Is it still possible?

[biomed1010]

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hey guys, is it still possible to get into american schools, with just good GPA and MCAT, or has EC become pretty much mandatory now?

Say a guy applies with a 3.9, and a 33-35 MCAT with just small volunteering, will he pretty much get all rejections?

 

[mmmcdowe]

hey guys, is it still possible to get into american schools, with just good GPA and MCAT, or has EC become pretty much mandatory now?

Say a guy applies with a 3.9, and a 33-35 MCAT with just small volunteering, will he pretty much get all rejections?

Sure, its possible as long as you've done some volunteering. A heck of a lot harder though.

 

[airplanes]

Maybe if you are research oriented and applying to research oriented schools and or their md/phd programs?

 

[146233]

Maybe if you are research oriented and applying to research oriented schools and or their md/phd programs?

Maybe, but even they are going to want to see some kind of non-academic side to an applicant.

 

[anoncurious]

hey guys, is it still possible to get into american schools, with just good GPA and MCAT, or has EC become pretty much mandatory now?

Say a guy applies with a 3.9, and a 33-35 MCAT with just small volunteering, will he pretty much get all rejections?

boost your mcat a bit and then apply to WashU..they only care about numbers, so you'll be golden for them

 

[LizzyM]

Academics alone count about 50% so academics alone are not enough. Which schools/state residence/and much more go into the mix. Hard to say that such an applicant would never get in anywhere but the applicant would not have optimized his/her chances.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

If you are close enough to "smell patients", it is a clinical experience.

Sorry.. Off-topic, but I could not help but laugh during my first day volunteering in the ED today thinking about this quote when the first thing I did was clean up a soiled room, bed, and patient.

Nothing says 'Welcome!' like the smell of fresh feces

 

[202781]

hey guys, is it still possible to get into american schools, with just good GPA and MCAT, or has EC become pretty much mandatory now?

Say a guy applies with a 3.9, and a 33-35 MCAT with just small volunteering, will he pretty much get all rejections?

I only had a 3.8 and a 32 with about 100hrs of volunteering in the ER and 9 months (2hrs a week) volunteering with developmentally disabled children.

I have gotten into 5 schools and had 8 interview offers (turned 2 down) and I am waiting on the decision of my last interview that I had about a week ago.

Just put small things down on your app. I put down that I played the guitar, volunteer things that I have done 1-2 days, awards that were given to me for academics (I am sure you have at least one scholarship + deans list)...

Dont let SDN fool you, not everyone has volunteered for 3 years in the ER, been a EMT, been published, gone to Africa to "cure AIDS"... I think you will be fine ( I am not saying Harvard or anything...but I think mid-tier schools you will be fine at).

But who am I to talk...I have just gotten into every school I have interviewed at (that has made a decision)

 

[LizzyM]

Sorry.. Off-topic, but I could not help but laugh during my first day volunteering in the ED today thinking about this quote when the first thing I did was clean up a soiled room, bed, and patient.

Nothing says 'Welcome!' like the smell of fresh feces

Congratulations on a surviving today's clinical experience with your sense of humor intact!

 

[146233]

Sorry.. Off-topic, but I could not help but laugh during my first day volunteering in the ED today thinking about this quote when the first thing I did was clean up a soiled room, bed, and patient.

Nothing says 'Welcome!' like the smell of fresh feces

Hah, then anatomy lab is definitely a clinical experience. 😉 *rimshot*

 

[drelizabeth292]

doing some volunteer work and shadowing does help you to make a decision about pursing this career, and i think thats what the adcoms are trying to see. they want to know that you are aware of what you want and that medicine is the path for you. as long as you have some stuff to put down, you should do okay. no need to kill yourself trying to do 5 volunteer activities and research and shadowing all at once.

 

[LizzyM]

Hah, then anatomy lab is definitely a clinical experience. 😉 *rimshot*

What you smell in the anatomy lab is not a "patient".

 

[fizzle]

hey guys, is it still possible to get into american schools, with just good GPA and MCAT, or has EC become pretty much mandatory now?

Say a guy applies with a 3.9, and a 33-35 MCAT with just small volunteering, will he pretty much get all rejections?

Well, if you're talking about getting into just ANY US med school, then I'm sure it's possible with high numbers and minimal ECs.

