How should I proceed as a non-trad

[WESTcoastREP]

I recently graduated from college with a BS in business. I'm curious as to how I should proceed in getting my application ready for medical school? I've had various business jobs/internships over the past 2-3 years and am currently interning. I've also volunteered at a variety of places (soup kitchen- 20ish hours, church- 4-5 years, hospital- 50-75 hours over 1-2 years, shadowed- 20ish hours). Besides taking the pre-req classes, what else should I be doing to make myself competitive?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[thlaxer]

I recently graduated from college with a BS in business. I'm curious as to how I should proceed in getting my application ready for medical school? I've had various business jobs/internships over the past 2-3 years and am currently interning. I've also volunteered at a variety of places (soup kitchen- 20ish hours, church- 4-5 years, hospital- 50-75 hours over 1-2 years, shadowed- 20ish hours). Besides taking the pre-req classes, what else should I be doing to make myself competitive?

Thanks!

I would continue doing some hospital volunteering for at least another semester while you're taking your pre-reqs. ~62 hrs seems a bit on the low side. A bit more shadowing wouldn't hurt either. Come application time, you can write about how these experiences solidified/confirmed your desire to become a physician, etc. If time allows, continuing your non-clinical activities would be helpful too. Also, are you interested in research at all? If so, you might enjoy spending some time in a wet lab or doing clinical research. The lack of research is the only thing that stands out to me (you've got shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteering covered).

Apart from getting good grades in your pre-reqs, you'll also eventually need to get LORs from a few of your professors (most schools require 2 from science professors). It's a good idea to keep a good relationship with professors who would be willing to write you a good LOR. And last but not least, when planning out your pre-req timeline, you might want to consider taking a lighter courseload for when you're doing your MCAT studying. Just my thoughts--good luck!!

 

[realmeaning]

The above is good advice.

1. Second the research. It seems more "academic" than clinical/shadowing and is highly regarded because of the logical thinking and discipline it requires.

2. Talk to a pre-med advisor if you can, at the school where you're going to take your pre-reqs, or any advisor that will talk to you. (My state school advisor was kind enough to see me in person even though I wasn't even a student there!) This helped me immensely to just clear my head and set a clear, set by step path, not just for my academics, but ECs as well.

3. Figure out your timeline to a T. What courses when? When taking the MCAT? How many hours a week volunteering? I'm guessing you're going to have to cut something you want/need out and only you can decide how you will prioritize your time.

4. Continue to shadow and volunteer at hospital, great job there.

5. Start following healthcare news.

 

[cajun9]

Just to give some numbers to the above comments. When I left the career to go back to finish my Biology degree, I started working a part time job as a transporter at the local hospital. Got great experience in all departments(esp the ER) and made friends with alot of the doctors which then let me sit in on multiple operations. I did that for a year working approx 15hrs per week which is around 800hrs of hospital experience. Then I quit that and started working in the micro lab at my college for the next year about 10 hrs a week (500 hrs) for the research experience. The last year it was time to make a little money cause those dont pay too well, so chilis bartending began lol. To be honest my stats were ok and def not the massive mcat. I did have a high gpa though. I talked to the dean of admissions several times over those years and followed all his advice to the letter. When it came time for the admissions game, my goal was for him to know my name and my work ethic. I think thats important. What I did was went to the schools website that I wanted to attend and do everything they reccommended (classes,etc). I am starting MS1 in late July this year. I cant speak for every med school site but LSU shreveport has a great section on not just whats required but also what they want. Hope that helped some. Good luck