Please help - What EC's should I Improve on?

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

These are the EC's I have so far. I have good academic stats, but I feel like my EC's are lacking:

Clinical experience : (343 hours total)

• 112h hospital volunteering
• 40 h shadowing
• 32 h Free Women’s health clinic
• 154 h hospice
• 85 h Free Health clinic

Zero research experience ( want to get a job as clinical research assistant over gap year)

Non-clinical volunteering ( 203 Hours total)

• 58 h habitat for humanity
• 135 h Domestic abuse victims volunteer
• 40 hours remote covid child care tutor

Leadership: 93 h art therapy program (Founder and leader)

Internship: 24 hours one summer - remote at startup that connects mental health care providers with patients

Any suggestions for what i can improve on? I have 8 months till i officially apply which I think is a good time for me to add to my EC's and volunteer. I was initially thinking of applying for a clinical research position, but I would realistically only be working there from May onwards after I apply.

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[EdgeTrimmer]

These are the EC's I have so far. I have good academic stats, but I feel like my EC's are lacking:

Clinical experience : (343 hours total)

• 112h hospital volunteering
• 40 h shadowing
• 32 h Free Women’s health clinic
• 154 h hospice
• 85 h Free Health clinic

Zero research experience ( want to get a job as clinical research assistant over gap year)

Non-clinical volunteering ( 203 Hours total)

• 58 h habitat for humanity
• 135 h Domestic abuse victims volunteer
• 40 hours remote covid child care tutor

Leadership: 93 h art therapy program (Founder and leader)

Internship: 24 hours one summer - remote at startup that connects mental health care providers with patients

Any suggestions for what i can improve on? I have 8 months till i officially apply which I think is a good time for me to add to my EC's and volunteer. I was initially thinking of applying for a clinical research position, but I would realistically only be working there from May onwards after I apply.

You have enough clinical and non-clinical hrs.

 

[KnightDoc]

You have enough clinical and non-clinical hrs.

This^^^^. Just keep doing what you've been doing. Other than research, you are totally fine. Depending on your stats and where you want to apply, you might not even need research.

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

You have enough clinical and non-clinical hrs.

What about shadowing? I only have 40 hours from 1 month in 1 specialty

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

This^^^^. Just keep doing what you've been doing. Other than research, you are totally fine. Depending on your stats and where you want to apply, you might not even need research.

Thanks! My MCAT is rly good so im still going to apply to "top" research heavy schools and give it a shot regardless lol. Hopefully my planned research activities will mean even a little

 

[KnightDoc]

What about shadowing? I only have 40 hours from 1 month in 1 specialty

40 hours is plenty, but you might want to try another specialty, or primary care, just to give yourself some exposure.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

What about shadowing? I only have 40 hours from 1 month in 1 specialty

40 should be enough, 50 is what adcoms recommend and ideally you should have some primary care shadowing.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks! My MCAT is rly good so im still going to apply to "top" research heavy schools and give it a shot regardless lol. Hopefully my planned research activities will mean even a little

Won't be terrible, but keep in mind that, at those schools, you will be competing with literally thousands of applicants who also have good stats and hundreds to thousands of completed research hours at the time of application. That's going to be tough to overcome at those schools.

 

[gyngyn]

What about shadowing? I only have 40 hours from 1 month in 1 specialty

As long as it is in primary care, you are good.

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

As long as it is in primary care, you are good.

40 hours is plenty, but you might want to try another specialty, or primary care, just to give yourself some exposure.

40 should be enough, 50 is what adcoms recommend and ideally you should have some primary care shadowing.

Yes, she is a primary care doctor!

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

Won't be terrible, but keep in mind that, at those schools, you will be competing with literally thousands of applicants who also have good stats and hundreds to thousands of completed research hours at the time of application. That's going to be tough to overcome at those schools.

That is true. I realized super late and now I don't have research but ill try to get some during my gap year. Graduating this december so I cant exactly ask my profs for research

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Yes, she is a primary care doctor!

Ok, you said specialty so everyone assumed it's with a specialist.

 

[lacrossegirl420]

do adcoms really care that much about shadowing? i feel as long as you have ~15-20 hours it's enough

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

do adcoms really care that much about shadowing? i feel as long as you have ~15-20 hours it's enough

Can you articulate very well from 15-20 hours of shadowing?

 

[KnightDoc]

That is true. I realized super late and now I don't have research but ill try to get some during my gap year. Graduating this december so I cant exactly ask my profs for research

Just keep it in mind and be sure not to only apply to top schools based on your stats!

