Good enough EC's?

[J ROD]

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When I apply this summer, I will have:

~150 hr volunteering in a free medical clinic = 2005-2009
~150 hr volunteering in an ER = Nov 2008-June 2009
~100 hr shadowing a variety of docs
~ 100 hr volunteering at a rescue animal shelter (mainly do IT work for them but do help physically with special projects several times a yr)

President of my Pharmacy Honor Society and have managed at several previous jobs with a MBA as well.

Have worked in a hospital as a pharmacy intern for 3 yrs.
(I will have my PharmD before I enter med school)


I know what medical school and being a physician entails. I wanted joint doctorates in medicine and pharmacy so I am sort of creating one.

I even cleared it with my number one school before I started.

I have an average MCAT for the school and a good 3.8+ GPA. Science GPA 4.0 and a 3.9+ in pharm school.

Any thoughts? I wish I had started earlier in the ER but work and pharm school have gotten in the way of my MCAT prep so I waited. Hopefully not to long. Appreciate any "constructive" input.

 

[student1799]

When I apply this summer, I will have:

~150 hr volunteering in a free medical clinic = 2005-2009
~150 hr volunteering in an ER = Nov 2008-June 2009
~100 hr shadowing a variety of docs
~ 100 hr volunteering at a rescue animal shelter (mainly do IT work for them but do help physically with special projects several times a yr)

President of my Pharmacy Honor Society and have managed at several previous jobs with a MBA as well.

Have worked in a hospital as a pharmacy intern for 3 yrs.
(I will have my PharmD before I enter med school)


I know what medical school and being a physician entails. I wanted joint doctorates in medicine and pharmacy so I am sort of creating one.

I even cleared it with my number one school before I started.

I have an average MCAT for the school and a good 3.8+ GPA. Science GPA 4.0 and a 3.9+ in pharm school.

Any thoughts? I wish I had started earlier in the ER but work and pharm school have gotten in the way of my MCAT prep so I waited. Hopefully not to long. Appreciate any "constructive" input.

Your application sounds very solid, including the ECs. Based on your summary, you have about 300 hours of clinical volunteer experience, which compares favorably to most applicants. (Based on SDN, it looks like most traditional applicants have about 150 hours.) As for the shadowing, I personally don't think med schools give it much weight, but it certainly won't hurt you. And the animal shelter volunteering can go under "community service," which will give you a nice balance between medical and non-medical volunteering. However, I wouldn't stop volunteering at the ER yet--keep going as long as you can. Med schools love to see long-term commitment to an activity, and if you keep up the volunteering that will reflect well on you.

The only advice I'd add is to start working on your app--especially your PS--as early as possible. Ideally, you should have your PS finished in time to have it read by several different people (including an MD, if at all possible) so you can revise it if necessary. The goal should be to submit AMCAS in June, because applying early definitely seems to be an advantage at many schools. In order to make this happen, start lining up transcripts and LORs months before you'll need them. AMCAS will actually accept your transcripts before the application season starts, so you can send them in May. This means that once your app is filed, it can be verified immediately without having to wait for transcripts to arrive.

Good luck.

 

[J ROD]

Thanks for the input.

I plan to keep on volunteering in the ER until I get accepted. That will be my total in June 09.

I also have my MCAT already done. Not great, not bad. 1 point below average for the school. I am in that should I take it again or not range. The school told me not to and focus on getting more clinical exposure and shadowing, which I am trying to load up on. I did not start eariler because I was working on the MCAT, working 20hr/week, and completing my PharmD. I should have worked it in somewhere but I thought the clinic would cover me.

I just hope I can avoid taking the MCAT again. I know I could do better once I have the PharmD out of the way. I just do not want to waste a year in the process since I am already sniffing 30

 

[PharMed2016]

Good luck, I'm taking the same route and will hopefully end up with a PharmD/MD or PharmD/DO in a couple of years.

 

[Mobius1985]

Did the med school suggest any interest in your having a research experience? It seems more desirable in some schools than others. Don't forget you'd be expected to list leadership and teamwork experinces. And if your PharmD required any rotation for in-patient pharmacy where you worked as part of a physician/RN/social worker/pharm team in ICU, oncology, etc, that could also be listed under clinical experience (as would time at the window counseling patients on med use/side effects/interactions, in my opinion).

 

[J ROD]

Did the med school suggest any interest in your having a research experience? It seems more desirable in some schools than others. Don't forget you'd be expected to list leadership and teamwork experinces. And if your PharmD required any rotation for in-patient pharmacy where you worked as part of a physician/RN/social worker/pharm team in ICU, oncology, etc, that could also be listed under clinical experience (as would time at the window counseling patients on med use/side effects/interactions, in my opinion).

We do have 4th year rotations with most of it being clinical where I round with the "team". I will have 5 or 6 month long rotations that will be gold for clinical exposure. But, I will be completing it after I submit my application in June. I am not sure yet how I can update my application or let them know. I will be working on that. I forgot to include that. Thanks,

Research never came up. I hate doing research. I have plenty of management experience at work with my MBA and worked in a team scenario for 4 years. I am a member of several school organizations but I am not that involved because I have to work to live. I at least joined them so I could put them down.

The only hole I can see is a point (1) less than average on the MCAT. But, the school told me that they do not weigh the MCAT as heavily as most schools.

We shall see soon!

 

[J ROD]

Good luck, I'm taking the same route and will hopefully end up with a PharmD/MD or PharmD/DO in a couple of years.

Thanks, you too! Pharmacy school is not that bad.

I really think the knowledge combo will be helpful once all is said and done.

Let me know if you need any help along the way!

 

[PharMed2016]

Thanks, you too! Pharmacy school is not that bad.

I really think the knowledge combo will be helpful once all is said and done.

Let me know if you need any help along the way!

Thanks, I don't doubt pharmacy experience will help professionally. I know alot of docs' that tell me pharmacology is their weakess part.

I do have a question though, are you going to be working as a pharmacist while in medical school? This is a thought I been entertaining but I don't know just how feasible it is...

PS. Are you from watertown?

 

[J ROD]

Thanks, I don't doubt pharmacy experience will help professionally. I know alot of docs' that tell me pharmacology is their weakess part.

I do have a question though, are you going to be working as a pharmacist while in medical school? This is a thought I been entertaining but I don't know just how feasible it is...

PS. Are you from watertown?

I plan on working some while in school. How much will depend?

I hope enough to pay for my living expenses. It is nice to know I can get a quick $1000 if need be. I study less than most so I think I can get away with it.

I am from SC; not sure what watertown is.