How am I doing?

[rwsrws]

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Hey everyone! I want to touch base and make sure I am on the right track. I have taken most of the extremely challenging science courses for my major and for the MCAT, and have a 3.96 GPA. I have 200+ hours of research and have about 40 hours of clinical volunteering (I know I need more). Non-clinical volunteering is something that I am needing as well...what should I do for that? I have 1 letter of recommendation from a chemistry professor, 1 letter of recommendation from a Chinese professor, and I am a mentor for a genetics class this semester and will be able to get a letter of recommendation from that professor. I have about 20 hours of shadowing also.
I am entering my junior year, and will start studying for the MCAT soon. What else do I need to focus on?
Thanks!

 

[Doctor-S]

Non-clinical volunteering is something that I am needing as well...what should I do for that?

It's advisable to find something that is genuinely interesting to you (e.g., in providing assistance/services to others less fortunate than you). Here are some non-medical volunteering activities:

1. Meals on Wheels. Community volunteers deliver meals to homes of seniors and individuals with disabilities; and provide social connections to help these individuals continue to live independently in their own homes.

2. Homeless Shelters or Soup Kitchens in your community.

3. County and City Parks and Local Recreation Areas. Community volunteers provide services to local parks, recreational areas and local wilderness areas. Some of the volunteer activities include conservation and management, building trails, leading interpretative hikes, patroling park trails, facility maintenance, etc.

4. Animal Rescue and Adoption Groups. If you like kittens, cats, puppies and dogs, many Animal Rescue and Adoption groups offer volunteer opportunities. The volunteers schedule their own hours.

5. If you live near a Wilderness Area, Wilderness Sanctuary, Marine Habitat or a Park, you can apply for volunteer positions at these venues. Many wilderness areas or coastal habitats welcome student volunteers, on days, weekends, and in the summertime. Some students become voluntary student rangers and spend a lot of time outdoors, or giving tours to kids, or checking hiking trails, or whatever.

6. Habitat for Humanity. Help build homes and become a weekend crew leader.

7. Food Banks/Pantries.

8. Animal Shelters/Humane Society also welcome part-time volunteers. If you live in a city or a town, an animal shelter is probably located near you that would welcome you as a volunteer.

9. Youth Team Sports or Youth Team Coaching. Community volunteers provide team sports coaching, leadership and mentoring in a variety of youth sports, such as basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, baseball, etc.

10. Half-Marathon/5K Races. Many races advertise for non-medical community volunteers to help at races (e.g., registration desk, water stations, crowd control, etc.).

11. Crisis Telephone Hotlines.

12. After-School Mentoring (Elementary, Middle School, High School) or teaching adults English as a Second Language (ESL).