 

[KnightDoc]

Can you articulate very well from 15-20 hours of shadowing?

He's a fast learner!

 

[lacrossegirl420]

@KnightDoc : I guess I am!
@EdgeTrimmer : Idk for me it was enough. Maybe I just got lucky with good experiences though (I did have 70ish on my app though but found the last 50 far less useful than the first 20)

 

[KnightDoc]

@KnightDoc : I guess I am!
@EdgeTrimmer : Idk for me it was enough. Maybe I just got lucky with good experiences though (I did have 70ish on my app though but found the last 50 far less useful than the first 20)

You're totally missing the point -- you're not on an adcom. It doesn't matter whether you think it's enough. You might also think a 500 on the MCAT is enough for Harvard. You'd be wrong.

P.S. If you really thought it was enough, why did you waste your time with the last 50 hours????

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

@EdgeTrimmer : Idk for me it was enough. Maybe I just got lucky with good experiences though (I did have 70ish on my app though but found the last 50 far less useful than the first 20)

Enough for you what? Also did you all 70th with same doc?

 

[lacrossegirl420]

@KnightDoc : don't get me wrong I appreciate the time you spend posting on this forum, but aren't you a premed as well lol? i think you need to chill a bit haha none of us are 100% sure and my post was clearly my personal knowledge. continued with other 50 because i found it interesting but def was not necessary
@EdgeTrimmer : nope not all with the same doc. and enough to get out what was needed from the experience

 

[KnightDoc]

@KnightDoc : don't get me wrong I appreciate the time you spend posting on this forum, but aren't you a premed as well lol? i think you need to chill a bit haha none of us are 100% sure and my post was clearly my personal knowledge. continued with other 50 because i found it interesting but def was not necessary
@EdgeTrimmer : nope not all with the same doc. and enough to get out what was needed from the experience

Yup, I'm a premed just like you. My reaction was because your post seemed kind of like a troll.

You express an opinion that 15 hours is enough, even though you knew enough to be 100% sure to gather 70 hours for your own application. Now that you're sitting around waiting for IIs, you have nothing better to do than opine that maybe 15 hours are enough in response to someone who's worried that 40 (half of your number!) isn't enough???? I'm fine, but exactly what are you up to with posts like that?

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

@EdgeTrimmer : nope not all with the same doc. and enough to get out what was needed from the experience
[/QUOTE]
What exactly is needed from that experience?

 

[DNAJB6]

As long as it is in primary care, you are good.

As long as it is IM is it okay? For instance, could you shadow a hospitalist for 40 hours v. IM/FM PCP for 40 hours?

 

[Goro]

These are the EC's I have so far. I have good academic stats, but I feel like my EC's are lacking:

Clinical experience : (343 hours total)

• 112h hospital volunteering
• 40 h shadowing
• 32 h Free Women’s health clinic
• 154 h hospice
• 85 h Free Health clinic

Zero research experience ( want to get a job as clinical research assistant over gap year)

Non-clinical volunteering ( 203 Hours total)

• 58 h habitat for humanity
• 135 h Domestic abuse victims volunteer
• 40 hours remote covid child care tutor

Leadership: 93 h art therapy program (Founder and leader)

Internship: 24 hours one summer - remote at startup that connects mental health care providers with patients

Any suggestions for what i can improve on? I have 8 months till i officially apply which I think is a good time for me to add to my EC's and volunteer. I was initially thinking of applying for a clinical research position, but I would realistically only be working there from May onwards after I apply.

You already have great ECs. Do what you love and love what you do.

I personally have a high regard for people who work in hospice. Not everyone likes being around reminders of our mortality. I'm also a fan of H for H. You probably could use another 10-30 hrs of shadowing.

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

You already have great ECs. Do what you love and love what you do.

I personally have a high regard for people who work in hospice. Not everyone likes being around reminders of our mortality. I'm also a fan of H for H. You probably could use another 10-30 hrs of shadowing.

I actually quit hospital volunteering after my first year because I felt my time would be better spent volunteering at a hospice. Much more involved and impactful on me personally.
Thank you!

 

[gyngyn]

As long as it is IM is it okay? For instance, could you shadow a hospitalist for 40 hours v. IM/FM PCP for 40 hours?

We are looking for applicants who have seen a generalist in their clinic taking care of people they know.

 

[redpointmd]

Those are super strong ECs! Would listen to the other faculty members regarding primary care shadowing, but seems pretty legit to me!

