Is my pre-health advisor full of it?

[TragicalDrFaust]

I'm a first semester senior majoring in biochem at a state school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet. My GPA and sGPA are both a little over 3.7 (although I did my first two years a community college, which I know works against me), so not stellar. I've been a medical scribe since this summer and I volunteer with a crisis warm line. My advisor says the warm line isn't really going to look good to admission committees and I should just volunteer at a hospital. She says I absolutely need research experience. She also says I need leadership. I took a couple years off after my freshman year and worked as a shift supervisor at starbucks but she says that was too long ago and I need more current leadership experience. She suggested I coach a little league team to that end. I told her I could volunteer tutoring kids at an underserved school near my house but she warned me away from this because it doesn't really fit as leadership or "serious" volunteering. My bs detector was going off a few points throughout this discussion but I thought maybe it was my defense mechanism for information I didn't want to hear at the time. I'm here for a second opinion. I know my resume needs some more meat but I don't want to divert energy between research, the "right" kind of volunteering AND finding leadership opportunities if those things aren't going to help me, or worse, make me look like a desperate "box-checker".

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[WedgeDawg]

I'm a first semester senior majoring in biochem at a state school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet. My GPA and sGPA are both a little over 3.7 (although I did my first two years a community college, which I know works against me), so not stellar.

Not going to be the thing that keeps you out

I've been a medical scribe since this summer and I volunteer with a crisis warm line.

Great, both are good experiences

My advisor says the warm line isn't really going to look good to admission committees and I should just volunteer at a hospital.

Wrong and wrong. Crisis lines are great, + you're scribing. You're good to go

She says I absolutely need research experience.

You don't /need/ it but most applicants have at least some. If you're applying this year, try doing some over the summer or during the application season. Doesn't have to be a lot, just to get a little exposure.

She also says I need leadership.

Same as above, but less necessary. Don't get a leadership position for the sake of getting a leadership position. Doesn't do anything. If there's something you're interested in that you want to take on greater responsibility for, great, do that. Otherwise, pass. Doesn't matter.

I took a couple years off after my freshman year and worked as a shift supervisor at starbucks but she says that was too long ago and I need more current leadership experience.

pls no

She suggested I coach a little league team to that end.

Fine, great if you're interested, if not, don't do it.

I told her I could volunteer tutoring kids at an underserved school near my house but she warned me away from this because it doesn't really fit as leadership or "serious" volunteering.

I did this and loved it. If you think it's something you'd like to do and you'd be filling a need, go for it. If you're not actually interested in it, pass.

My bs detector was going off a few points throughout this discussion but I thought maybe it was my defense mechanism for information I didn't want to hear at the time. I'm here for a second opinion. I know my resume needs some more meat but I don't want to divert energy between research, the "right" kind of volunteering AND finding leadership opportunities if those things aren't going to help me, or worse, make me look like a desperate "box-checker".

tl;dr

Your app looks overall fine so far. Get a solid (510+) MCAT score + a few months of research experience during the app cycle and you're good to go.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm a first semester senior majoring in biochem at a state school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet. My GPA and sGPA are both a little over 3.7 (although I did my first two years a community college, which I know works against me), so not stellar. I've been a medical scribe since this summer and I volunteer with a crisis warm line. My advisor says the warm line isn't really going to look good to admission committees and I should just volunteer at a hospital. She says I absolutely need research experience. She also says I need leadership. I took a couple years off after my freshman year and worked as a shift supervisor at starbucks but she says that was too long ago and I need more current leadership experience. She suggested I coach a little league team to that end. I told her I could volunteer tutoring kids at an underserved school near my house but she warned me away from this because it doesn't really fit as leadership or "serious" volunteering. My bs detector was going off a few points throughout this discussion but I thought maybe it was my defense mechanism for information I didn't want to hear at the time. I'm here for a second opinion. I know my resume needs some more meat but I don't want to divert energy between research, the "right" kind of volunteering AND finding leadership opportunities if those things aren't going to help me, or worse, make me look like a desperate "box-checker".

In addition, get in some dedicated physician shadowing time, ideally including primary care. I know that scribing should theoretically cover that base, but some adcomms want to see more, anyway.

Also, Little League coaching doesn't cover the peer leadership adcomms like to see (though it is a form of teaching). Shift Supervisor does.

Tutoring underserved kids covers both teaching and non medical community service. Go for it.