need help!

[ssgsauseria]

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Hi! I need some input on not having med experience and applying. I'm 32 years old and a staff sergeant in the national guard. I'm an interrogator/linguist and I am fluent in persian farci(tough language!!!).I have an associates in the same language. I have 11 years in the u.s. army and I'm working on my bachelors of kinesiology at my state school. I've completed over 200 hrs and my science g.p.a is around 3.6(3.5 overall). I scored an 11,11,12 on the mcat. My grades and mcat i feel give me a pretty good shot at being accepted at my state school and my years and rank in the service show my leadership abilities. BUT, everything else is not so rosy a picture. My first three years in school I think was like a 2.4 with numerous withdrawals and f's. I believe I have shown with my last three years of coursework that I can handle the work but I am really anxious about explaining my poor showing in the beginning. ALSO, I have little or no med experience. Should I volunteer somewhere between now and next June when I apply or is it THAT important? Any suggestions or critiques of my qualifications so far would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Besyonek]

Most medical schools will consider your healthcare experiences when looking at your application, especially if you're a non-trad student (I was one myself). You have to demonstrate your affinity for patient contact and the healthcare environment. The upside of these experiences is that they can be VERY enjoyable and give you some interesting things to talk about in your personal statement and interviews. Moreover, you might even be able to get a good rec letter from a physician.

In short, the answer is yes, you should definitely get some volunteer experience under your belt before applying.

 

[Mango]

Ditto. There are several non-trads in my class (one ex Army Paratrouper), and I think all of them did some health related jobs/volunteering. Think about it this way, when the interviewer asks you why you want to be a doctor, they want to see that you have at least some frame of reference to validate your answer. And if you've never worked in healthcare, you have none. Good Luck!