Med school adcomes with an emphasis on pre-med clinical experience?

[Skull Pell]

I've been on this site for a while and I have concluded that it doesn't matter for me wherever I go to med school for as long as I get accepted. It takes a lot of guts for this acceptance lol. Not that I am doing badly in school or anything its just that I just want to be an MD. A lot of threads I've been reading on emphasize a lot on research experience - which kinda sucks cause my current UG has absolutely NO research opportunities at all. Beyond my bio lab research papers about mold and enzymatic reactions and a poster project for the lecture part, the faculty in my college on teaches but never really does anything about doing their own research. I'm looking into doing some kind of research during the summer and I am finishing up on my pre-reqs next year (I'm gonna be taking Orgo 1 and 2, A&P 1 and 2 and Physics 1 & 2 all in one year). But I have extensive clinical experience - 1000+ hrs pct experience, 50+ shadowing MD's. Since I work at a hospital, Im expecting it to be well over 2000 hours when I apply during the 2015 cycle.

My apologies for the long background story but my question is, which med schools look favorably more on clinical experience? (So as to maximize acceptances) I'm still building my school list but I can't seem to find any thread that addresses this question.

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[Nymphicus]

I've been on this site for a while and I have concluded that it doesn't matter for me wherever I go to med school for as long as I get accepted. It takes a lot of guts for this acceptance lol. Not that I am doing badly in school or anything its just that I just want to be an MD. A lot of threads I've been reading on emphasize a lot on research experience - which kinda sucks cause my current UG has absolutely NO research opportunities at all. Beyond my bio lab research papers about mold and enzymatic reactions and a poster project for the lecture part, the faculty in my college on teaches but never really does anything about doing their own research. I'm looking into doing some kind of research during the summer and I am finishing up on my pre-reqs next year (I'm gonna be taking Orgo 1 and 2, A&P 1 and 2 and Physics 1 & 2 all in one year). But I have extensive clinical experience - 1000+ hrs pct experience, 50+ shadowing MD's. Since I work at a hospital, Im expecting it to be well over 2000 hours when I apply during the 2015 cycle.

My apologies for the long background story but my question is, which med schools look favorably more on clinical experience? (So as to maximize acceptances) I'm still building my school list but I can't seem to find any thread that addresses this question.

All of them.

If your question is really "Which schools don't favor research as much," that's a different question. The answer can be approximated based on the mission statement of the school and somewhat correlates with the amount of research and research funding the school has.

 

[ComradeDoktor]

Step 1: Take the US News rankings
Step 2: Cross out the top 30 or so schools
Step 3: There's your list

I know I'm going to get flamed for oversimplifying this, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the prestige-hungry schools are going to want great researchers. Middle-of-the-pack schools will should be happy with someone who'll be a great clinician.

 

[Skull Pell]

All of them.

If your question is really "Which schools don't favor research as much," that's a different question. The answer can be approximated based on the mission statement of the school and somewhat correlates with the amount of research and research funding the school has.

I just checked out your MD apps, impressive man. I just realized got a long ways to go being in my sophomore year. I don't mind doing research at all, its just that my ug focuses quite a lot on sports. Yeah, I'll get the MSAR maybe next year (?) so i could prep up for the app cycle for the year after that and comb through all the missions.

Step 1: Take the US News rankings
Step 2: Cross out the top 30 or so schools
Step 3: There's your list

I know I'm going to get flamed for oversimplifying this, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the prestige-hungry schools are going to want great researchers. Middle-of-the-pack schools will should be happy with someone who'll be a great clinician.

As far as I know (maybe theres more to this list that I am unaware of), you can be one of the ff: academician, researcher, clinician etc.. I'd rather be a bamf clinician cause I like to work a lot with my hands and deal with pt's hands on.

 

[Geebeejay]

Most schools like this. Certainly, some schools are looking for researchers, and you will probably not have a shot here, but I'd say that 80+% of schools will look past this given you have substantial patient care experience. Furthermore, you'll have a lot to talk about in your interviews.

I personally have 6 months of "research" experience, which barely even counts as research experience compared to some of the experiences I've seen in this forum. But I make up for that with, like you, well over a thousand hours as a PCT, and have gotten 4 interviews so far with good, but not outstanding stats.

 

[Skull Pell]

Most schools like this. Certainly, some schools are looking for researchers, and you will probably not have a shot here, but I'd say that 80+% of schools will look past this given you have substantial patient care experience. Furthermore, you'll have a lot to talk about in your interviews.

I personally have 6 months of "research" experience, which barely even counts as research experience compared to some of the experiences I've seen in this forum. But I make up for that with, like you, well over a thousand hours as a PCT, and have gotten 4 interviews so far with good, but not outstanding stats.

Congrats on the interviews!! Couldn't wait to be the one saying those words lol. For me, I just have to work 24 hours a week to keep my part time status. I go to school M-F, and work 12 hours night shift Sat and Sun. Which i think is good cause apart from the academic marathon, you get to see the hospital every week and work with the docs we aspire to be. Thing is, its just physically draining, all you want to do is sleep the whole day so you're all charged up for the next shift. I'm pretty sure you know exactly what i mean hah

 

[gyngyn]

Step 1: Take the US News rankings
Step 2: Cross out the top 30 or so schools
Step 3: There's your list

I know I'm going to get flamed for oversimplifying this, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the prestige-hungry schools are going to want great researchers. Middle-of-the-pack schools will should be happy with someone who'll be a great clinician.

I would amend #2 to: Cross off the first 50, add them back in if your MCAT is >3 points above their mean for matriculants (and you can write effectively).

