Pacing Myself for Med School

[SkittlesSuck]

Hello,

I need advice on how to improve my application and plan my remaining semesters. I am a second-year student right now, and I have not yet declared my major. I have a 3.7 GPA overall and 3.7 sci GPA.

As for coursework, I have finished all my pre-reqs except for organic 2 lab and both semesters of physics. In fact, I have never taken physics. That leads me to my first question. When should I take the MCATs? When should I start studying? Should I finish physics first, or should I start studying for the MCATs this summer even if I have no knowledge of physics?

Now, as for volunteering and ECs, I do not think I have done much, especially with many people filling in all 15 available or so spots available for their activities on their applications.

I did not do much my first year except join a club, which I am now on the e-board for. I have been arranging about 2-3 volunteering activities per semester for the club. I, however, am thinking about leaving the club after this semester.

During my first summer (after my freshman year), I volunteered as an RA at a hospital, interviewing patients for various studies in the ER. I did that for 8 hours a week. I continued with it during my first semester of sophomore year and I am still doing it (4hrs/wk now). I think I have at least 150+ hours in this. I have also been working as a cashier, taking inventory as well as doing what a cashier does. I started during the beginning of my fall semester and will continue to work. The number of hours varied but for the most part is have worked 16-24 hours a week.

With the summer approaching, I applied for a few positions at hospitals and at private practices, but I did not get any of them. Thus, I do not know where else I can take some clinical exposure. I really think its time for me to move on from working as a RA at the hospital I am at now because i've been doing the same thing since the beginning and I feel like I need something new to do. I am considering joining a research group at a lab in my school, volunteering for an organization for a day or two a week, continuing with my part-time job, and possibly shadow a few doctors during the summer. I, however, prefer to start research during the fall semester and get some clinical exposure during the summer. What should I do? I feel as if my semesters passed by so quickly and I already feel the MCATs approaching, meaning application time is coming as well, and I feel as if i had nothing compared to those who get into good schools lolllll.....

Please help!!!!!

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[GopherMD]

Take the MCAT after physics (or while taking physics) sometime during your junior year; either spring or EARLY summer.

Any chance you did the RA program at HCMC?

 

[twizzlers713]

How many MCATs you takin?

 

[BuddyTheElf]

Just to prevent you from being ridiculed: it's MCAT, not MCATs (unless you're taking it several times). That really bugs the SDNers
My advice is take it after you've taken Physics. My MCAT was particularly physics-heavy. If you're in your 2nd year, then you'll be taking Physics I and II throughout your 3rd year. I'd take it at the end of the 3rd year/beginning of Summer. Are you planning on applying to medical schools the summer after your junior year? (Remember you need to apply the year before you'd like to begin medical school.) If so, budget your time accordingly. It'll be tough to prepare AMCAS/AACOMAS while studying for the MCAT. Not impossible, but inconvenient.
Good Luck!

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

Hello,

I need advice on how to improve my application and plan my remaining semesters. I am a second-year student right now, and I have not yet declared my major. I have a 3.7 GPA overall and 3.7 sci GPA.

As for coursework, I have finished all my pre-reqs except for organic 2 lab and both semesters of physics. In fact, I have never taken physics. That leads me to my first question. When should I take the MCATs? When should I start studying? Should I finish physics first, or should I start studying for the MCATs this summer even if I have no knowledge of physics?

Now, as for volunteering and ECs, I do not think I have done much, especially with many people filling in all 15 available or so spots available for their activities on their applications.

I did not do much my first year except join a club, which I am now on the e-board for. I have been arranging about 2-3 volunteering activities per semester for the club. I, however, am thinking about leaving the club after this semester.

During my first summer (after my freshman year), I volunteered as an RA at a hospital, interviewing patients for various studies in the ER. I did that for 8 hours a week. I continued with it during my first semester of sophomore year and I am still doing it (4hrs/wk now). I think I have at least 150+ hours in this. I have also been working as a cashier, taking inventory as well as doing what a cashier does. I started during the beginning of my fall semester and will continue to work. The number of hours varied but for the most part is have worked 16-24 hours a week.

With the summer approaching, I applied for a few positions at hospitals and at private practices, but I did not get any of them. Thus, I do not know where else I can take some clinical exposure. I really think its time for me to move on from working as a RA at the hospital I am at now because i've been doing the same thing since the beginning and I feel like I need something new to do. I am considering joining a research group at a lab in my school, volunteering for an organization for a day or two a week, continuing with my part-time job, and possibly shadow a few doctors during the summer. I, however, prefer to start research during the fall semester and get some clinical exposure during the summer. What should I do? I feel as if my semesters passed by so quickly and I already feel the MCATs approaching, meaning application time is coming as well, and I feel as if i had nothing compared to those who get into good schools lolllll.....

