typically they recommend you have some general volunteer work in too, but, as always, the situations must be taken as it presents. As for research, you kinda just fall into it. You have to ask around for people who are conducting projects you might be able to help out with, and then years down the line, you hopefully get a poster, and if you're lucky your name on a paper. If you're working a lot getting research in will be tough, if you can't get a job in research i'd just just wait until you start medical school and do some research there

 

[Catalystik]

Hello everyone,
My question is my work as a radiographer a plus on my app? and if it is will it make up for the ECs and other things that medical schools look for in their applicants? My job requires me to work directly with patients, nurses, doctors, etc. Basically, I take x-rays. I work in ED, OR, and outpatient dept. I have been working full time and I am on call most of the time including weekends so I have been taking a few classes here and there. My major is biology and I have been taking classes since 2006. My GPA is around 3.50 (I know its horrible). In one of my undergrad I did get 1 F in organic, but there was a family issue and I had to drop the class after the withdrawing date had passed, I was also working. I retook it but still got a B. Now I am 26 yo and I am ready to apply to medical school once I take the MCAT (in March 2014). I hope to score 30-35 on the MCAT. I do not have any other ECs or research, etc. These past 3 years have been really busy for me basically I lived in the hospital (at least that's what it felt like, working 80+ hours a week, working days, evenings, overnights.) Now I work 40 hrs/week so what else can I do to improve my application?

A little more in detail about what I have been doing for the past 3 years. In the ED I get patients who have anything from broken bones, kidney stones, chest xrays to r/o different things, Abdomimnal xrays to r/o stuff, people with foreign bodies in their respiratory tract and GI tract (both ends), and a lot of other patients with countless different problems. In the OR, I work directly with surgeons during surgeries such as orthopedic (IM nailing, open reductions, limb lengthening, etc), Neuro (Spinal fusions, laminactomy etc, pump installations, scoliosis surgeries, pain injections, discectomy, spinal cord stimulator insertions), General Surgery (Port-a-cath placements, Vascular stents placement, gunshot wound/trauma patients), GI studies (gallblader/pancreatic stone removals/stent placement, stent placement in any part of the GI tracts, dilatation, G-tube placements, also bronchoscopy, etc), and many other things, in the outpatient department I do different flouroscopic studies such as barium/gastrografin swallows, esophograms, small bowel series, barium/gastrografin enemas, VCUGs, Cystograms, IVPs, Modified barium swallows, etc. Of course my job does not include diagnosing anything but it is to get the best study/images possible for the radiologist and other doctors so they can make a proper diagnoses.

Apart from all of above I have, since I work in a hospital, come across situations several times where the patient coded and I performed CPR. I have witnessed many level 1 trauma cases and worked with the trauma team to stabilize those patient. Unfortunately, I have had patients die on me as well (not due to my fault tho). I have worked with a lot of medical students, residents, surgeons, ED docs, GI docs, Radiologists, Nurses, and patients of all ages. I have been spit on, got punched, yelled/cussed at, got blood all over me, peed on, pooped on, and more. Basically, I have direct patient care experience and I also know VERY WELL what I am getting into and I from the bottom of my heart would love to become an MD/DO. If I can somehow elaborate on all this on my application will my chances be good? I am thinking about applying to a ton of med schools and I will go anywhere in US. What are my chances as compared to someone who is young and have a competitive GPA and MCAT score along with the ECs and volunteering, research, LORs, etc? I can get LORs from doctors tho if that helps. I have people telling me that I have slim to none chance getting in US med schools and I should try outside US and then come back and try to get a residency here. I know for IMGs it will be impossible to get a residency spot in 5-6 years unless they increase the residency positions.

One more question, if I want to do research and want my name published, where do I have to go and what do I have to do for it? I am wrote this in a rush so please ignore all the spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes that I have made.

Thanks for you time.

Your patient-interaction experience will look terrific on your application, and will likely make up for a lack of research (especially since you are of nontraditional age), but it will not float your application all by itself. You definitely need some community service that helps those in need. Adcomms will wonder why you couldn't give just an hour or two of your time each week to others. Teaching and leadership experiences also make an application stronger, though are not individually "required." Some of your experiences qualify as physician shadowing, but I'd suggest you also line up some formal office-based shadowing, ideally with a primary care doc and not a specialist, so you can get a view of longitudinal care.

Allopathic med schools rarely ask for a physician letter, but DO schools often do (some requiring a DO letter). If you know an osteopathic doc, you might try to line one of these up, as it will do double duty for either type of med school.