If you're talking about the more competitive schools, then you won't get in without ECs.

Remember, this process is about quality, not quantity. Just get into your one top choice school, and you won't really care if you get rejected everywhere else 😉

 

[TRN1983]

Don't put off volunteering. Just do it, do lots of it, and do it over an extended period of time.

33/3.7 w/ great LOR's and a good PS = No good news out of the 30 schools I applied to. Why? Likely because my volunteering was rather recent at the time of application.

 

[cowflop]

But who am I to talk...I have just gotten into every school I have interviewed at (that has made a decision)

Were you this glib at your interviews? Jeez. 👎

 

[146233]

What you smell in the anatomy lab is not a "patient".

Sure, ruin my bad joke.

 

[202781]

Yup. I was that glib during my interviews. I think it comes from knowing that I dont walk on water, won't likely cure cancer, have never saved a patients life, and have never really made any meaningful contribution to anything ever...with the exception of working with developmentally disabled people. My attitude was that I have been successful in school, applying to medical school... but have never actually done anything

Although after admin members hearing people boast about themselves for about 45 minutes, someone who is realistic probably sounds pretty refreshing

 

[146233]

Although after admin members hearing people boast about themselves for about 45 minutes, someone who is realistic probably sounds pretty refreshing

I don't know about "refreshing", but it's definitely a change of pace. Glad it worked out for you. 🙂

 

[redlight]

yea you couldn't have possibly done nothing other than A lil volunteering in college.. right?

 

[fizzle]

Although after admin members hearing people boast about themselves for about 45 minutes, someone who is realistic probably sounds pretty refreshing

That reminds me; one of my interviewers asked me, "Why should we pick you over everyone else interviewing today?" and I said, "If you find someone better, you should accept him or her." I enjoyed seeing my interviewer's surprised reaction

 

[DrYoda]

I don't know how no clinical experience would work out. But I got in with pretty obviously half-assed clinical experiences.

 

[202781]

That reminds me; one of my interviewers asked me, "Why should we pick you over everyone else interviewing today?" and I said, "If you find someone better, you should accept him or her." I enjoyed seeing my interviewer's surprised reaction

if you were a girl I would say Marry me!

Yeah, the way I see it they are going to pick the best applicant anyway (why would they not?) If they want me to get on my knees and beg for an acceptance to their school then I probably would not want to go to a school that treats their students like that.

 

[dixieflower]

i think being a quasi-interesting person goes a long way, i dont think your ECs have to be mainly medical at all. i had a 3.69 science gpa, a 3.0 cum gpa, a 37 on the mcat, and i volunteered overseas (medically) just one summer for 4 weeks. otherwise, i was on a sports team in college, i worked in fashion buying for 3 years after graduating before deciding to apply to medical school. Get some real-world experience and a healthy dose of perspective! I've been accepted at Sinai, Northwestern, and BU so far, all of which i loved.

 

[202781]

i think being a quasi-interesting person goes a long way, i dont think your ECs have to be mainly medical at all. i had a 3.69 science gpa, a 3.0 cum gpa, a 37 on the mcat, and i volunteered overseas (medically) just one summer for 4 weeks. otherwise, i was on a sports team in college, i worked in fashion buying for 3 years after graduating before deciding to apply to medical school. Get some real-world experience and a healthy dose of perspective! I've been accepted at Sinai, Northwestern, and BU so far, all of which i loved.

I think you are getting the wrong idea. I am a very interesting person, who can talk at length about many medically related issues both in terms of policy and ethics. The limited EC's I had I made sure to make the most of them and really examine what I had experienced. I just understand that I don't walk on water, and other people have very good apps.

In terms of why you got in...while the 3.0cum did not help, the 3.69 science, taking 3 years of and the 37 helped a TON I am guessing.

I really think that interviewers dont want to hear some stuck up, groomed all his life, prep schooled, son of a doctor come in and tell the interviewer how he understands how difficult it will be to be a doctor because he watched his father give implants to some 35 year old cougar and the difficulties that patient had financing the "crucial operation" that would spare her some negative mental side effects.

