How Strong Is My Application?

[larsry10]

---

Members don't see this ad.

cGPA: 3.48 sGPA: 3.4 Upper level courses GPA: 3.5 Latest 60 Credits GPA: 3.65

So, with grades, I had a bad Freshman year, but have been doing better since.

MCAT: Taking in May, hoping for 30+

Shadowing: About 60 hours. I've shadowed a podiatrist, a neurologist (MD), an orthopaedic surgeon - sports medicine (MD), and a family practitioner (DO).

Getting a LOR from the sports surgeon (who's performed two surgeries on me!) and the family practitioner (so an MD and DO letter)

Volunteering: About 75 hours, NOT including a two week service trip to Africa (not sure how to incorporate it into specific hours, since I was there for two weeks but obviously not volunteering while sleeping).

Volunteer experiences include a normal hospital, homeless shelter, children's hospital, Meals for the Heartland, reading to children at poor elementary schools, emergency room at another hospital, a few different free clinics, and conducting youth football clinics.

(I am not sure if adcoms care about high school volunteering, but I have about 30 hours of flag football coaching in high school, as well as about 30 hours of helping out at youth football camps)

While in Africa, myself, along with many others on our football team, conducted youth football clinics for two entire days to over 400 youths who have never heard of the sport. We also built a female dorm building from scratch at an orphanage, as well as helped build and repair many schools and other orphanages around Tanzania, Africa. Our total service lasted about a week while we were there (the other week we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro).

Extra Curriculars:

Hinted toward in the previous paragraph, I am a Division I football player (which, during season, is about a 40 hr/week commitment).

I am a member of Phi Delta Epsilon (an international medical fraternity). I am a founding member of the fraternity, as well as a member of the Programming Committee.

I am also a member of Tri-Beta (National Biological Honor Society).



I was just wondering if this is decent enough to be competitive. I know my GPA could be much better, and I don't have a TON of volunteer hours, but is this overall decent?

 

[passionformed]

cGPA: 3.48 sGPA: 3.4 Upper level courses GPA: 3.5 Latest 60 Credits GPA: 3.65

So, with grades, I had a bad Freshman year, but have been doing better since.

MCAT: Taking in May, hoping for 30+

Shadowing: About 60 hours. I've shadowed a podiatrist, a neurologist (MD), an orthopaedic surgeon - sports medicine (MD), and a family practitioner (DO).

Getting a LOR from the sports surgeon (who's performed two surgeries on me!) and the family practitioner (so an MD and DO letter)

Volunteering: About 75 hours, NOT including a two week service trip to Africa (not sure how to incorporate it into specific hours, since I was there for two weeks but obviously not volunteering while sleeping).

Volunteer experiences include a normal hospital, homeless shelter, children's hospital, Meals for the Heartland, reading to children at poor elementary schools, emergency room at another hospital, a few different free clinics, and conducting youth football clinics.

(I am not sure if adcoms care about high school volunteering, but I have about 30 hours of flag football coaching in high school, as well as about 30 hours of helping out at youth football camps)

While in Africa, myself, along with many others on our football team, conducted youth football clinics for two entire days to over 400 youths who have never heard of the sport. We also built a female dorm building from scratch at an orphanage, as well as helped build and repair many schools and other orphanages around Tanzania, Africa. Our total service lasted about a week while we were there (the other week we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro).

Extra Curriculars:

Hinted toward in the previous paragraph, I am a Division I football player (which, during season, is about a 40 hr/week commitment).

I am a member of Phi Delta Epsilon (an international medical fraternity). I am a founding member of the fraternity, as well as a member of the Programming Committee.

I am also a member of Tri-Beta (National Biological Honor Society).



I was just wondering if this is decent enough to be competitive. I know my GPA could be much better, and I don't have a TON of volunteer hours, but is this overall decent?

GPA w/ upward trend is fine. Everything seems fine, but you're lacking volunteer hours, try to get at least 120+ before applying. Also, research experience. Other than that, a 30+ MCAT should make you a great applicant.

 

[mimelim]

GPA: Acceptable, upward trend makes it okay.
MCAT: Don't count on anything until you get your score. For some people getting a 30+ was as simple as taking the test, for others, that is far from that. This is a wash given that you have no data to support any score (no practice tests and no actual test).
LOR: Very weak. Shadowing letters are by definition weak. See here for more details
ECs: Division I football is a bonus only if you sell it as such. Nobody cares that you played D1 ball for 40 hours per week. What adcoms DO care about is what it meant to you and how it makes you a strong candidate. What made it a rewarding experience. Typical positives would be, learning to work as a team, learning to lead a team, establishing a strong work ethic etc. Same goes for founding a fraternity. Why was what you did significant? Why is what you did important? If you can answer those well, it is irrelevant how many volunteer hours you have. You are a valued commodity.

