Medical School Admissions, Blackjack, and the Art of Checking Boxes

[Goro]

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You appear to think that we're so stupid as to blindly admit everyone who's volunteered in a hospital? We look at the entire packet. At interviews, we can pick on passion, and we've rejected people who were as bland as tap water. I submit that someone who is going pad their experiences will be the ones who lack passion, or worse, give off the air of entitlement (as we've seen expressed above) that because they set foot in a hospital, they deserve a seat in medical school.

Now assuming those stories from the first six shifts are real, an ADCOM won't realistically be able to tell the difference between an honest applicant, and a faker with legitimate hours to back them up. That's how the dishonest game the system and get into medical school. Unless they are stupid enough to brag about gaming the system, it's not possible to catch them.[/QUOTE]

 

[Planes2Doc]

You appear to think that we're so stupid as to blindly admit everyone who's volunteered in a hospital? We look at the entire packet. At interviews, we can pick on passion, and we've rejected people who were as bland as tap water. I submit that someone who is going pad their experiences will be the ones who lack passion, or worse, give off the air of entitlement (as we've seen expressed above) that because they set foot in a hospital, they deserve a seat in medical school.

Now assuming those stories from the first six shifts are real, an ADCOM won't realistically be able to tell the difference between an honest applicant, and a faker with legitimate hours to back them up. That's how the dishonest game the system and get into medical school. Unless they are stupid enough to brag about gaming the system, it's not possible to catch them.

[/QUOTE]

Of course I don't think ADCOMs are stupid. After seeing enough applicants over the years, I know that ADCOMs can pick up on people who are BSing them. In fact, I hope that in the future I can volunteer on my school's ADCOM committee. It's that people still fall through the cracks. Sadly it's the best liars who are the ones that can fake passion. It's a shame when they get through. 🙁

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

I didn't realize volunteer work was something that helped you get into med school. (I've just decided to take pre-med)

I've been doing volunteer work since middle school (halfway houses, mission trips fixing houses, volunteer firefighter in high school) but haven't been doing much recently other than helping out at my local church and putting together food boxes on the holidays. As soon as I get a working vehicle I want to start volunteering at the halfway house again.

Are these things I should include in an application, even though they were before college? The only one I have any type of official verification for were my years as a volunteer firefighter, because they keep records of meeting attendance.

You can only include things you've done while in college or afterward, unless it was something you started beforehand and continued through college, in which case you can count all of it.

 

[dbeast]

Too long! Didn't read!

Actually it seems interesting. It's 11PM but maybe I'll read it later. Anybody got a solid summary?

 

[Planes2Doc]

Too long! Didn't read!

Actually it seems interesting. It's 11PM but maybe I'll read it later. Anybody got a solid summary?

Tl;dr is that everyone who applies to medical school is a box-checker of some sort. That's the entire post condensed into one sentence! 😛

Also, @Goro , I totally forgot to give you this one link. I'm not sure if you saw the thread with this article or not, but this satirical article pokes fun at the whole issue regarding medical school admissions: http://www.gomerblog.com/2014/01/ma...ed-school-personal-statement-legally-binding/

Clearly, a larger than normal amount of applicants are saying one thing, yet doing the complete opposite once they are in medical school. I have a sense that they may be strategically checking boxes to make themselves believable. I realize that the article is satire, but the source material must come from somewhere.

 

[Annabell Lee]

You can only include things you've done while in college or afterward, unless it was something you started beforehand and continued through college, in which case you can count all of it.

Ok, thanks for the info! I was still planning on doing more volunteer work through undergrad but hoped that would show I wasn't trying to do the "zero to Mother Teresa" thing.

 

[Laureatebarrel]

I think of "box-checking" as having goals to work towards. It sounds easy, but try to fit all that into your schedule requires a lot of things not said and perhaps too often understated. If we stick to the ideal way that you refer to I don't think there will be enough doctors to serve. After all, it is a job. I might be a box-checker, but if at the end I become a doctor I don't think anybody is gonna give a damn about that.

 

[mcloaf]

Anybody got a solid summary?

It's another thread by Planes2Doc.

 

[mehc012]

I'm in between Authentic and Strategic. I've been doing odd volunteering and whatnot since middle school, but nothing long-term or which looks "good". I used to tutor in HS, then organize a few gigs at nursing homes, then do an event here or there, etc...once I decided to go premed, I realized 2 things: I wanted to get a better idea of what medicine looked like, and I needed to do something that looked better on paper. I also loved working with kids so...I spent a year volunteering at the children's hospital.
I already did research because it was what I thought I wanted as a career. I've been working in labs since high school.
I did sports and music and a TON of tutoring and leadership in college because it was interesting to me - I didn't even know I wanted to go premed at that point!

So the only thing that I did pretty much solely for application purposes was scribing, but I held out for that job over other clinical opportunities because I REALLY wanted to see the things you get to see as a scribe. I don't regret it in the slightest - I love my job and I always leave with a smile on my face.

 

[lifeisgood7]

Can I still be a strategic box-checker if I start a ton of premed activities during my sophomore year of college? I did not have the chance to get into this stuff because of business school activities during my first year.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Can I still be a strategic box-checker if I start a ton of premed activities during my sophomore year of college? I did not have the chance to get into this stuff because of business school activities during my first year.

I don't think that any one thing is enough to qualify you one way or the other. It is more about trends.

 

[Mad Jack]

When I was chilling at the U, my pre med fraternity brother and I, when we were both President of the fraternity, created a number of leadership awards, academic scholarships, students athlete awards, etc. all legitimized by our alumni association with monetary awards. The president awarded them to senior members, many of whom were applying to professional school. As far as I know, they still exist.
Criminal or genius? Or criminal genius?
I would be happy to fund some now if I was asked.

Lol, that's genius.

Set up a bunch of $50 scholarship and leadership awards, etc, set up people within your frat. I was never in one, but damn, if I were, that would be clever as ****.

 

[binko]

I'm going through life, and this process, with basically the same bumbling attitude as my avatar.