Other than MCAT, grades, and clinical/research experience, how to stand out as a candidate?

[crypticase]

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[0dee]

Do the things that you enjoy in life and helps you become a better person, don't do things to show them on an application to a bunch of people. That's my advice to you.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Don't go out and try to boost your application just to look better. Find something you enjoy and stick with it. Medical schools want to see consistency and loyalty. They want to know that you can hang out and stick with things. I would recommend just volunteering at a few places and leaving it at that. Leadership events are fine and all, but the reality of it is there aren't too many students with an abundance of leadership experience. Get clinical experience, volunteer, make good grades, and do well on your MCAT and you are golden.

 

[Buzzlightyear33]

Per the LizzyM excel: Military service, peace corps service, teach for America service, and being an Olympic athlete are some good ways to stand out.

 

[crypticase]

Per the LizzyM excel: Military service, peace corps service, teach for America service, and being an Olympic athlete are some good ways to stand out.

Lol! Well I meant something more feasible of someone with my caliber 😛

 

[Bones 2020]

What is your life story? Start by answering that. I truly believe that it is what got me my acceptance

 

[Goro]

Shadow a DO
Get a DO LOR
Observe OMT in action
If there's a DO school in driving distance, go visit and chat up the DO faculty.

I am currently a 4th year pre-med/biology student. I was a pharmacy student for 2 years before transferring to my current school and becoming pre-med. those two years, I did not do as many extra curriculars since I was more so focused on shadowing and figuring out what career path I wanted, and then decided to transfer.

Right now I'm beginning my second year at this school and I have 1 more left (5 year school cuz of co-op). I'm the secretary of the Pre-SOMA chapter on my campus and may become president next year. I also do this program where we go and play games with under privileged children, am part of a program learning about leadership, and just members of a few other groups. I was on the eboard of a club last semester but it broke apart. It's only week 2 here, so I'm trying to figure out what else I can do to stand out as a candidate, especially being on only 1 eboard. I'll try to get leadership positions from my other groups, but it's rarely a guarantee...

 

[Seth Joo]

Don't go out and try to boost your application just to look better. Find something you enjoy and stick with it. Medical schools want to see consistency and loyalty. They want to know that you can hang out and stick with things. I would recommend just volunteering at a few places and leaving it at that. Leadership events are fine and all, but the reality of it is there aren't too many students with an abundance of leadership experience. Get clinical experience, volunteer, make good grades, and do well on your MCAT and you are golden.

I don't know about that, a good number of my classmates were pushed into medical school by tiger parents, one person in my interview group was escorted by his mom. Of course there are self motivated people who truly want to become doctors and do not have pushy parents talking them into it, I am one of them, my parents contrary to stereotypes of Asian American parents actually tried to talk me out of going, I went anyway.

Having life experiences enhances your application a lot to DO schools because they seem to value that a lot, you grow as a human being, you get to see the real world. MD schools are different.

 

[Goro]

Most DO schools are fine with an MD LOR, and can understand the geographic predicament you're in.

I'm a big fan of people who volunteer in hospice, nursing homes or Habitat for Humanity.

Failing that show your compassion with service to those less fortunate than yourself.

I did see some OMT through Pre-SOMA, as we had some Med students visit our school and perform it for us. However, finding a DO to shadow/get an LOR from a DO specifically might be tough, considering that there's not many in my state and they're probably too busy to want to take on an inexperienced undergraduate such as myself. Would DO schools still be okay with an MD LOR?

 

[yanks26dmb]

I am currently a 4th year pre-med/biology student. I was a pharmacy student for 2 years before transferring to my current school and becoming pre-med. those two years, I did not do as many extra curriculars since I was more so focused on shadowing and figuring out what career path I wanted, and then decided to transfer.

Right now I'm beginning my second year at this school and I have 1 more left (5 year school cuz of co-op). I'm the secretary of the Pre-SOMA chapter on my campus and may become president next year. I also do this program where we go and play games with under privileged children, am part of a program learning about leadership, and just members of a few other groups. I was on the eboard of a club last semester but it broke apart. It's only week 2 here, so I'm trying to figure out what else I can do to stand out as a candidate, especially being on only 1 eboard. I'll try to get leadership positions from my other groups, but it's rarely a guarantee...

A felony (or two) would probably help you stand out.

