enough EC?!

[miscellany]

hola everyone - new sdn'er here looking for some advice...

i graduated from a pretty good school last year with good LOR's, a 3.4 and a 28M (August 2002). i took an admin job cuz i needed the money to pay off my student loans (oy vay!) and the strict 9-5 so i'd have time to study for the mcats and boost my numbers. i retook 'em this past april and am confident that i improved my score... but now i'm wondering (aka ) whether taking this admin job instead of something that's more medical-related is going to hurt me in applications this upcoming cycle.

during college, i've done shadowing, hospital volunteering and independent research (tho not extensive)... the rest of my EC's have been non-medical. i can't exactly quit my job bc i do need the $ and i said i would stay for 2 years (i know, shoot me already!). so now i'm looking for something to do after work/during weekends to keep my sanity as well as to show adcoms that i really am commited to healthcare...

1) any suggestions? is volunteering the only flexible option for me?... is there anything else i could do that would get me in on more action, so to speak, with my time limitations?!
2) i really don't want to wait another year before applying but should i so i can work on the health experience? (please say nay!)
3) i'll be getting a rec from my boss but now i'm considering doing the unthinkable and resigning so i can 'salvage' the rest of my year before med school?? will it even help my app at this point?!

sorry for the long post.. i'm

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[DemonDeacon]

My best advice is to don't do anything for your resumee, at least for the sole purpose of the resumee.

Admissions know that if you need the money, a jog is the way to go. The rest of your application is good, but they want to know that you know that being a doctor is the right thing for you. They want to know that you know what the demands are and what not.

I'd say call the admissions committees at the schools you are applying and get advice from them. I am still an undergrad, so I can't give anything valid. Good luck!

 

[Lochmoor]

The true test of your EC's is your personal statement. Were your experiences meaningful enough that you can truly show your compassion and desire to become a doctor? And are they deep enough such that you can talk about them with great gusto and interest during an interview. In reality, you only need about 3 or 4 truly meaningful/awe inspiring/career determining experiences to write about. These are not limited to EC type stuff. You can write about your current work or about a life experience.

So look at what you wrote as your EC's, what did you learn from shadowing? What didnt you like, what did you like? What experience did you have that encompasses all the feelings and ideas that made you want to become a doctor.

One good experience that's not too much of a time committment is a oncology/health related pediatric summer camp. There are many week-long camps where you can be a counselor--basically a babysitter. They can really put a face to what being a doctor means and it can really put a lot of things into perspective.

 

[spumoni620]

i wouldn't quit the job just yet, especially since you promised to stay on 2 years. (at least, i wouldn't consider it unless you can have an honest talk w/your boss and leave on good terms).

non-medical ECs (as long as you've made an impact/done something really different) are definitely not a bad thing. in fact, they can help distinguish you from other candidates in some cases. (i was asked mostly about my non-traditional activities during my interviews; i think they helped me in a lot of cases)

that said, you'll need to show that you've been in clinical situations and have an understanding of what med school entails. you've done shadowing/volunteering; maybe doing a bit more of some shadowing will help. getting a job as a scribe is a plus as well, although i don't know how hard they are to get. also, research is a *big* plus; if you can get some type of research job for afternoons/mornings and work at your other job on a parttime basis, this might help.

good luck!

 

[miscellany]

thanx u guys... i guess my current job isn't so bad but looking back, i kinda wished i had chosen something else. i got really worried that my non-trad. EC's put me at a disadvantage... however, i do have some free time to volunteer and be more involved in a med-related experience; not just for the resume but because i want to. that said, i'm also gonna put some hard work into my PS. i hope it works out. thanks again! =)

 

[terpgirl]

Yeah, I don't know what to say beyond DON'T DO ANYTHING TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY!!

I did that in high school--stuck out my senior year as editor in chief of the yearbook when I knew I would be stuck with a bunch of slackers (yeah, I designed all 326 pages myself, took pictures, as well as types 130 of my own pages and put in pictures and proof my pages to PERFECTION when the rest looked like **** because I just couldn't redo it ill--although if I had done it myself in the first place I would have had no problems!), was in a special program that stressed me out to no end that had no reward... to look good on apps for undergrad.

Doing what others wanted me to do lead me into clinical depression. Not fun.

-Liz

 

[DemonDeacon]

Yeah, I don't know what to say beyond DON'T DO ANYTHING TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY!!

Nuff said.

Do what makes you happiest and fulfills your needs. Sorry about the problems, Liz, but at least you learned from them! I went through SEVERE allergies AND stomach ulcers because I was volunteering 10 hours a week AND working at EXPRESS AND going through so much pure heck because I had hardly enough time to study for advanced classes that I took because I thought "would look good."