- Joined
- Apr 2, 2005
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- 152
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...or do I need more?
Here's the deal with last app:
3.7, 30MCAT, 1 yr. research, applied late (had to take Aug MCAT)
Applied to 6 schools, 4 interviews, 4 waitlists, 0 acceptances.
When I look back I see two reasons that I did not get in:
1. Aug MCAT set me back by making my application late (3 of my 4 interviews were on the very last day of the interview season for the respective school)
2. Not enough clinical experience (at the time of my first interview I had 5 months volunteering in ER, one night a week and had not shadowed any physicians.
Not to make excuses, but I come from a disadvantaged situation and had to work 25 hours a week during school to pay for college by myself.
Now that I've graduated, I can fit in many new things in my life, despite working 40 hours a week at a grocery store where I make too much money to quit. I plan to do the following:
1. Continue to work full-time to pay for apps
2. Continue shadowing as many docs as I can (as I have been since March)
3. Continue to volunteer in the ER but increase to maybe 10-15 hours a week
4. I am about to start a program where I get to interact with grieving children and their families by counseling them in order to help them cope with the child's medical situation.
Also:
-Considering getting involved with a volunteer service called "improving care through the end of life" which sounds pretty self-explanatory
-Considered taking an EMT course and becoming an ER patient care tech but decided it wasn't worth the $800, classes during interview season, and not getting the actual job until towards the end of the applicaiton cycle.
What do you all think? Am I doing enough or do you have other suggestions?
Here's the deal with last app:
3.7, 30MCAT, 1 yr. research, applied late (had to take Aug MCAT)
Applied to 6 schools, 4 interviews, 4 waitlists, 0 acceptances.
When I look back I see two reasons that I did not get in:
1. Aug MCAT set me back by making my application late (3 of my 4 interviews were on the very last day of the interview season for the respective school)
2. Not enough clinical experience (at the time of my first interview I had 5 months volunteering in ER, one night a week and had not shadowed any physicians.
Not to make excuses, but I come from a disadvantaged situation and had to work 25 hours a week during school to pay for college by myself.
Now that I've graduated, I can fit in many new things in my life, despite working 40 hours a week at a grocery store where I make too much money to quit. I plan to do the following:
1. Continue to work full-time to pay for apps
2. Continue shadowing as many docs as I can (as I have been since March)
3. Continue to volunteer in the ER but increase to maybe 10-15 hours a week
4. I am about to start a program where I get to interact with grieving children and their families by counseling them in order to help them cope with the child's medical situation.
Also:
-Considering getting involved with a volunteer service called "improving care through the end of life" which sounds pretty self-explanatory
-Considered taking an EMT course and becoming an ER patient care tech but decided it wasn't worth the $800, classes during interview season, and not getting the actual job until towards the end of the applicaiton cycle.
What do you all think? Am I doing enough or do you have other suggestions?