Please help!!!!!

I think you're doing just fine, so don't stress too much It sounds like you have some great volunteering experience and even some leadership already, so that's really good. I think that your idea to get more clinical exposure this summer and focus on research next fall is a good too, but it also doesn't hurt to start in a lab earlier rather than later if you have the opportunity and the free time (maybe part time over the summer?). Also, a lot of people who fill up 15 slots on their app have taken time off. I've taken 2 extra years and I might not even use all of my spaces, so don't feel bad if you don't either. Remember that quality is better than quantity anyway

A couple comments/questions...
1. Why do you want to leave the club that you're involved in? I only ask because you have a leadership role there as an eboard member, so it seems like staying for another year or more would only strengthen the leadership part of your app. But obviously if you don't like the position or feel it is a wast of your time you should ditch it. It was just a thought.

2. It sounds like you've had a lot of exposure to medicine in the ER, which is good. Maybe this summer you can shadow a broad range of specialties and some primary care. I basically did that one summer while working part time and got quite a few hours. You can PM me if you have questions about finding people to shadow.

3. For MCAT I probably wouldn't start studying hardcore yet, but you can start going over the material that you need to know for orgo/gen chem/bio to get an idea of how much studying you will need to do. I would wait until after taking both semester of physics to take the actual test. I don't know how it works at your school, but at mine we didn't get to waves/lenses/pressure until second semester and my MCAT touched on some of those topics.

My timeline was a lot different than yours because I took time off, so I can't say for sure when you should start studying for the MCAT/working on different parts of your app. I would definitely give yourself a few solid months to prep though and take a lot of practice tests.

Good luck!

 

[SkittlesSuck]

No, I am not an RA at HCMC. Also, I'm not too familiar with the application cycle because I've been focusing on doing what I need to do at this point in my academic career. If I am to take the MCAT early summer after my junior year, will I have to take a gap year, or will I still be able to head straight to school after graduating.

 

[GopherMD]

No, I am not an RA at HCMC. Also, I'm not too familiar with the application cycle because I've been focusing on doing what I need to do at this point in my academic career. If I am to take the MCAT early summer after my junior year, will I have to take a gap year, or will I still be able to head straight to school after graduating.

You will still be able to go straight after graduating. Just don't take the MCAT past June (right after junior year).

 

[SkittlesSuck]

I think you're doing just fine, so don't stress too much It sounds like you have some great volunteering experience and even some leadership already, so that's really good. I think that your idea to get more clinical exposure this summer and focus on research next fall is a good too, but it also doesn't hurt to start in a lab earlier rather than later if you have the opportunity and the free time (maybe part time over the summer?). Also, a lot of people who fill up 15 slots on their app have taken time off. I've taken 2 extra years and I might not even use all of my spaces, so don't feel bad if you don't either. Remember that quality is better than quantity anyway

A couple comments/questions...
1. Why do you want to leave the club that you're involved in? I only ask because you have a leadership role there as an eboard member, so it seems like staying for another year or more would only strengthen the leadership part of your app. But obviously if you don't like the position or feel it is a wast of your time you should ditch it. It was just a thought.

2. It sounds like you've had a lot of exposure to medicine in the ER, which is good. Maybe this summer you can shadow a broad range of specialties and some primary care. I basically did that one summer while working part time and got quite a few hours. You can PM me if you have questions about finding people to shadow.

3. For MCAT I probably wouldn't start studying hardcore yet, but you can start going over the material that you need to know for orgo/gen chem/bio to get an idea of how much studying you will need to do. I would wait until after taking both semester of physics to take the actual test. I don't know how it works at your school, but at mine we didn't get to waves/lenses/pressure until second semester and my MCAT touched on some of those topics.

My timeline was a lot different than yours because I took time off, so I can't say for sure when you should start studying for the MCAT/working on different parts of your app. I would definitely give yourself a few solid months to prep though and take a lot of practice tests.

Good luck!

1. I want to leave the club because I feel as if I am not getting anything out of it anywhere. Each week is just an information session, and although each session is somewhat different, each session is also somewhat repetitive. I don't think it's a waste of time, but I think joining a new club, maybe something like a writing club (I like to write) or something random I find interesting could be better for me even if I do not have a position or if its not a medically related club. (The club mainly focuses on preparing your application.)

2. I am going to shadow one doctor in the ER at the hospital I am working in right now. There shouldn't be problems because I am already affiliated with the hospital and other RAs have shadowed the same doctor too. I want to shadow other doctors as well. How long does it take to set up a meeting? I am assuming several weeks because I need to be cleared by the hospital.



Also, thank you everyone for you help!