Over-arcing hours question

[ILikeWater]

I find it difficult to find a good idea of what hours are acceptable for this process as a truly traditional student (no gap years). As well as how I would be judged as a straight through applicant with the below hours. Would anyone be able to help guide me along with this? I am a junior ORM, with a 3.75 gpa and am taking the MCAT in march.

*Note: These are all at time of app

Clinical:
Aid in nursing home: 200 hours
EMT (transport): 300 hours
(Not super clinical but work) Pharmacy Tech: 400 hours

Volunteering:
Collegiate Triathlon team Volunteering Coordinater/Volunteer: 300 hours
Breast Cancer Triathlon team volunteer/coach: 300 hours
Low income clinic: 100 hours

Research:
400 hours not wet lab, one poster presentation, one pub in the works, probably (most likely won't be published in time to be relevant)

Shadowing:
40 hours various specialties.

Miscellaneous:
Triathlon team training: 2000+ hours
Construction work: 300 hours
Intramural sports: 300 hours
IBD awareness club: 50 hours

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[Goro]

Getting about 10 more hours of shadowing, and 100 hours plus of service to others less fortunate than yourself. Your service hours that aren't on clinical appear to be on campus and club-related and what you need to do is be around people who don't look like you, and get out of your comfort zone and off campus

 

[ILikeWater]

Getting about 10 more hours of shadowing, and 100 hours plus of service to others less fortunate than yourself. Your service hours that aren't on clinical appear to be on campus and club-related and what you need to do is be around people who don't look like you, and get out of your comfort zone and off campus

Thank you for the input. Now, one final question: I cannot begin to create a school list because I do not know my MCAT score. However, do you think these activities, with the correct writing of course, are competitive for most schools?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the input. Now, one final question: I cannot begin to create a school list because I do not know my MCAT score. However, do you think these activities, with the correct writing of course, are competitive for most schools?

Mission fit matters. Figure out what schools your want to attend and the MCAT range you need. Build your reaches, targets, and baseline.

 

[ILikeWater]

Mission fit matters. Figure out what schools your want to attend and the MCAT range you need. Build your reaches, targets, and baseline.

As for the mission fit, I am always curious about how that exactly works. It feels as though they are all splitting hairs in their mission statements and it comes out to either "we're a research school" or "we're a service school" and I have an application that doesn't lean too hard in any direction hours-wise.

 

[AJS59]

As for the mission fit, I am always curious about how that exactly works. It feels as though they are all splitting hairs in their mission statements and it comes out to either "we're a research school" or "we're a service school" and I have an application that doesn't lean too hard in any direction hours-wise.

It's not entirely a binary choice between research and service. Some schools specialize in rural healthcare, other schools in care to certain communities (Spanish Speakers, LGBTQ+, etc.), or others focus on different areas such as public health, political/business connections, etc. Look into more than just the mission statement

 

[Goro]

I agree with my learned colleagues. BTW: Service to others is always good.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

As for the mission fit, I am always curious about how that exactly works. It feels as though they are all splitting hairs in their mission statements and it comes out to either "we're a research school" or "we're a service school" and I have an application that doesn't lean too hard in any direction hours-wise.

Concurring, it's a spectrum (and not linear, but maybe planar). Read

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success - SDN

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