LECOM - NSUCOM...my chances?

[Mordhrin]

Here are my major application points and my cirumstances. I was a Micro-Molecular Biology at UCF. I had a 3.37 cum GPA, science of 3.2 but my upper division electives was 3.6 (no idea why I got better grades in my harder sciences classes). I got a 27Q V10 P8 B9. I only have decent numbers so I am counting on my ECs to get me in.

I was on the Men's Varisty Crew team at UCF for 3 1/2 years 28+/week. I was an anatomy TA for 1.5 years at 20+/week. I shadowed a neurosurgeon for a semester internship 4hrs/week. I got in with a neurologist partner of his for 1 month. Both were MDs. I have been shadowing a D.O. at Suncoast Medical now since 2006 on holidays and weekends. Now that I graduated (Aug) I pull a shift of 12 hours with him every week. I volunteered at the ICU at Orlando Regional during a summer.

Now heres the problem. I just recieved a rejection form Midwestern CCOM and was put on hold at DMU (they wont look at it till april and then only if there are some spots left). Fortunately those are not my main choices..LECOM and NSU are.I am really worried that there is something majorly wrong with my application for 2 schools to rejected me so soon. I thought I had a very strong app.

I would appreciate any feedback if anyone notices any weaknesses. What else can I do right now to strengthen my app?

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[Mobius1985]

This being the allopathic "What are my Chances?" subforum, I can't make specific comments about the MCAT and GPA expectations of those two schools, but from my knowledge of the average osteopathic medical school expectations (3.4, 24) you're certainly in the ballpark. I do know CCOM is pretty selective, so I'm not surprised you didn't see any interest from them. As far as the extracurriculars: your sport shows teamwork and dedication. Being an anatomy TA shows leadership. You have a lot of shadowing, which is considered a passive experience, but only one summer of medical volunteering where you actually provided a service to sick people. This seems pretty lean to me. Do you have no other humanitarian service experience to list to show your service-oriented mentality? If not, that is another area of weakness. Additionally, you do not mention a research experience, but perhaps this is not valued by DO schools so much.

My recommendation, in case you end up applying again, is to get a volunteer experience in a clinical situation, whether hospital, hospice, nursing home, or clinic, as this will provide you with face-to-face time interactions with sick folks, as well as show your humanitarian side. After you have done this for a few months, you might even send an update to the schools who haven't yet rejected you, in case it will make a difference with this cycle. I'd also meet with a premed advisor who can look at your letters of recommendation and assure you none has negative comments or is lukewarm. I will assume one of your letters is from the DO you shadowed, and that one is hopefully glowing.

 

[Mordhrin]

Thats my bad for not clarifying my D.O. shadowing experience. He is a ER physician so I am working 12+ hour shifts with him in the emergency room since early August. That is 240+ hours of clinical work in a DO heavy teaching hospital. I figured that would cover the volunteer - hospital section. I plan on continuing there for at least 3-4 more months.

With this information does that change anything?

 

[Mobius1985]

It depends. What do you do while you are in the ER to help the patients? If you are just watching, it is a shadowing experience. It is not volunteering, as you are not helping. It is not face-to-face interaction with the patient.

If this experience involves you taking vital signs, washing beds, cleaning up vomit, holding the patient during a spinal tap, getting patients ice chips, or cutting tape for an IV, you had to fill out an application form to do this work, you log in on arrival, you were required to have a PPD first, etc., then you should call it a volunteer experience, and not a shadowing experience. If this is not what you're doing, can you convert the experience to a true volunteer position?

 

[Mordhrin]

I ask patient very basic qestions to help fill out the T-sheet. We are usually very busy so the doctors use me as a go between to pick up any info that forgot to ask. Like...ask them who their primary is again or did their ped specifiy why he gave their 3 yr old an inhaler not a nebulizer. I am used as a go between. If the patients have a question I take it first. If I cannot handle it it is moved up the chain of command. I help do sutures and stitches. I have helped pop back in dislocated shoulders. Basically any time the docs need a 2nd hand.

 

[Mobius1985]

What did you call this experience on your application form? And did you clarify the extent of your involvement in a narrative area? It sounds great, if the adcomms are able to appreciate exactly what you do. If I was confused, is it possible someone else might be?

 

[Mordhrin]

Now that I think about it Mobius, I guess its not very obvious how involved I am at the ER. I labeled it as a Clinical Shadowing experience. How can I go back now and really convey how much work I am actually doing during those 12 hour shifts?

 

[Mobius1985]

Now that I think about it Mobius, I guess its not very obvious how involved I am at the ER. I labeled it as a Clinical Shadowing experience. How can I go back now and really convey how much work I am actually doing during those 12 hour shifts?

Write an update letter to all the schools you haven't been rejected from. ASAP!

 

[Mobius1985]

I went back over our conversations, and while I'm convinced you've had a great deal of appropriate clinical experience now, I still can't say that what you're doing is a community service that satisfies the expectation of altruistic actvity. Are you formally recognized by the hospital as being there to help? Or is your arrangement only with the DO you work with? Would the hospital be able to provide you with a letter documenting your activities, or only the doctor you work with? You really didn't comment about whether you got a PPD, filled out an appplication, etc.

 

[Mordhrin]

The Adcom just sent the email inviting me to interview! I'm so excited I think I just did a lap around the inside of my house. Talk about a couple reversal of my outlook. Looking forward to seeing LECOM next friday.

P.S. Any advice and tips for the LECOM interview much appreciated.

 

[Mobius1985]

Congratulations!

See: http://more.studentdoctor.net/schoollist.php?type=1

Click school name, then click date, then scroll down and see most common interview questions and general feedback from someone who already interviewed. As you'll see, there are many, many feedback responses to read over to help prepare you.