The thing I think interviewers are looking for is that you are a real person who is able to fail and still recover from it. Someone who can relate to the patients they serve, someone capable of understanding the sacrifices they will make once they dedicate their life to medicine. A person who does not think they are god.

 

[DrYoda]

i think being a quasi-interesting person goes a long way, i dont think your ECs have to be mainly medical at all. i had a 3.69 science gpa, a 3.0 cum gpa, a 37 on the mcat, and i volunteered overseas (medically) just one summer for 4 weeks. otherwise, i was on a sports team in college, i worked in fashion buying for 3 years after graduating before deciding to apply to medical school. Get some real-world experience and a healthy dose of perspective! I've been accepted at Sinai, Northwestern, and BU so far, all of which i loved.

I agree with this.

 

[Auron]

That reminds me; one of my interviewers asked me, "Why should we pick you over everyone else interviewing today?" and I said, "If you find someone better, you should accept him or her." I enjoyed seeing my interviewer's surprised reaction

Whats the best way to answer this question without sounding arrogant?

 

[146233]

Whats the best way to answer this question without sounding arrogant?

Answer the question. Don't be arrogant while you do it. 😀 There's no trick to it; provide a brief but complete answer about what makes you stand out. It's entirely possible to discuss achievements without sounding like a braggart.

 

[fizzle]

Answer the question. Don't be arrogant while you do it. 😀 There's no trick to it; provide a brief but complete answer about what makes you stand out. It's entirely possible to discuss achievements without sounding like a braggart.

Or my way works too

Seriously, though, I think it's a ridiculous way to phrase the question, which is essentially "What makes you unique?" Every person I've seen attempt to answer this question gives off either a generic "I am awesome" response or an ultra-specific "I did this and this and this..." but none of it really seems to answer the question sufficiently. The question assumes upon you a knowledge of your competition and your willingness to step on their heads, which is something I am unwilling to do (not to mention, which is seemingly contradictory to the whole physician ideal of "helping others"). So, I'm just going to continue making fun of my interviewers if they ask me that again. 😛

 

[fizzle]

i think being a quasi-interesting person goes a long way, i dont think your ECs have to be mainly medical at all. i had a 3.69 science gpa, a 3.0 cum gpa, a 37 on the mcat, and i volunteered overseas (medically) just one summer for 4 weeks. otherwise, i was on a sports team in college, i worked in fashion buying for 3 years after graduating before deciding to apply to medical school. Get some real-world experience and a healthy dose of perspective! I've been accepted at Sinai, Northwestern, and BU so far, all of which i loved.

This is probably very true, but most people would feel safer traveling on the well-worn research/shadow/clinical volunteer route. Oh well. Their loss. Oh, and my loss too, since I'm too uncreative to come up with something special 🙁

 

[dixieflower]

wow sorry sankondbest - certainly didn't mean to insinuate that you or anyone here isn't interesting. i'm sure you can speak eloquently, at great length, about any number of subjects. was merely voicing a thought about what adcoms might find attractive in a candidate

 

[fizzle]

wow sorry sankondbest - certainly didn't mean to insinuate that you or anyone here isn't interesting. i'm sure you can speak eloquently, at great length, about any number of subjects. was merely voicing a thought about what adcoms might find attractive in a candidate

Dunno...aren't the adcoms human like everyone else? A pretty face, a caring and fun personality, long walks on the beach, etc...

 

[dixieflower]

haha also helps if your astrological sign is compatible with your interviewer's...being a leo is always good

 

[202781]

wow sorry sankondbest - certainly didn't mean to insinuate that you or anyone here isn't interesting. i'm sure you can speak eloquently, at great length, about any number of subjects. was merely voicing a thought about what adcoms might find attractive in a candidate

Ohh I know that kiddo...Nah I didnt even take it that way at all. My avitar just looks like a depressed dog or something and I didnt want people to think that I was cynical, depressed and boring. Just a clarification

 

[202781]

Dunno...aren't the adcoms human like everyone else? A pretty face, a caring and fun personality, long walks on the beach, etc...

I have gotten SMASHED with two different student (female) interviewers.
On one trip I did a keg stand...on another trip I went to a nightclub and danced with her till like 2 in the morning. BAW CHICKA WOWO...So I dont know about the people who make the final decisions, but the students I have interviewed with have been really chill!