Not enough volunteering/shadowing, scared my application is effed

[Hastur]

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So here's the deal. I'm taking the MCAT this year and planning to apply this year. I'm non-trad, and the school I'm focused on likes non-trads and reapplicants, so I'm trying not to freak out too much about what happens if I don't get in.

Here are my strengths:

* I'm a really good test-taker and doing well in my MCAT prep course and I expect to get somewhere around a 35 on the MCAT.

* I have good relationships with my professors and can expect at least 4 kickass reference letters.

* I have taken on a lot of student leadership activities this year.

* I have a weird-ass background with lots of humanities and writing experience.

Neutral:

* Recent GPA around 3.6, historical GPA somewhat lower. Every transcript from the schools I've been to should amount to at least a 3.0, but lots of W's from ten years ago. B's in biology and organic chemistry; A's in everything else relevant.

But I'm scared about the weaknesses in my app. Volunteering and shadowing are my main lack: I have done several short-term volunteer activities, but my only long-term one is first aid at events, which is an on-and-off thing starting last Spring. I have not found anyone to shadow yet.

The thing that screwed me up was that I had an unrelated job until last October, and they scheduled me at random times so I couldn't commit to anything. As soon as I lost that job, I applied to a more regular volunteer position, but they put me off and can't start me until April.

5 months from application to start date makes me despair of ever being able to do anything in the field. What can I do to get out there immediately and start busting my butt?? I'd be happy to volunteer in a soup kitchen but I'm not sure it will look sufficiently related, and it seems like all the medical volunteering in this area is backed up from here to 2013, and what isn't, has application paperwork which requires completely predictable availability (a thing I don't have while I'm in school.)

 

[gettheleadout]

First order of business is your cumulative GPA. If this is significantly below 3.5 that's a bigger worry than your lack of service or clinical experience.

Zeroth order of business is this will get moved to WAMC.

Also, I empathize with you about the difficulty of finding clinical volunteering opportunities.

 

[Hastur]

Oh, it's always going to be lower than 3.5, unless I spend an additional four years in school taking grade booster courses: I spent a lot of time attending community college classes and doing badly in them as a teenager. More credits at low GPA = more credits needed to overcome it. I'm intending to keep going one class a term at my uni after I graduate to keep my health insurance, but there's no way I can afford to be a full-time student any longer after this summer.

However, *all* of the stinker grades are 10 years old or more, *all* of the university-level grades are B equivalent or higher, and one of my school transcripts is from a school that does non-letter grading (Evergreen) so the AMCAS app is going to come out odd-looking anyway, and I'm 95% sure that I'll get through the first pass weedout on the strength of my recent grades and MCAT score.

Realized I'd posted in the wrong place after posting. Sorry about that. However, my question is still more "how the hell can I get volunteering experience without waiting through five months of paperwork, after which it will be time to apply already and I'll be screwed" than "is my app ok y/n."

 

[apumic]

Oh, it's always going to be lower than 3.5, unless I spend an additional four years in school taking grade booster courses: I spent a lot of time attending community college classes and doing badly in them as a teenager. More credits at low GPA = more credits needed to overcome it. I'm intending to keep going one class a term at my uni after I graduate to keep my health insurance, but there's no way I can afford to be a full-time student any longer after this summer.

However, *all* of the stinker grades are 10 years old or more, *all* of the university-level grades are B equivalent or higher, and one of my school transcripts is from a school that does non-letter grading (Evergreen) so the AMCAS app is going to come out odd-looking anyway, and I'm 95% sure that I'll get through the first pass weedout on the strength of my recent grades and MCAT score.

Realized I'd posted in the wrong place after posting. Sorry about that. However, my question is still more "how the hell can I get volunteering experience without waiting through five months of paperwork, after which it will be time to apply already and I'll be screwed" than "is my app ok y/n."

If you're wanting clinical volunteering, your best bet is a free clinic. I don't know where you're from but many areas have such programs and they are always in need of help.

I do have to agree w/ the above poster, though, that your GPA is probably going to be what hurts you most. A 3.6 on a post-bacc isn't really that impressive, to be entirely honest, since others in that situation are getting 3.8-4.0s (consistently destroying the UG students in the class), and I would never suggest assuming a 35. Even breaking a 30 with Bs in two of the prereqs will be a challenge. Regardless, good luck -- just don't count your chickens before they hatch!

 

[BiopsychStudent]

If you're wanting clinical volunteering, your best bet is a free clinic. I don't know where you're from but many areas have such programs and they are always in need of help.

I've been having a hard time getting clinical volunteering myself. I often get the impression the local hospitals I contact don't really need the help and they take a while to get back to me. Do you have any suggestions on finding free clinics?

As expected online searches didn't really turn up much.

 

[apumic]

I've been having a hard time getting clinical volunteering myself. I often get the impression the local hospitals I contact don't really need the help and they take a while to get back to me. Do you have any suggestions on finding free clinics?

As expected online searches didn't really turn up much.

Your best bet is google unless you know someone in your community who can help you find them. You'll have to be resourceful here. Think about the populations that utilize them and pretend you're one of them. How might those people find one? The best opportunities are typically gold, in part, b/c they are like a rare gem -- rare, difficult to find, and priceless once obtained. And you're right, the hospitals probably don't need you. When we use volunteers, they're often in the way more than they're worth, really, and it's relatively rare to get a volunteer that actually has the initiative and foresight to anticipate and meet staff needs in such a way as to improve our workflow. As a result, some hospitals probably don't see volunteers as worthwhile (unless they are former employees who simply wanted to remain involved but are now, for instance, retired).

 

[justdoit31]

I'm 95% sure that I'll get through the first pass weedout on the strength of my recent grades and MCAT score.

I don't think that "strength of recent grades" will have any effect on the first pass- usually the first pass is purely a look at MCAT and cummulative GPA- the only chance you have at getting through that is if your science GPA is much higher that cummulative. Most schools get 5000+ applications for 200 or less slots so it is very easy to get screened out with a sub 3.5 GPA. The adcoms don't have time/resources to look at trends of coursework during the screen. Also, when they see you have next to nothing as far as clinical experience I can't see them being super impressed- maybe I am missing some stellar EC you have but I don't see it being very successful this year if you don't amp up the EC's.

 

[slatermd]

Say "hi" to the people at Ross for me.

Totally kidding. If you do pull off a 35 MCAT you'll have less to worry about. Just the same, start some volunteering or shadowing as soon as you can, and make it clear that you will be continuing that during your application year.

 

[CougarMD]

Moving to WAMC. Good luck!

 

[Catalystik]

You might try inquiring at local nursing homes, an oft overlooked clinical environment where docs visit and very sick clients may be in residence. I'm not referring to retirement homes, but rather to facilities that care for those who are no longer capable of independent living.