- Joined
- Jul 3, 2011
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 1
Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice.
I'm 26 and graduated with my bachelor's January 2011. I will be starting my preqs this year (summer or fall) and hoping to take my MCAT next year and start applying for the 2014 school year. Up to now I have barely any volunteering/shadowing/research experience. While I was in school part time I worked 1 full time job (45hrs/week) in addition to two part time jobs.. obviously for financial reasons. The only volunteering experience I have was as an assistant crew coach for 1 season, a few years that I chaperoned the local project graduation and some tutoring while in high school. I'm starting an EMT course at the end of the month and going to start volunteering for an EMT squad. Also starting as a volunteer research assistant for a local teaching hospital (I'm hoping it will count as volunteering and research), another volunteering job at the hospital where I'll pretty much just be keeping company to patients and also applying for a full time month long volunteer program at a cancer medical center where I'll be shadowing and doing some research. Once I get my foot in the door at the hospital I'm hoping to find some physicians to start shadowing.
My question is... Is 1 - 1.5 years of ECs enough to get me a chance to get in? How many hours is "enough" to have in my application for each EC? Is the fact that I had to work so much enough to explain why I didn't do ECs before? Also, does it count as research if it's not lab research?
My undergrad GPA is 3.78 and hopefully will be doing well on my science classes. Is it realistic to think I can get in by 2014 if I do well in my sciences and continue to get experience from now on?
I would really appreciate any input!
I'm 26 and graduated with my bachelor's January 2011. I will be starting my preqs this year (summer or fall) and hoping to take my MCAT next year and start applying for the 2014 school year. Up to now I have barely any volunteering/shadowing/research experience. While I was in school part time I worked 1 full time job (45hrs/week) in addition to two part time jobs.. obviously for financial reasons. The only volunteering experience I have was as an assistant crew coach for 1 season, a few years that I chaperoned the local project graduation and some tutoring while in high school. I'm starting an EMT course at the end of the month and going to start volunteering for an EMT squad. Also starting as a volunteer research assistant for a local teaching hospital (I'm hoping it will count as volunteering and research), another volunteering job at the hospital where I'll pretty much just be keeping company to patients and also applying for a full time month long volunteer program at a cancer medical center where I'll be shadowing and doing some research. Once I get my foot in the door at the hospital I'm hoping to find some physicians to start shadowing.
My question is... Is 1 - 1.5 years of ECs enough to get me a chance to get in? How many hours is "enough" to have in my application for each EC? Is the fact that I had to work so much enough to explain why I didn't do ECs before? Also, does it count as research if it's not lab research?
My undergrad GPA is 3.78 and hopefully will be doing well on my science classes. Is it realistic to think I can get in by 2014 if I do well in my sciences and continue to get experience from now on?
I would really appreciate any input!
