Need Help with Identifying Gaps

[Meticulouslykiwi]

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Hi everyone,

Note: I've been receiving feedbacks such as my application is mediocre at best, absolutely no/minimal chance for T60, or very weak. Therefore, I'd like to open it to everyone and ask for your advice on how I should utilize my gap year to improve my application. I realize that I do not yet have an MCAT (currently working on it), but I'm searching for jobs, so I'd like to get pointers on what I should be focusing on.

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I'm planning to take a gap year. If you guys don't mind, I would like to ask for your feedbacks on what aspects of my application that I should work on to improve during that gap year and also on my questions below. I greatly appreciate all of your help!

My questions:
1.) Should I do a post-bac or SMP?
2.) Should I leave the college mentoring club out of my app since I've only started it this semester (long story)? We do have a couple of events that are supposed to be starting, but because of COVID19, I don't think that we can continue since schools are shutting down. I will however, be helping with the planning of this club because I want this club to really ground itself in my uni.

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Stats: ORM / senior year / non-Cali / low tier undergrad / cGPA: 3.6, sGPA: 3.5
Goal: T60
MCAT: not taken yet

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• Clinical: 302 hrs

-Front desk (yes, close enough to smell patients) and medical assistant at a clinic: 252 hrs; 07/16-current
-Hospice care: 50 hrs; 02/19-current

• Research: 830 hrs

-Neurology: ~700 hrs; 08/2018-current
-Anatomy and Physiology: ~60 hrs; 3 months
-Public Health: ~70 hrs; 4months

• Research production: 7 posters (4 cancelled due to COVID), 1 oral presentation
• Non-clinical: 210 hrs

-Mixed volunteering: ~210 hrs; 2016-present
>technology tutoring for the elderly
>packing food for school-aged children who experience food insecurity
>Food bank

• Writing tutor (unpaid): 225 hrs

- Tutored for students at my uni (2 semesters)

• Leadership: 297 hrs

-Volunteer programming board (Board coordinator): ~160 hrs; 2017-present
>Created a volunteering program to teach middle and high school students how to prepare low-cost and healthy snacks
>Created a community garden and donate the food to local non-profits
>Plan and execute volunteering events
>Oversee student volunteering at different volunteering sites

-College Mentoring club (Founder and president): 57 hrs; started this semester
>goal: to help and inspire local high school students (specifically first generation students, because I myself am a first generation) throughout their college application journey

• Shadowing: ~170 hrs

-Neurologist
-Cardiology surgeon
-Pediatrician
-OBGYN

 

[FutureSurgical]

I don't think your GPA is terrible to warrant an SMP. Is it a flat/upward/downward trend? If anything, I'd just take a few extra BCPM courses, if that.

When you get into the top 60 programs, they start becoming geared towards service, especially with underserved populations. To be honest, front desk volunteering may seem more clerical than clinical, in my opinion. It doesn't come off as "clinical" anymore than volunteering at a hospital gift shop. But I could be wrong about that. I'd honestly do something that interacts with patients in a clinical setting (e.g. ED volunteer, spending personal time with sick kids, etc.)

I'm not sure of the reason(s) why you wanna leave the club, but what I've learned is if it's really important for you to include, then why not? The # of hours aren't as important as what you can say about your experience. Quality > quantity

 

[Meticulouslykiwi]

I don't think your GPA is terrible to warrant an SMP. Is it a flat/upward/downward trend? If anything, I'd just take a few extra BCPM courses, if that.

When you get into the top 60 programs, they start becoming geared towards service, especially with underserved populations. To be honest, front desk volunteering may seem more clerical than clinical, in my opinion. It doesn't come off as "clinical" anymore than volunteering at a hospital gift shop. But I could be wrong about that. I'd honestly do something that interacts with patients in a clinical setting (e.g. ED volunteer, spending personal time with sick kids, etc.)

I'm not sure of the reason(s) why you wanna leave the club, but what I've learned is if it's really important for you to include, then why not? The # of hours aren't as important as what you can say about your experience. Quality > quantity

It's a relatively flat/upward trend. I was thinking that too. I could potentially take extra BCPM courses after graduation and MCAT. Do you think that I still have a good shot at T60? Many people are saying that my app's weak, and I'm crying inside .

Yes, I have a personal story that I can tell for the reason as to why I founded the club, and I wanted to start it my junior year, but there were setbacks that I had to iron out, which meant that I couldn't start the events until this semester...then COVID hit.

 

[valkirieas]

I think if you kill the MCAT you'll be ok taking just a couple extra upper level courses. I would focus on that since it could make or break your app.

Ditto what was said above about working directly with vulnerable populations or in a more active clinical role.

 

[Meticulouslykiwi]

I should probably clarify that I do both medical assisting and front desk for the clinic. So that means I get to take blood pressure, patient history, assist with PAP, annual breast exams, urine analysis, pregnancy tests, etc

 

[FutureSurgical]

I should probably clarify that I do both medical assisting and front desk for the clinic. So that means I get to take blood pressure, patient history, assist with PAP, annual breast exams, urine analysis, pregnancy tests, etc

Oh okay, that sounds like triage to me. Which is fine. I'd probably throw in some more clinical volunteering since those schools like seeing it. Or you can do non-clinical volunteering that works with underserved populations. If you can do more work the the food pantry, that's a good way to do it.