Getting in Without Shadowing

[YouEverHadOurSausages?]

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I've been trying to get some shadowing experience for the past two months but keep getting sent in circles. I will definitely get shadowing experience over the summer but I want to submit my app June 7 and I'm concerned how it will look. I only have about 50 hours clinical volunteering, decent college EC's, no research, 3.8c/3.9s/509 MCAT and a very good committee letter. Any chance of getting an interview without shadowing???

 

[ChrisMack390]

I don't think no shadowing in itself is a death sentence.

I do think 50 total hours spent in a clinic is a death sentence.

If I were you I would very strongly consider taking a year to beef up your ECs/clinic exposure before applying. Your grades are awesome, but to overcome a complete lack of research and near lack of clinic you'd need a monster of an MCAT.

 

[MaxPlancker]

As it stands for you, 0% chance.

 

[candbgirl]

I don't think no shadowing in itself is a death sentence.

I do think 50 total hours spent in a clinic is a death sentence.

If I were you I would very strongly consider taking a year to beef up your ECs/clinic exposure before applying. Your grades are awesome, but to overcome a complete lack of research and near lack of clinic you'd need a monster of an MCAT.

His MCAT is 509. That's not a monster of a score.


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[WedgeDawg]

Moving to preallo

 

[clippers50fan]

I've been trying to get some shadowing experience for the past two months but keep getting sent in circles. I will definitely get shadowing experience over the summer but I want to submit my app June 7 and I'm concerned how it will look. I only have about 50 hours clinical volunteering, decent college EC's, no research, 3.8c/3.9s/509 MCAT and a very good committee letter. Any chance of getting an interview without shadowing???

Ultimately you have a good GPA, average MCAT (30 on the old scale) with barely any clinical experience and no research experience. Ask yourself why would you be accepted? Unless for whatever reason your other ECs are excellent, you'll have a really tough time with MD programs.

 

[bananafish94]

I think that your application should be an argument for why you deserve to be accepted. The onus is on you to prove that you are, among other things:
A) Academically competent/can handle medical school. You've basically done that with your numbers, though you will be competing with people with much better MCAT scores.
B) Highly interested in medicine and understanding of what you are getting yourself into. I'm not buying this with only 50 hours of clinical volunteering!
C) Interested in evidence-based science that forms the foundation of medicine. Again, I remain unmoved with only 50 hours of clinical experience and no research.
D) Altruistic with a desire to help others. Depends on what your other ECs are.
E) Someone who works well with others and isn't a complete tool. Will probably be helped by your good LORs, though you never know exactly what they say!

Overall, you have below average ECs and a below average MCAT. I don't see a compelling enough reason to accept you from my standpoint!

 

[ChrisMack390]

His MCAT is 509. That's not a monster of a score.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile app

Yes, that is why I said would need one.

 

[eteshoe]

w/o shadowing, you could find yourself going into MS3 (if you get in) and coming to truly hate the experience. Then you really have a sticky situation.

 

[WedgeDawg]

w/o shadowing, you could find yourself going into MS3 (if you get in) and coming to truly hate the experience. Then you really have a sticky situation.

Honestly, that's a totally realistic possibility even with shadowing. Watching and doing are two entirely different things.

 

[caffeinemia]

I've been trying to get some shadowing experience for the past two months but keep getting sent in circles. I will definitely get shadowing experience over the summer but I want to submit my app June 7 and I'm concerned how it will look. I only have about 50 hours clinical volunteering, decent college EC's, no research, 3.8c/3.9s/509 MCAT and a very good committee letter. Any chance of getting an interview without shadowing???

Rofls. I did 4 years of lab research, 0 days of shadowing. Guess things were different a decade or so ago.

 

[Catalystik]

Every school doesn't require shadowing. Every school does want to see decent active clinical experience.

 

[LizzyM]

Rofls. I did 4 years of lab research, 0 days of shadowing. Guess things were different a decade or so ago.

Yes, yes they were. I've been at this for >15 years and shadowing was hardly even a "thing" back then.

 

[eteshoe]

Honestly, that's a totally realistic possibility even with shadowing. Watching and doing are two entirely different things.

Quite true

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

JUST TURN IT IN EARLY!

 

[Hospitalized]

Not quite understanding the hate on the 509 MCAT. 82nd percentile is pretty damn good. I bet if it was 510 you all would be just fine with it and tell him he is only lacking EC.

Anyways, you have next to zero shot with no clinical experience. Just look at some of the secondary prompts. You won't be able to even write some of them without clinical experience because they ask you to refer to it.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Not quite understanding the hate on the 509 MCAT. 82nd percentile is pretty damn good. I bet if it was 510 you all would be just fine with it and tell him he is only lacking EC.

Anyways, you have next to zero shot with no clinical experience. Just look at some of the secondary prompts. You won't be able to even write some of them without clinical experience because they ask you to refer to it.

509 is perfectly respectable MCAT. It is not a "skip out on several other requirements because its so jaw dropping" MCAT.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

I think the OP may have an uphill battle to climb, but depending on how he/she approaches their application (i.e., writing essays of substances that answer the prompt, picking a school list that aligns with his mission etc.) I think there's still a chance.

 

[caffeinemia]

Yes, yes they were. I've been at this for >15 years and shadowing was hardly even a "thing" back then.

Back then you didn't need to watch someone be a jerk to patients to know that it was your life's mission to be a jerk to patients as well.

 

[Hospitalized]

509 is perfectly respectable MCAT. It is not a "skip out on several other requirements because its so jaw dropping" MCAT.

Was mostly referring to bananafish saying it was "below average"

 

[702599]

I would work on gaining more clinical experience, whether it be through shadowing, volunteering, scribing, etc., 50 hours in most activity is not a lot.

 

[Red_Jay]

Although I have absolutely no place to say this, but little shadowing experience or clinical volunteering = you don't want to do primary care. No research = you don't want to do academic medicine. Is there a third route?

BTW since when is 509 a bad score???

 

[Lawpy]

Not quite understanding the hate on the 509 MCAT. 82nd percentile is pretty damn good. I bet if it was 510 you all would be just fine with it and tell him he is only lacking EC.

Anyways, you have next to zero shot with no clinical experience. Just look at some of the secondary prompts. You won't be able to even write some of them without clinical experience because they ask you to refer to it.

509 is perfectly respectable MCAT. It is not a "skip out on several other requirements because its so jaw dropping" MCAT.

Was mostly referring to bananafish saying it was "below average"

BTW since when is 509 a bad score???

509 is a fine score. However, competition matters and the types of schools applying to matters. For DO and some lower tier MD schools, a 509 is fine. For the rest of the MD schools, it's below average unless there are extraordinary aspects in the application.