 

[Dohnut]

I am currently a 4th year pre-med/biology student. I was a pharmacy student for 2 years before transferring to my current school and becoming pre-med. those two years, I did not do as many extra curriculars since I was more so focused on shadowing and figuring out what career path I wanted, and then decided to transfer.

Right now I'm beginning my second year at this school and I have 1 more left (5 year school cuz of co-op). I'm the secretary of the Pre-SOMA chapter on my campus and may become president next year. I also do this program where we go and play games with under privileged children, am part of a program learning about leadership, and just members of a few other groups. I was on the eboard of a club last semester but it broke apart. It's only week 2 here, so I'm trying to figure out what else I can do to stand out as a candidate, especially being on only 1 eboard. I'll try to get leadership positions from my other groups, but it's rarely a guarantee...

There's a huge difference between leadership abilities (which could also include being a good follower under certain circumstances), and positions held on paper.

 

[Seth Joo]

A felony (or two) would probably help you stand out.

More likely keep you out, also a drug and alcohol conviction, most schools are very strict about this, even if they kept you and let you get your degree, once you are in the real world its going to be hard to get a medical license with a drug or alcohol conviction record. That is why I advise students to give up their partying habits that they were doing while they were in undergrad.

 

[yanks26dmb]

More likely keep you out, also a drug and alcohol conviction, most schools are very strict about this, even if they kept you and let you get your degree, once you are in the real world its going to be hard to get a medical license with a drug or alcohol conviction record. That is why I advise students to give up their partying habits that they were doing while they were in undergrad.

This just isn't true.

Having a joint on your record from many years ago isn't going to prevent the medical board from giving you a license. No way no how.

 

[Seth Joo]

This just isn't true.

Having a joint on your record from many years ago isn't going to prevent the medical board from giving you a license. No way no how.

Depends on the severity of the violation and the state.

 

[mathnerd88]

To stand out, just get a very good GPA and MCAT score and apply early. You'll get lots of interview invites early with just that.

ECs start mattering when your GPA and MCAT are lacking, but you'll be able to get all the interviews you want with just good GPA and MCAT.

Some applicants go overkill and have lots of EC's when they're not really all that necessary except shadowing and volunteering and that DO letter.

 

[Seth Joo]

This just isn't true.

Having a joint on your record from many years ago isn't going to prevent the medical board from giving you a license. No way no how.

Quite a few states require medical license applicants to have mandatory drug testing, that being said the major reason so many doctors lose their licenses with regards to drugs usually has nothing to do with illicit substances or abuse of alcohol, but more with abusing their prescribing privileges, that does not always lead to criminal prosecution and charges but it frequently leads to the doctor losing their license.

 

[cbrons]

Be very good at the personal interview

 

[yanks26dmb]

Depends on the severity of the violation and the state.

This I agree with. That's why you can't say having a drug or alcohol conviction on your record is going to make it very hard to get your medical license. A drunk in public, joint, etc. isn't going to make it hard at all..especially if said incidence was a decade or more ago. Caught with a kilo of heroine up your butt at an airport? Yeah, you might run into some problems.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Quite a few states require medical license applicants to have mandatory drug testing, that being said the major reason so many doctors lose their licenses with regards to drugs usually has nothing to do with illicit substances or abuse of alcohol, but more with abusing their prescribing privileges, that does not always lead to criminal prosecution and charges but it frequently leads to the doctor losing their license.

Yeah, but that wasn't what we were discussing. We were discussing pre-meds/medical students with drug/alcohol convictions on their records and the ramifications of such when it comes to receiving a medical license.

 

[Seth Joo]

Yeah, but that wasn't what we were discussing. We were discussing pre-meds/medical students with drug/alcohol convictions on their records and the ramifications of such when it comes to receiving a medical license.

The best medicine in this case is prevention, avoid situations where you could land yourself in trouble, even something like a DUI can become a very big deal. Medical school and undergrad are very different worlds with very different expectations placed upon you, and generally a lot more is expected of you as a medical student.

 

[yanks26dmb]

The best medicine in this case is prevention, avoid situations where you could land yourself in trouble, even something like a DUI can become a very big deal. Medical school and undergrad are very different worlds with very different expectations placed upon you, and generally a lot more is expected of you as a medical student.

Don't disagree with this at all. No problems is better than minor problems. I just wouldn't want pre-meds/current students worried they aren't going to get a license because they had something minor on their record from years ago.