Good luck and hope you get into wherever you're applying!

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

Those are super strong ECs! Would listen to the other faculty members regarding primary care shadowing, but seems pretty legit to me!

Good luck and hope you get into wherever you're applying!

Thank you very much! Really appreciate it

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

You already have great ECs. Do what you love and love what you do.

I personally have a high regard for people who work in hospice. Not everyone likes being around reminders of our mortality. I'm also a fan of H for H. You probably could use another 10-30 hrs of shadowing.

Sorry Goro, forgot to ask this before, what would you recommend I do during my Gap year? Im thinking of clinical research as it is the only part of my app I don't have anything in and some shadowing. Graduating this Dec, Applying in May 2021, which gives me almost a year and a half to do anything.

 

[Goro]

Sorry Goro, forgot to ask this before, what would you recommend I do during my Gap year? Im thinking of clinical research as it is the only part of my app I don't have anything in and some shadowing. Graduating this Dec, Applying in May 2021, which gives me almost a year and a half to do anything

Research is good

 

[deleted1025488]

do adcoms really care that much about shadowing? i feel as long as you have ~15-20 hours it's enough

The health committee at my undergrad notes 25 is solid (and which also is the number that the shadowing program they have results in). They seem to insinuate that it's a benchmark,

 

[lacrossegirl420]

@joe32 : hmm that's interesting

 

[KnightDoc]

@joe32 : hmm that's interesting

+1 -- without revealing anything to compromise your anonymity, how does your school perform in med school admissions as compared to the national average, and what types of schools do your graduates typically attend (T20, DO, Caribbean, etc.)? There is no reason to think that 20 hours of shadowing one way or the other will make a tremendous amount of difference, but common knowledge (not just on SDN) is that 40-50 hours are solid, not 100, and not 25. Basically, one week of FTE shadowing over a few different specialties/primary care.

 

[deleted1025488]

+1 -- without revealing anything to compromise your anonymity, how does your school perform in med school admissions as compared to the national average, and what types of schools do your graduates typically attend (T20, DO, Caribbean, etc.)? There is no reason to think that 20 hours of shadowing one way or the other will make a tremendous amount of difference, but common knowledge (not just on SDN) is that 40-50 hours are solid, not 100, and not 25. Basically, one week of FTE shadowing over a few different specialties/primary care.

Actually the premed application guide recording that our health committee sent us essentially has everything else you are asking for so I'll lay it out: average applicant applies to 18-20 med schools and gets 4-6 interviews and 2-3 acceptances; acceptance rate into med school for people who end up applying 85% (obviously after weeding out and stuff); average MCAT is 516 for applicants; average GPA of accepted students was 3.7s/3.64c; obviously I don't know where the applicants apply/get in (they don't disclose this) butI've heard that if you're in the stat benchmarks for our med school you pretty much get an interview automatically (undergrad and med school both way up there fwiw) and the average MCAT and GPA are quite high so I'd assume people aim high.

 

[KnightDoc]

Actually the premed application guide recording that our health committee sent us essentially has everything else you are asking for so I'll lay it out: average applicant applies to 18-20 med schools and gets 4-6 interviews and 2-3 acceptances; acceptance rate into med school for people who end up applying 85% (obviously after weeding out and stuff); average MCAT is 516 for applicants; average GPA of accepted students was 3.7s/3.64c; obviously I don't know where the applicants apply/get in (they don't disclose this) butI've heard that if you're in the stat benchmarks for our med school you pretty much get an interview automatically (undergrad and med school both way up there fwiw) and the average MCAT and GPA are quite high so I'd assume people aim high.

Sounds solid and very above average, so I don't know what to say. My school actually recommends 100 hours, which I know is way above average! I still think 25 is light, and 100 is unnecessary, so I'm sticking with 40-50 for myself!

 

[deleted1025488]

Sounds solid and very above average, so I don't know what to say. My school actually recommends 100 hours, which I know is way above average! I still think 25 is light, and 100 is unnecessary, so I'm sticking with 40-50 for myself!

Yeah, makes sense. I mean ultimately I doubt any difference in shadowing hours would actually make any difference for the level of applicants coming out of this uni unless they had zero. The program is a junior year and p much a mandatory thing for premeds (25 hours) and most kids do more than that since everyone here is...extremely try hard, at least the ones who haven't already fallen into the dreaded bad-GPA hole. The clinical volunteering opportunities are (were, I guess...) also unique and widespread at the uni hospital, which is probably why they put more incentive on that instead of 100 hours of shadowing.