Good Enough EC'S

[MSUSpartan642]

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Hi all,
I was just wondering what you all thought about my EC's and if they will be sufficient for medical school.

Volunteering

ER - One semester Approx. 30 hours
Hospice - One semester Approx. 30 hours. Stopped this for a bit because school was becoming difficult. but I'm starting up again. By the time I apply I should have about 60 hours.
Literacy Tutoring - Work one on one with Individual who are severly lacking reading/writing skills. Just started this about a month ago. Should continue this through application cycle.

Shadowing
M.D. P.C.P - 45 hours. An entire summer.
D.O. P.C.P - 2 weeks of shadowing. 50 hours.

Worked for 2 years of undergraduate. Non medically related though.

What are your thoughts?

 

[MSUSpartan642]

Bump?

 

[jult24er]

Hi all,
I was just wondering what you all thought about my EC's and if they will be sufficient for medical school.

Volunteering

ER - One semester Approx. 30 hours
Hospice - One semester Approx. 30 hours. Stopped this for a bit because school was becoming difficult. but I'm starting up again. By the time I apply I should have about 60 hours.
Literacy Tutoring - Work one on one with Individual who are severly lacking reading/writing skills. Just started this about a month ago. Should continue this through application cycle.

Shadowing
M.D. P.C.P - 45 hours. An entire summer.
D.O. P.C.P - 2 weeks of shadowing. 50 hours.

Worked for 2 years of undergraduate. Non medically related though.

What are your thoughts?

Looks like you're ok on clinical; although some variety of type of docs shadowed would probably help. So i think you've got the one that can really kill any app if its not there.

Beyond that, its not a binary thing, i.e. enough or not. this is a competitive process, so the more you can show "altruism" "leadership" "intellectual curiosity" "interest in medicine" "diversity" "compassion" "maturity" and all the other adjectives adcoms use in pronouncing their judgements from on high, the more you help your app (and of course your mcat, gpa, school selection, home-state, etc, will detemrine how much your app needs help.)

you do look a little light on ECs that prove those things (research might help, for example) but im sure its possible to use what you have better or worse depending upon how you interview and write your essays.

 

[TexasPhysician]

You seem to have plenty of clinical/medicine type EC's to at least show you are interested enough in medicine.

I'd be more concerned about having EC's that really set you apart. Literacy tutoring is on the right track...... also try to add something that shows leadership experience.

 

[sylvanthus]

OP- You are doing pretty much exactly what everyone else is doing. I would say to find a volunteer activity you truly enjoy and put your time and effort into it. That way you stand apart from all the other premeds who have volunteered in the ER/shadowed a physician.

 

[BlueElmo]

you probably need some more hours/continuity in your activities, especially volunteering.

 

[zenlike]

Do you have a gimmick? Something not at all related to medical school that an interviewer might find interesting?

What makes you so interesting that I should want to engage you in a one hour interview? Would I want you on my team and eating meals with me every day for six weeks? What would be talk about? People with a variety of interests are interesting. I have enjoyed talking with applicants about college sports, marching band, union organizing, the culture of northern Chile, and even the making of omlettes.

 

[student1799]

To me, you seem really light on clinical volunteer hours (as opposed to shadowing). Yes, it's good that you've observed others delivering health care, but adcoms want to see that you've put in the time in a facility week in, week out doing scutwork as well as learning. This shows your commitment and teaches you that there's a lot of unglamorous drudge work in your future, which you need to be prepared for.

30 hours for one semester in the ER is just not enough. Get another hospital or clinic job and put in at least 4 hours a week, during the semester (not just over breaks). The consistency of effort, as well as the fact that you were able to juggle classes and volunteering, is something adcoms really look for.

I'm a nontrad and did all my prereqs in a 2-year postbacc. But I volunteered 8 hours EVERY SINGLE WEEK of those 2 years, including summers, so I racked up over 500 hours of clinical volunteer time by the time I applied. And since it was all in the same place, people there knew me really well and I got a great LOR from the MD who runs the program I was in.

 

[alwaysaangel]

As everyone else is said - thats really light on ECs and its going to hurt you.

You need to find something you enjoy and you're passionate about that will set you apart. You need more hours and more continuity.

Consider that a lot of the people you're competing against have 4+ years of continuity in certain activities at 4-10 hrs a week. Most people have a lot more than 30-60 hrs in any given activity. You need to be interesting and stand out, right now you don't.

Find your passion and pursue it.

 

[MrAgreeable]

Sure, you can do something else if you really want to, but how are your numbers, do you interview well, although they mean well, some advice you'll get here can be rediculous and some can be pretty lax (It rarely comes, and when it does, it comes from people like me). So, to get to my point, do something you enjoy. You like sports? Coach or officiate. You play they violin? Give lessons. You write creatively? Start a workshop. I have rarely been asked about the exaustive details of my shadowing (which don't get me wrong you absolutely need), but I have been asked several times how many players I've ejected from baseball games and have had to explain that I play division three sports that, while being one heck of a time, there are no athletic scholarships. Also, they like research, but again, do something you are interested in. Or you can take the most rediculous post you get ("You need to shadow every specialty for at least 100 hours"), and cut it into a fifth.

Oh yeah, quality over quantity. My summer and school employment situation didn't allow me to put in the millions of hours of shadowing, but I had a great epiphany that 40 hours of watching surgeries and cleaning the room after is more than enough of a conversational point for interviews (Upon other less 'hands on' (watching others provide) shadowing experience). It's stressful, we all know, but put the time in and do the things you feel comfortable that will give you the best chance. No one really knows what ADCOMs want, unless they are, in fact, on an ADCOM.

Furthermore, your pre-med advisor or a trusted (not psychotic 'I knew I wanted to be a doctor at birth') upper-classmen at your institution is an excellent resource. MUCH better than anyone on these forums, so, this is a question you should ASK YOUR ADVISOR.

Best of luck to you and all brave enough to attack this mountain.

 

[MSUSpartan642]

My numbers I feel will be more than competitive. I have a cGPA - 3.86 and have been taken a couple of practice MCAT tests and score in the mid 30's.

I really do enjoy the tutoring that I'm doing. I used to tutor the athletes at my school but I could only do it for one semester because I wasnt given enough hours and had to pursue another job where I could. Now that I'm done with undergraduate I have some extra time to get back into tutoring, though of course its unpaid now 🙁. Oh well its still enjoyable. Other than those things I'm a pretty passionate runner. Not on the colligate level but I'm getting into longer distances and hoping to complete my first marathon before I wont have time in med school. Ill just keep truckin along on the EC's that I have for right now and maybe try to pick something else up.

My plan for when I'm finished taking the MCAT is to get a job as a CNA for the year that I will be applying, I'm not sure if this is going to even make any difference for my application or not but I figured it would give me some more experience and get some cash in my pocket, which always helps.