Primary caregiver of autistic sibling?

[DaBong214]

Hey guys,

This might be a stupid question, but I was wondering how I can incorporate this into my med school application:
Is it possible that me serving as the caregiver of my autistic brother will make up for the lack of extensive volunteer and shadowing hours "required" by most applicants?

He's very low functioning on the spectrum and I've essentially been taking care of him since I was 11. This includes taking him to appointments, preparing meals, bathing him, managing his medication, etc.

I even had to take a leave of absence from college (2 semesters) b/c of his aggression and him being expelled from his school and being at home.

I have started volunteering at a speech clinic at a major university hospital, so I will have some volunteer hours under my belt before I apply.
But I have no shadowing and there is a clear gap in my extracurriculars (I have a few on-campus leadership positions prior to my brother getting expelled (2014/2015) and nothing much after).
I have research (including a poster publication) but that was a couple of years ago.

I wanted to know if admission committees are willing to look at such circumstances and if so, how much of a pass will I get on other components, such as volunteering/shadowing.

BTW, I'm 3/4 Indian (S. Asian) and 1/4 Caribbean and just graduated with a 3.77 GPA and will be taking the MCAT in a few months, so I don't think, statistically, I stand out.

Appreciate any input/advice.

Thanks!!!

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[Goro]

Nope. Trying to get credit for taking care of loved one sis the same as trying to get credit for breathing. It's a good way to get your app trashed in a hurry, like people who claim that being a patient was their primary exposure to Medicine.

Medicine is a service profession. Nearly all of your patients will be strangers, and depending upon what specialty you go into, and where you live, a lot of them will not be nice people. Yet, you're expected to take care of them. Hence, you need to demonstrate your altruism and humanism in service to others, ideally those less fortunate than yourself.

You have to shadow to demonstrate that you know what a doctor's day is like, and know how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Med schools take your life experiences into account. Your story is unique and if it has shaped who you are today, then let that part of you shine! But don't get caught up in trying to have an excuse for not enough clinical and patient contact exposure.

 

[Dr.Kat]

I say talk about that portion of your life (which seems to be a huge part of it) in your personal statement. It's only January, August is 8 months away...if you start a new volunteering or shadowing experience now, that's a substantial amount of time to put on your application. I never shadowed in the traditional sense, I scribe and that counted as shadowing in my opinion (and in the schools that I've been admitted to's opinion as well). We don't all need cookie-cutter applications. Just allow the things your passionate about shine in your app and talk about your experience with you brother and how it has molded you into the person you are today in your personal statement. Good luck!

 

[gyngyn]

Caring for your own relatives is normal (though laudable), even in extraordinary circumstances.
Caring for other people's relatives is what we are looking for.

 

[FutureD.O]

Nope. Trying to get credit for taking care of loved one sis the same as trying to get credit for breathing. It's a good way to get your app trashed in a hurry, like people who claim that being a patient was their primary exposure to Medicine.

Medicine is a service profession. Nearly all of your patients will be strangers, and depending upon what specialty you go into, and where you live, a lot of them will not be nice people. Yet, you're expected to take care of them. Hence, you need to demonstrate your altruism and humanism in service to others, ideally those less fortunate than yourself.

You have to shadow to demonstrate that you know what a doctor's day is like, and know how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.

I'd have to disagree with you there @Goro . Being a patient is what introduced me to the idea of being a physician. I heavily incorporated that theme into my application and was thankfully successful during my cycle.

 

[Goro]

There's a vast difference from being a patient and having it inspire you to become a doctor (which is 100% OK), and listing it as an EC.

I'd have to disagree with you there @Goro . Being a patient is what introduced me to the idea of being a physician. I heavily incorporated that theme into my application and was thankfully successful during my cycle.

 

[DokterMom]

You might get a little EC slack, but do also be prepared for questions about how your brother will be cared for when you're in medical school when it caused you to take two LOAs from college.

 

[DaBong214]

Nope. Trying to get credit for taking care of loved one sis the same as trying to get credit for breathing. It's a good way to get your app trashed in a hurry, like people who claim that being a patient was their primary exposure to Medicine.

Medicine is a service profession. Nearly all of your patients will be strangers, and depending upon what specialty you go into, and where you live, a lot of them will not be nice people. Yet, you're expected to take care of them. Hence, you need to demonstrate your altruism and humanism in service to others, ideally those less fortunate than yourself.

You have to shadow to demonstrate that you know what a doctor's day is like, and know how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.

Hi,

Thanks for the response. I'm not supplanting my volunteer and shadowing experience with the time spent caring for my brother. The issue is that there is no one else to take care of him. Parents work 10+ hours a day to barely make ends meet and my brother is too aggressive towards them whenever they do get the chance.
Him getting expelled from school lead to me taking a leave of absence. This is seen further in my application by the hiatus in extracurricular activity for a year and a half.

Currently, I'm the one who can really take care of him. This includes dosing and ordering his medications, taking him to specialists, working with the school to facilitate his speech and transitional goals, etc.

 

[Goro]

This we fully understand, and you are a very good sibling!

Hi,

Thanks for the response. I'm not supplanting my volunteer and shadowing experience with the time spent caring for my brother. The issue is that there is no one else to take care of him. Parents work 10+ hours a day to barely make ends meet and my brother is too aggressive towards them whenever they do get the chance.
Him getting expelled from school lead to me taking a leave of absence. This is seen further in my application by the hiatus in extracurricular activity for a year and a half.

Currently, I'm the one who can really take care of him. This includes dosing and ordering his medications, taking him to specialists, working with the school to facilitate his speech and transitional goals, etc.

 

[DokterMom]

You certainly are a good brother and a godsend to your family -- But what are your/their plans for your brother's care when you're at medical school. Are you looking at a residential placement?