 

[dsoz]

I just checked out your MD apps, impressive man. I just realized got a long ways to go being in my sophomore year. I don't mind doing research at all, its just that my ug focuses quite a lot on sports. Yeah, I'll get the MSAR maybe next year (?) so i could prep up for the app cycle for the year after that and comb through all the missions.
.

Don't bother buying the MSAR. Most colleges have one or more floating around. Check your library or the pre-med adviser. maybe even the career center.

The college near my house has a copy of the MSAR for every year going back 10+ years in the library. It was a short drive down to the library and a couple of quarters into the photocopier to get information about every MD school where I applied. I got the corresponding DO book for free at an Osteopathic awareness conference last spring.

dsoz

 

[ComradeDoktor]

I just checked out your MD apps, impressive man. I just realized got a long ways to go being in my sophomore year. I don't mind doing research at all, its just that my ug focuses quite a lot on sports. Yeah, I'll get the MSAR maybe next year (?) so i could prep up for the app cycle for the year after that and comb through all the missions.




As far as I know (maybe theres more to this list that I am unaware of), you can be one of the ff: academician, researcher, clinician etc.. I'd rather be a bamf clinician cause I like to work a lot with my hands and deal with pt's hands on.

True... sorta. My mentor is an MD/PhD. He told me that when he was PI of a lab, he'd started to forget what the inside of a hospital looked like. He got out of the basic science research work and now splits his time 50/50 between direct patient care and overseeing clinical research. He's definitely a great clinician because as one of the senior-most docs in a tertiary referral hospital he gets the toughest cases. It's definitely possible to mix research and being a sharp doctor, it just depends on the specifics of the research.

 

[Skull Pell]

Don't bother buying the MSAR.

dsoz

I'm thinking of getting the online one that looks comprehensive. I read on one of the threads that it is one of the best investments pre-med kids spend on; for only ~20 bucks too!

I would amend #2 to: Cross off the first 50, add them back in if your MCAT is >3 points above their mean for matriculants (and you can write effectively).

As long as its allo and not Carribean - I've seen how harsh people can be here with the mere mention of it - I'm good. Thank you; now only if i could channel that to writing a sick PS.

True... sorta. My mentor is an MD/PhD. He told me that when he was PI of a lab, he'd started to forget what the inside of a hospital looked like. He got out of the basic science research work and now splits his time 50/50 between direct patient care and overseeing clinical research. He's definitely a great clinician because as one of the senior-most docs in a tertiary referral hospital he gets the toughest cases. It's definitely possible to mix research and being a sharp doctor, it just depends on the specifics of the research.

Landing a clinical/hospital based research gig, would probably be the next best thing to a med school acceptance for me. Being cooped up like that in a lab isn't the reason why I'm aspiring to become an MD. Although having insights on both sides though is invaluable just like you said.


Thanks for all the replies guys

 

[earf]

I think what's even more important for medical schools than research and clinical volunteering is shadowing physicians. How do you know what a doctor does on a daily basis if you don't actually follow them around (with consent of course)? What do you know about a physicians perspective? What do they think are strengths and limitations of medicine?

You can observe this as a clinical volunteer, but I don't think you get the level of insight that a physician as a role model or mentor can provide. You also can't see what the doctors are doing with the patient or saying to them if you're not in the room with them.

Call up some offices and see if they'll let a person who's interested in entering the medical field shadow a doc or two.

 

[Skull Pell]

I think what's even more important for medical schools than research and clinical volunteering is shadowing physicians. How do you know what a doctor does on a daily basis if you don't actually follow them around (with consent of course)? What do you know about a physicians perspective? What do they think are strengths and limitations of medicine?

You can observe this as a clinical volunteer, but I don't think you get the level of insight that a physician as a role model or mentor can provide. You also can't see what the doctors are doing with the patient or saying to them if you're not in the room with them.

Call up some offices and see if they'll let a person who's interested in entering the medical field shadow a doc or two.

That number of hours is actually my clinical hours spent working directly with pt's. I have very minimal volunteer experiences (20 or so hours at the ED at the local community hospital since they only let volunteers volunteer for 4 hours every week). I was thinking of doing more volunteer work for my alternative spring break.

I have shadowed docs for at least 50+ hours (internal med/critical care) already and made friends with them to the point that we hang out outside the hospital. They think of me as their young buck protege lol.

I just hate the disparity of my regular week - assisting them in doing bedside procedures like inserting central subclavian/IJ/femoral lines; a-lines; broncho-, colono-, endoscopy etc. and knowing that I'd be back in my bio lab looking at friggin' bread molds


p.s. its embarassing how i spelt adcom"E"s in my thread title and I just noticed it only now.

 

[cheechootrain]

As long as you have some clinical experience and if you can somehow illustrate what you've learned from it, I think you'll be fine. Having 500 hours+ of doing research for a biology professor (where most of the time you're cleaning glassware) may not help you if you can't articulate how it made me a better person and as a future physician.

 

[Skull Pell]

As long as you have some clinical experience and if you can somehow illustrate what you've learned from it, I think you'll be fine. Having 500 hours+ of doing research for a biology professor (where most of the time you're cleaning glassware) may not help you if you can't articulate how it made me a better person and as a future physician.

I thought doing research for them would equate to looking up scientific lit reviews and giving them the data you got from all your research..that sort. Never thought of that perspective lol. It sounds pretty much like the volunteer work that people do in the hospital (i.e. restock gloves, isolation gowns)

 

[Nymphicus]

p.s. its embarassing how i spelt adcom"E"s in my thread title and I just noticed it only now.

In my head I pretended it was the French way of saying it.