For BS/MD programs, is it OK to cram ECs?

[idiotqueen92]

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Hi. I'm a rising senior who's seeking to apply to Brown PLME Early Decision (yes I know I'm most likely not going to ge tin), but I don't really have the right "medical extracurriculars" because I wasn't sure about wanting to study medicine until a couple months ago. I volunteered around 200 hours at a hospital during (after) freshman and sophomore summers, but it was all clerical work in different clinics and I really didn't learn anything except that the PCAs are very unhappy. And THIS summer, the most pivotal summer, I have nothing going on because I was expecting to get into a summer program (but I didn't :[). Since practically half the students around where I live want to be doctors, hospitals are not accepting any volunteer requests this late.

Sorry about the ranting.

My question is do schools with BS/MD programs care if all of my shadowing hours come after junior year? And how many hours should I shoot for - that's possible this summer and once a week (my house is far from any surrounding hospitals so my parents won't drive everyday)?

I know these don't really have definite answers but would appreciate any response/advices!!😀

 

[theVster]

I'm a BS/MD graduate who's completed the "BS" part so I might be able to help here.

BS/MD programs care primarily and first about your grades/GPA and SAT score. That is a common fact. If those are very strong, you will more than likely get at least a first interview. From thereon it is mostly your interview which will determine whether you go to the next level.

That being said, 200 hours of volunteering in a hospital, clerical or not, looks plenty good. And your other ECs (like being on a sports team, academic bowl team, committee/student government, whatever) do plenty more to help in this regard. My medically related ECs before I applied were about a month of shadowing in a research lab and about 3 weeks of shadowing in an emergency clinic + pathology lab.

You can absolutely add stuff to do during your senior year of high school. It's not typical, but I did afternoon research (mostly gruntwork) at a university lab near where I lived and got out of school early to go there. If you can find something, it won't hurt, and you can always add it to your resume or update it. Again, most important are your scores/grades and interviewing, but everything extra will help.

 

[idiotqueen92]

Thank you! Honestly I think I have fine stats, but my nonmedical ECs are pretty bad and the interview, sigh, will be my weakest point...🙁

 

[theVster]

You're welcome. And as for the interview, just relax and be yourself. Be polite and professional obviously but don't worry too much. They know you're going to be a little nervous as a high school student.

I don't know what sort of non-medical ECs you have but anything with leadership looks good. Also if you don't get into a BS/MD it's not the end of the world, obviously.

 

[idiotqueen92]

Heehee our high school has a bad club schedule so I can only join 2-3 and we aren't allowed to be president of more than one club. And if I were to be my true self at my interview...the interviewer would probably be scared of me 😀. Wow I don't know what's going on with my ranting/making excuses today.

Thanks for the input again!

now if i can find doctors to shadow...

 

[smiley612]

i feel exactly the same way as the OP about hospital volunteering
i am a 2011er as well and, being the only child, and with a lack of parental connections,
i never had the knowledge and never felt the urgency to seek medical ECs like internships and shadowings.
i really hope that, as theVster posted earlier, scores and gpa are the motivating factors in accelerated medical school admissions, as they form the strongest point in my CV.
but i would definitely look for
chance back?
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=730669

 

[deleted316655]

i feel exactly the same way as the OP about hospital volunteering
i am a 2011er as well and, being the only child, and with a lack of parental connections,
i never had the knowledge and never felt the urgency to seek medical ECs like internships and shadowings.
i really hope that, as theVster posted earlier, scores and gpa are the motivating factors in accelerated medical school admissions, as they form the strongest point in my CV.
but i would definitely look for
chance back?
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=730669

I think you have a good chance to get into a BS/MD program. You have a good SAT score and GPA as well as good ECs. It seems like the people who posted on your thread had some advice, so I would listen to them.

 

[idiotqueen92]

Hi, I'm a Korean-American junior in a fairly very competitive school (many MANY in Ivies) who wouldn't post this...except I'm really lost in where I stand. Any help would be appreciated. I would appreciate any other recommendations for school!

GPA: 3.94 UW (will drop significantly due to junior year...)

PSAT: 231

SAT: 2400

SAT II: 770 Biology E, 800 Korean (will take more next year - Chemistry, Math II, and US History - hoping for all above 750?)

AP: sophomore year - European History 5
junior year - Calc BC 5 (AB subscore 5), US History 5, Biology 5, Statistics 5
senior year - Masterpieces, Physics B, Government, Macroeconomics, Spanish Language

E/Cs (main weaknesses):
~200 hours of community service in a hospital (clerical work ONLY...- 2 summers only) (although I may not get 80 hours because the volunteer director retired and my sign-in sheet has gone missing)
Math Team 10th grade, hopefully 12th grade
Science Olympiad 9, 10, 11, 12
Tri-M Music Honor Society - 9, 10, 11, 12
All County violin - 9, 10 -- just once a year
LISFA (orchestra) - 9, 10 -- just once a year
School's rock orchestra - 9, 10, 11, 12
Habitat for Humanity - 10, 11 (treasurer), 12 (president?)
Foreign Language Honor Society - 11, 12
National Honor Society - 11, 12
Columbia Science Honors Program - 11, 12 -- once a week
I'm going to be honest and say my essays and my recommendations won't be anywhere excellent...

 

[theVster]

Hi, I'm a Korean-American junior in a fairly very competitive school (many MANY in Ivies) who wouldn't post this...except I'm really lost in where I stand. Any help would be appreciated. I would appreciate any other recommendations for school!

GPA: 3.94 UW (will drop significantly due to junior year...)

PSAT: 231

SAT: 2400

SAT II: 770 Biology E, 800 Korean (will take more next year - Chemistry, Math II, and US History - hoping for all above 750?)

AP: sophomore year - European History 5
junior year - Calc BC, US History, Biology, Statistics
senior year - Masterpieces, Physics B, Government, Macroeconomics, Spanish Language

E/Cs (main weaknesses):
~200 hours of community service in a hospital (clerical work - 2 summers only) (although I may not get 80 hours because the volunteer director retired and my sign-in sheet has gone missing)
Math Team 10th grade, hopefully 12th grade
Science Olympiad 9, 10, 11, 12
Tri-M Music Honor Society - 9, 10, 11, 12
All County violin - 9, 10 -- just once a year
LISFA (orchestra) - 9, 10 -- just once a year
School's rock orchestra - 9, 10, 11, 12
Habitat for Humanity - 10, 11 (treasurer), 12 (president?)
Foreign Language Honor Society - 11, 12
National Honor Society - 11, 12
Columbia Science Honors Program - 11, 12 -- once a week
I'm going to be honest and say my essays and my recommendations won't be anywhere excellent...

You're a very strong candidate. Your grades and SAT score are good (a round 2400 always looks nice for anything). Your ECs are also very good, and you have accumulated a huge number of volunteer hours it looks like. In fact with those kinds of grades and honors you'd probably be competitive for Ivy admission.

Regarding the part I bolded. You need to write a strong essay to BS/MD programs as that is something they do look at. If you have the chance to discuss your motivations for going into medicine and making the decision from high school onwards, you should discuss it and do so well. And it'd be nice to have good recommendations. In fact I recall in one of my interviews (I got accepted but didn't go to that particular program) the guy was impressed by one of my recommendations and actually read parts of it to me. He was a little nuts but at the same time it definitely will hurt you if you have poor recommendations. You'd be surprised who'll write good ones for you though.

 

[idiotqueen92]

Thanks again theVster!!