DO Help me triage my situation

[deleted812153]

• 2016 Grad (august)
  
  
• NJ
  
  
• No school list yet
  
  
• cGPA 3.22 (fresh GPA=2.5 in all lib arts, grades went up a whole point afterwards)
  
  
• sGPA 3.37
  
  
• MCAT TBD
  
  
• 1 Pub, 5th Auth
  
  
• Clin volunteering: 40 in a hospital 2+ years ago, hopefully about 100 recent in the psych ward by the time I apply
  
  
• 100+ h shadowing across rads, card, path, anes, gen surg, EM
  
  
• Nonclin volunteering: 40ish hours at H4H a few months ago, stopped going
  
  
• Unless depression is an EC, none
  
  
• Odd jobs, employment gap from August to Now (landed scribe job)
  
  
• Father MD
  
  
• Specialty of Interest: Psych or Neuro
  
  
• No grad degrees
  
  
• Interest in rural health: if it helps, yes - I don't really care where I live or practice
  
  
• Ethnicity: beyond white

What can I do to make sure that I get into the lowest ranked DO programs, aside from crushing the MCAT? I believe that a ~505 is roughly the best that I can do, more likely around a ~500.

Other than an SMP, what else should I be doing? I appreciate any advice that you can offer.

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[Princeton Medical Student]

Your EC/volunteering game is weak. SAD!

 

[deleted812153]

I really don't know what to do about extracurriculars. Volunteering, shadowing and grades you can work on, but ECs are different. You have to be a real person with a life outside your bedroom. I'm not (am working on it), and thus I have no idea where to start.

What would you recommend in this situation?

 

[pseud0]

just keep geting volunteering hours and do well on the mcat.. there is nothing else to say. the mcat determines everything from here basically

 

[Goro]

Contact your local houses of worship for non-clinical volunteering.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

Cold call and see if they need volunteers to help out.

I really don't know what to do about extracurriculars. Volunteering, shadowing and grades you can work on, but ECs are different. You have to be a real person with a life outside your bedroom. I'm not (am working on it), and thus I have no idea where to start.

What would you recommend in this situation?

 

[deleted812153]

Thank you to everyone commenting.

I thought that 'ECs' referred to non-volunteering activities like being president of a frat, or starting a nonprofit, etc. Is this incorrect?