 

[touchpause13]

Mods: please move to WAMC

 

[larsry10]

GPA: Acceptable, upward trend makes it okay.
MCAT: Don't count on anything until you get your score. For some people getting a 30+ was as simple as taking the test, for others, that is far from that. This is a wash given that you have no data to support any score (no practice tests and no actual test).
LOR: Very weak. Shadowing letters are by definition weak. See here for more details
ECs: Division I football is a bonus only if you sell it as such. Nobody cares that you played D1 ball for 40 hours per week. What adcoms DO care about is what it meant to you and how it makes you a strong candidate. What made it a rewarding experience. Typical positives would be, learning to work as a team, learning to lead a team, establishing a strong work ethic etc. Same goes for founding a fraternity. Why was what you did significant? Why is what you did important? If you can answer those well, it is irrelevant how many volunteer hours you have. You are a valued commodity.

My diagnostic (that is, before I started studying at all) MCAT score was a 25. I am enrolled in a Kaplan course right now, and I have learned so much more. I feel that 25 is a solid score having not studied at all. Also, I did not finish any of the sections (I just wasn't used to the pace, and I got most of the questions that I answered correct). The Kaplan course undoubtedly will improve the actual test taking part of it. I am taking full-length practice tests soon and up until my exam.

Other LORs: My pre-med advisory committee, my head football coach (who is extremely intelligent and well worded, and has been known to write amazing letters), and a biology lab instructor.

I am very confident in my interview skills, so I am certain my football experience will be very easy for me to put into words that adcoms would find attractive. Along with what you listed, I have had three surgeries, so I have faced and overcome great adversity, which has allowed me to have more appreciation for both the sport that I love as well as medicine.

Does this information make me more competitive than before?

 

[larsry10]

Another thing that I completely forgot to mention, which (I believe) will be attractive to adcoms is my current job.

I work with intellectually disabled clients. I have worked with this company for a year now (decent commitment, especially compared to my other ECs). I am a Community Living Instructor, which means I go to clients' homes, and I inspire them to achieve their personal goals. This ranges anywhere from helping them exercise, perform daily activities, become more responsible, be more social, and contribute toward their overall health as a whole from every/any aspect possible.

I know this is not necessarily 'clinical,' however it is patient contact, and I do serve them in regard to their health.

 

[mimelim]

My diagnostic (that is, before I started studying at all) MCAT score was a 25. I am enrolled in a Kaplan course right now, and I have learned so much more. I feel that 25 is a solid score having not studied at all. Also, I did not finish any of the sections (I just wasn't used to the pace, and I got most of the questions that I answered correct). The Kaplan course undoubtedly will improve the actual test taking part of it. I am taking full-length practice tests soon and up until my exam.

This is what we needed to know. A 25 is a bad score, which is why you are taking a class and preparing for the exam. Beef that up nicely (which you will by spending the time that you are) and you will improve. Only advice is to be diligent and keep up with the programs. Going the extra mile will pay dividends later.

Other LORs: My pre-med advisory committee, my head football coach (who is extremely intelligent and well worded, and has been known to write amazing letters), and a biology lab instructor.

Your football coach is going to be your big letter. He needs to be able to address what you talk about in your personal statement. Being a D1 athlete is a good hook. Being able to explain why it has made you a great candidate and a good future physician will make a very strong connection with a well written letter that complements it well. However... I think that you are lacking a strong academic letter. You need someone who has seen you in the academic setting in addition to someone who can talk about you as an individual. You need someone that has seen you work in the classroom and then either in teaching, research or some other academic activity.

I am very confident in my interview skills, so I am certain my football experience will be very easy for me to put into words that adcoms would find attractive. Along with what you listed, I have had three surgeries, so I have faced and overcome great adversity, which has allowed me to have more appreciation for both the sport that I love as well as medicine.

Just be careful. People who injure themselves playing sports are a dime a dozen. We've heard the story over and over again. What matters is how it impacted you and made you a better person and someone better suited for medicine than others. Overcoming adversity is a meh when it comes to sports injuries. It is hard to really get an overwhelming amount of sympathy from people for it.

 

[mimelim]

Another thing that I completely forgot to mention, which (I believe) will be attractive to adcoms is my current job.

I work with intellectually disabled clients. I have worked with this company for a year now (decent commitment, especially compared to my other ECs). I am a Community Living Instructor, which means I go to clients' homes, and I inspire them to achieve their personal goals. This ranges anywhere from helping them exercise, perform daily activities, become more responsible, be more social, and contribute toward their overall health as a whole from every/any aspect possible.

I know this is not necessarily 'clinical,' however it is patient contact, and I do serve them in regard to their health.

This needs to be in your application. But again, focus on 1) why this is important 2) how it has helped you become a better person and a better future physician. Do not focus on the activity itself.

 

[larsry10]

Thanks for the feedback.

Also, is it a huge deal to do research? I know some med schools require it, while others do not. I am aware that it would only help me to do research, but as I am a junior in college and will be applying this summer, along with the fact that I cannot do research in the fall due to football.

Is research an 'absolute must,' more or less? Because even my advisor told me that I should not worry about it.