 

[xrayguy]

Your patient-interaction experience will look terrific on your application, and will likely make up for a lack of research (especially since you are of nontraditional age), but it will not float your application all by itself. You definitely need some community service that helps those in need. Adcomms will wonder why you couldn't give just an hour or two of your time each week to others. Teaching and leadership experiences also make an application stronger, though are not individually "required." Some of your experiences qualify as physician shadowing, but I'd suggest you also line up some formal office-based shadowing, ideally with a primary care doc and not a specialist, so you can get a view of longitudinal care.

Allopathic med schools rarely ask for a physician letter, but DO schools often do (some requiring a DO letter). If you know an osteopathic doc, you might try to line one of these up, as it will do double duty for either type of med school.

Thanks to both of you for repling. When I looked at volunteering at hospitals, they pretty much require you to be in the ED or inpatient areas and run errands for patients and nurses. I do that anyway, every now and then, in my current line of work. Do you think that it will count as something different? There is a free clinic that I know of but it is more or less the same thing. When I was in college I had a part-time gig, I tutored college students with their college level math - from basic algebra to calculus, but I only did it for 1 semester and I got paid for it. Do you think tutoring middle school to high school student math would be a better alternative then volunteering at a hospital?

 

[natti101]

Yes because you need non-medical community service. Your clinical experience is already great. You need to do something unpaid to demonstrate your interest in altruistic/humanistic areas. That being said, there are probably better (and more fun) opportunities to demonstrate this than tutoring middle-schoolers - perhaps if they were underprivileged? The point of this is to be able to talk about this meaningfully. If you think you can speak about your tutoring experience and what you gained from it extensively, then go for it. If you think this will not be the case, then find something else.

 

[Catalystik]

When I looked at volunteering at hospitals, they pretty much require you to be in the ED or inpatient areas and run errands for patients and nurses. I do that anyway, every now and then, in my current line of work.
1) Do you think that it will count as something different? There is a free clinic that I know of but it is more or less the same thing.
2) When I was in college I had a part-time gig, I tutored college students with their college level math - from basic algebra to calculus, but I only did it for 1 semester and I got paid for it. Do you think tutoring middle school to high school student math would be a better alternative then volunteering at a hospital?

1) No, it would fall into the same category.

2) Yes. Provided it is unpaid, it would give you something to list under Community Service/Volunteer-not medical/clinical. Since it is similar to something you've done before, it gives more depth to your Teaching experience, too (though you would not list it in both categories, rather make the teaching component clear in the "Name" you give the activity).

 

[xrayguy]

...there are probably better (and more fun) opportunities to demonstrate this than tutoring middle-schoolers - perhaps if they were underprivileged? .... If you think this will not be the case, then find something else.

Do you have any suggestions about other better volunteering opportunities? I want to do something that will get adcoms attention. Any ideas?

 

[natti101]

Do you have any suggestions about other better volunteering opportunities? I want to do something that will get adcoms attention. Any ideas?

It would depend on the options you have available around you. You could volunteer at a food pantry, the homeless shelter, an orphanage, a center for domestic abuse victims, mentoring programs for underprivileged children, headstart, etc. There are probably a ton of things around you - just find what you like best.

Unfortunately, especially if you're applying to competitive schools, there is almost nothing you can do to get the adcoms attention EC-wise. They've literally seen everything and more (that are probably so crazy impressive that us mere mortals do not compare…). Rather, the EC are usually more of a "checkbox" in their minds. They want to make sure that they are choosing to interview someone who is a well-rounded, thoughtful person and have considered medicine beyond prestige and money. As long as you seem like you fit that mold, then you're good (at least in the EC department). Sometimes cool hobbies can make you stand out (but I don't recommend randomly pursuing something just in hopes of this…). Ultimately, no ECs will make up for a poor MCAT and GPA.

 

[celica0015]

we couldn't be more similar. I am also a full time X-ray tech, and you described everything I do as if i wrote it, except i only work 40 hours no call. I graduated in '12 and that summer started finishing the pre reqs needed. i take 1-3 classes a semester while working an evening, and midnight weekends shift. also taking the mcat in april.

you wanna make yourself as competitive as possible, obviously, so whatever free time you can find, fill with EC's. I was volunteering every monday for 2 hours at a place that holds fostered or troubled youth. pretty much just hung out with the kids and assisted the staff, something non-clinical to offset the amount of hospital experience.

I'm pretty sure schools want to see actual physician shadowing, not just what you see here and there when your working. i just asked a couple of the nicer doctors i work with if they mind if i could come in on my off time and asked HR if i needed to do anything special on their end.

im not sure of your situation, but it may help cutting your work hours and seeing if you can get on a consistent schedule. if you have any questions, send me a private message. its nice to see a fellow tech.

