Hello please help a troubled pre-med student

[goscho]

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I am a third-year physiology major at an accredited 4-year university. For the longest time, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do because of my lack of confidence and motivation, but after long consideration and contemplation over winter break, I realized that I wanted to go to medical school. I have great grades, and I've taken all the required courses for med school. I've done research on the side for the past 2 years, and I am an active member and volunteer at my church. However, I don't have much volunteer experience (if at any at all) in a clinical setting. As soon as I realized I wanted to go to med school, I applied to a hospice and am in the midst of applying to a hospital. I am also finding shadowing positions right now. The earliest I can start volunteering is March, which leaves me about 3-5 months of volunteering before I apply to medical school in the summer. Yes, I want to apply for the 2013 fall semester, and I understand that I have a huge lack of experience. My advisor pretty much told me that it would be impossible for me to get accepted this time around. But do I have any chance AT ALL of getting into my current university's med school assuming that my MCAT scores are decent? Or will my lack of experience simply eliminate me from the running? I wanted to apply this time around because I'm afraid that if I am forced to take a year off that I'll lose the academic mindset...please spare this poor soul some words of wisdom! I want to do everything I can to just have the slightest chance (and FYI the school is University of Arizona)

 

[boyby1]

Dont let anyone tell you that you cant do something ... especially your advisor. Your credentials are fine. It does take a while for some people to realize that they want to go to medicine. Took me 26 years. However make sure that you apply broadly, and be ready to answer a question "What experiences did you have that made you go into medicine". Continue on the path you are now, and you will be fine. Your only limit is your mind

 

[pkwraith]

Clinical experience (whether volunteering or not) is to demonstrate that you've been immersed (to an extent) in the world of medicine, and are familiar with some of its realities.

The question you need to ask yourself (and will be asked) is "How do you know medicine is right for you if you don't have any experience with it?" It's very difficult to answer that question without some sort of experience.

On another note, you have a considerable amount of time to fit in shadowing, in which you certainly don't need massive amounts of hours.

For applications, you are well served to have Volunteering experiences and Clinical experiences. Those don't have to overlap. It's perfectly fine to do volunteering outside healthcare (which you already have), and get clinical experience through something like shadowing.

 

[dmf2682]

Dont let anyone tell you that you cant do something ... especially your advisor. Your credentials are fine. It does take a while for some people to realize that they want to go to medicine. Took me 26 years. However make sure that you apply broadly, and be ready to answer a question "What experiences did you have that made you go into medicine". Continue on the path you are now, and you will be fine. Your only limit is your mind

Well. Without knowing the op's stats you can't really advise them one way or the other, especially if they want to apply this cycle.

So questions need to be asked. What's the gpa look like? Do you meet physical standards? Have you considered types of medical schools? And as another poster asked, how do you know it's for you?

 

[ChodeNode]

I'm also a UA Physio major. I can't tell you about other colleges, but I've been to a few events held by the UofA COM so far. All of them have told me that volunteering time is something they're huge on. I've heard this from administration as well as med students.

Funny thing is, I'm also trying to get into a Hospice volunteering slot right now.

 

[bidiboom]

...The question you need to ask yourself (and will be asked) is "How do you know medicine is right for you if you don't have any experience with it?" It's very difficult to answer that question without some sort of experience...

Half of mine agrees while the other doesnt: Yes, experience and to know what you love is important. But it may be a heart affair which may begin with a spark as well. In my case it started with one single gesture of a nurse. My mom was a terminal CA, and a nurse, right in the middle of her rest time, had to deal with a detail about her.. she got in the room of my mom by calling her "gorgeous". Until that moment I was a total lazy kid at school with no objective for future. That moment was the spark. I became a brillant student after that, because I really wanted to be a nurse/doctor and just because of that reason I started to study, albeit the system actually was suffocating to me.

Sometimes something just fits your soul and you feel open to love everything you find in it. I loved everything in medicine. If you feel a connection, with experience only you love more.

PS: Of course I dont mean system problems, unethical stuff etc.

 

[gdfernan]

Also check out free clinics (City/Rescue Missions generally have one) for volunteering opps. You will have 3-4 months when applying, but you will have 7 - 10 months when (hopefully) interviews come around. While that is short, it may still be acceptable.

Dont forget shadowing a doc.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Advisors are usually full of crap... Your degree is fine, if your grades are good, then you need LORs, MCAT, etc... you're a junior, you still have a minimum of a year to complete it all... you'll be fine...

 

[goscho]

Thank you friends for your helpful replies!!
I feel a bit more encouraged now and not as doomed, hopefully.

I know I have to get started on shadowing asap, but I wanted to ask, about how long do students usually shadow one doctor for? I want to make sure I get a meaningful and full experience. I talked to a nurse who offered to refer me to an oncologist to shadow for a few days, but is this enough time?
Thanks again!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I shadowed a FP doc for about 40 hours, the more the better, and the more types the better... try to get a good variety, but especially try to get a primary care doc... Also, try to shadow someone long enough to make enough of an impression to get a LOR from them... 🙂 Hope that helps, best of luck 🙂

FWIW, your nearest med school admissions person is always a better bet than the advisor at school... 🙂

 

[dmf2682]

I shadowed a FP doc for about 40 hours, the more the better, and the more types the better... try to get a good variety, but especially try to get a primary care doc... Also, try to shadow someone long enough to make enough of an impression to get a LOR from them... 🙂 Hope that helps, best of luck 🙂

FWIW, your nearest med school admissions person is always a better bet than the advisor at school... 🙂

I personally found that about 8hours or so with any particular area was enough to see what they did. About a dozen or so patients then move on. Try and get as much variety as suits you. No need for thousands of hours. Just get variety and around 60-80.

 

[pre med 2014]

probably don't tell the adcom that you decided to go into medicine over a winter break. Otherwise you look fine.