Great GPA/MCAT - Less Than Stellar ECs?

[Louis88]

I'm trying to prepare a school list by using the Excel document that I have found somewhere on SDN that allows you to put in GPA, MCAT, etc. While it says my chances are high at a number for schools, I notice that my ECs pale in comparison to the ECs of a number of people on SDN.

cGPA: 3.91
sGPA: 4.0
MCAT: 36Q
Work Experience: 4 years in a pharmacy and surgery pharmacy. Aside from IV and chemo preparations, I work in close quarters with the surgeons and anesthesiologists. I have averaged about 30 hrs per week. I see patients some, but not often. I also respond to codes, etc.
Health-care Activities: Aside from work, I have 75 hours shadowing anesthesiologists, and 25 hours shadowing a doctor in clinic. I will have more to come this semester. In addtition: I spent 2 years working as a patient transporter and 1 summer putting machines on patients post-knee surgery. However, both of these activities were in high school. I think they were valuable patient interaction opportunities, but are over 6 years old. Therefore, they may no longer be relevant. What do you think?
Non-health Activities: 100 hours with Big Brothers Big Sisters, 100 hours of work with hospice, ~60 hours of church involvement in the form of leading worship, ~30 hours in a soup kitchen
LOR: I have several strong letters, one from a pharmacist, one from a physician, and one from a professor (I'm pursuing a couple more as well)
Leadership: I train new employees at work, both in general pharmacy operations, and also in IVs and chemotherapy preparations
Research: none
Hobbies: Guitar for ~8 years, and running several times each week

I want to make sure that I am not looking at schools too out of reach because of my limited shadowing, leadership, and lack of research. After months of careful consideration, I made the decision to pursue medicine only a year and a half ago. Work with BBBS, hospice, and shadowing began shortly thereafter. How much will those weaknesses count against me? (Additional info: I am applying this cycle - I am a senior this semester)

Thanks!

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[Catalystik]

I'm trying to prepare a school list by using the Excel document that I have found somewhere on SDN that allows you to put in GPA, MCAT, etc. While it says my chances are high at a number for schools, I notice that my ECs pale in comparison to the ECs of a number of people on SDN.

cGPA: 3.91
sGPA: 4.0
MCAT: 36Q
Work Experience: 4 years in a pharmacy and surgery pharmacy. Aside from IV and chemo preparations, I work in close quarters with the surgeons and anesthesiologists. I have averaged about 30 hrs per week. I see patients some, but not often. I also respond to codes, etc.
Health-care Activities: Aside from work, I have 75 hours shadowing anesthesiologists, and 25 hours shadowing a doctor in clinic. I will have more to come this semester. In addtition: I spent 2 years working as a patient transporter and 1 summer putting machines on patients post-knee surgery. However, both of these activities were in high school. I think they were valuable patient interaction opportunities, but are over 6 years old. Therefore, they may no longer be relevant. What do you think?
Non-health Activities: 100 hours with Big Brothers Big Sisters, 100 hours of work with hospice, ~60 hours of church involvement in the form of leading worship, ~30 hours in a soup kitchen
LOR: I have several strong letters, one from a pharmacist, one from a physician, and one from a professor (I'm pursuing a couple more as well)
Leadership: I train new employees at work, both in general pharmacy operations, and also in IVs and chemotherapy preparations
Research: none
Hobbies: Guitar for ~8 years, and running several times each week

I want to make sure that I am not looking at schools too out of reach because of my limited shadowing, leadership, and lack of research. After months of careful consideration, I made the decision to pursue medicine only a year and a half ago. Work with BBBS, hospice, and shadowing began shortly thereafter. How much will those weaknesses count against me? (Additional info: I am applying this cycle - I am a senior this semester)

Thanks!

What do you do in the hospice? I think the HS activities won't count for much (though interesting), though I'd still mention them in te PS, perhaps as part of the journey to medicine.

What do you do at codes?

Are BBBS and soup kitchen current?

Any teaching? Training employees could count for that, but I think that's best left under Leadership.

 

[Louis88]

Thanks for the reply!

1.) primarily, I sit with patients for several hours each week. I just talk with them or play cards. It has been a pretty neat experience. Recently, a patient asked me to be a pall bearer at his funeral. I am still involved in that activity weekly (depends on the week but on average, 2 hours each week)

2.) At codes, I stand in the room with the pharmacist. I mix drips while the pharmacist calculates the concentration. I also go and pull requested medications that we don't have readily available from the Pyxis machines, Mostly, I'm just assisting the pharmacist, gathering supplies, and mixing IVs and needed medications.

3.) I am still actively working with BBBS (about 3 hours a week) and I still work at the soup kitchen, but usually only once every couple of months (for about 5 hours each time).

4.) I don't have any "official" teaching. By that, I mean that I have friends, lab partners, etc that I may help study outside of class. However, the format is closer to mutual studying and less of a tutoring session.

Let me know if there is anything else that I can clarify!

 

[Catalystik]

1) I suggest you list your hospice volunteering as Clinical, as along with the occasional patient contact with the Pharm tech experience (which you ought to make clear in your description), I think most will consider that you have had a reasonable amount of experience.

2) Having had an experience like this, including what you do in the pharmacy itself, should count heavily in your favor due to the apparent responsibity you carry and the trust placed in you. I expect the LOR from your boss will be terrific.

3) Perhaps you could beef up the soup kitchen hours over these last few months? Together with the BBBS, I think these activities will reflect well on you.

******************
Overall, while your ECs are not stellar due to lack of research and wow-level leadership, (the shadowing can easily be improved on in the next few months, and maybe the nonmedical volunteering, as mentioned)I think you'll have a very nice application. I don't know how ambitious you are, but due to your stats and heavy responsibilities of long duration, I'd encourage you to apply to some dream schools along with those you are, according to the common wisdom, better suited for (namely, below the Top Twenty), as there are some students who are accepted to such insistutions when they have outstanding achievement in another realm of endeavor. It's up to you to explain how these experiences suit you to a career in medicine, rather than pharmacy.

 

[Louis88]

Great, thank you so much for looking over all that!

That gives me a solid idea of where to set my sights and a few goals for the coming semester.

Thanks again!

 

[Catalystik]

That gives me a solid idea of where to set my sights and a few goals for the coming semester.