 

[aspiring20]

we couldn't be more similar. I am also a full time X-ray tech, and you described everything I do as if i wrote it, except i only work 40 hours no call. I graduated in '12 and that summer started finishing the pre reqs needed. i take 1-3 classes a semester while working an evening, and midnight weekends shift. also taking the mcat in april.

you wanna make yourself as competitive as possible, obviously, so whatever free time you can find, fill with EC's. I was volunteering every monday for 2 hours at a place that holds fostered or troubled youth. pretty much just hung out with the kids and assisted the staff, something non-clinical to offset the amount of hospital experience.

I'm pretty sure schools want to see actual physician shadowing, not just what you see here and there when your working. i just asked a couple of the nicer doctors i work with if they mind if i could come in on my off time and asked HR if i needed to do anything special on their end.

im not sure of your situation, but it may help cutting your work hours and seeing if you can get on a consistent schedule. if you have any questions, send me a private message. its nice to see a fellow tech.

bro, you are taking 1-3 classes while working 40 hrs a week? that's hardcore ****...

i am taking 1 class while working 40 hrs a week, but i am nearly exhausted to death.

i mean, adcoms dont expect gap year applicants to work so hard, right?

 

[celica0015]

ya, it sucks. especially when its orgo, physics, cell bio, and all the other highly enjoyable classes...

pretty much my only free time is the hour at the gym, then whats left of my soul is owned by my fiancé.

luckily i have a lot of down time toward the end of my evening shifts and on my midnights to study/catch up on school.

 

[xrayguy]

we couldn't be more similar. I am also a full time X-ray tech, and you described everything I do as if i wrote it, except i only work 40 hours no call. I graduated in '12 and that summer started finishing the pre reqs needed. i take 1-3 classes a semester while working an evening, and midnight weekends shift. also taking the mcat in april.

you wanna make yourself as competitive as possible, obviously, so whatever free time you can find, fill with EC's. I was volunteering every monday for 2 hours at a place that holds fostered or troubled youth. pretty much just hung out with the kids and assisted the staff, something non-clinical to offset the amount of hospital experience.

I'm pretty sure schools want to see actual physician shadowing, not just what you see here and there when your working. i just asked a couple of the nicer doctors i work with if they mind if i could come in on my off time and asked HR if i needed to do anything special on their end.

im not sure of your situation, but it may help cutting your work hours and seeing if you can get on a consistent schedule. if you have any questions, send me a private message. its nice to see a fellow tech.

Oh I am so glad to see another fellow xray tech on here. One of my coworker is also on the same boat as well.

I started this new shift overnight and I am just doing PRN at the other place so I get entire day to go to school and take classes and sleep after that a little..lol. But man it is tough taking more than 1 class with your schedule. I don't know how you do it. At least with this new position I have a ton of downtime most of the days. I might be able to take more than 1 class next Spring.

How many hours of volunteer work is good enough? I am looking to see if I can volunteer at the homeless shelter or something.

 

[Catalystik]

How many hours of volunteer work is good enough? I am looking to see if I can volunteer at the homeless shelter or something.

If all you can manage is an hour per week, that's fine. If more, over school breaks, that's better. It all adds up over time.

 

[celica0015]

I've been told by many it's not necessarily the total amount of volunteer hours, to an extent (like more than 5hrs) but showing commitment at the same place over a long period of time. 6 months to a year minimum.

Like I said earlier, I did 2 hours almost every Monday. I did that for about 8 months until my 3 class semester started.

 

[natti101]

I've been told by many it's not necessarily the total amount of volunteer hours, to an extent (like more than 5hrs) but showing commitment at the same place over a long period of time. 6 months to a year minimum.

Like I said earlier, I did 2 hours almost every Monday. I did that for about 8 months until my 3 class semester started.

That's exactly it. It's not the hours, it's the longevity.

 

[occams_razor]

Do you have any suggestions about other better volunteering opportunities? I want to do something that will get adcoms attention. Any ideas?

Adcoms have seen it all. I wouldn't focus on trying to get their attention or feel like you need to do something crazy unique. Focus on doing something you are passionate about and will enjoy doing. Who wants to admit a student who just did something because it would look good on an application or because they want to check a box? I sure wouldn't. I would want someone who is passionate about what they do.

Certain volunteering opportunities aren't better than others. Just because something sounds unique doesn't mean it is somehow better. For example The person who did something as "simple" as tutor or mentor underprivileged youth for 4 years and most likely improved the lives of many students is impressive because even though they did something that many premeds do, it shows commitment and leaves legacy.

Your clinical experience is significant and yes, it will look good/stand out. it is more than most applicants have.

you said you are 26 and have been taking classes since 2006, but I didn't see you mention having a bachelors degree? Do you have one yet? One thing I would be concerned about is, if you do not have a bachelors degree yet, you will most likely get asked about this.

Also, a 3.5 GPA is in no way "horrible"