Random Pre-med Questions! Please help:)

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1. you dont need to address that
2. You could wait till spring quarter grades are done, or apply without them. Some schools allow you to update them with new grades while others don't
3. that's not really research, just lab experience. Research is when you design, test, and analyze the studies.
4. it is dependent on the schools. Some schools require multiple science letters, some don't care. Some want committee letters preferrably if your school has them.
5. You can talk about it in PS, but you can't really include it in the app. You should be doing new things in college and not rely on hs experience
6. No point in explaining it (no place either). You and all other CA applicants have their own reasons for staying in CA.
 
3) The category on the AMCAS application is for "Research/Lab." Your role is Research Assistant. You can list this on your application. You will get more mileage out of the experience if you can explain the background of the study you're involved in, and can explain the hypothesis and methods. You might ask the PI for a copy of the original grant proposal so you can get up to speed.

4) If your school provides a committee letter, you are obliged to provide the letters they specify. For most other schools, 2 science faculty who taught you and one nonscience faculty who taught you would generally cover expectations. A PI letter is often also included by those who engaged in a research activity.

6) No. Adcomms will not consider it. If you make it known that your parents "need you around" schools may do you the favor of not accepting you so you are more accessible to your family.

You will not be doing yourself any favors applying from California with subpar ECs after two college years. If you are dead set on applying prematurely with activities that will not compare favorably with your competition's, I suggest that you live your application year as if you'll need to reapply and continue to strengthen your Experiences. Doing so will have the additional benefit of giving you pertinent details to include on Secondaries, update letters where allowed, and interview conversation,s that might swing adcomm opinion in your favor.
 
I am trying to do what you describe in #1. I am avoiding addressing it as much as I can. It doesn't help you but it most certainly can hurt you if you don't come off as sufficiently mature.
 
1. No.
2. Wait until the spring grades are out to send your transcript to AMCAS or apply without them
3. That falls under the "Research/Lab" category for AMCAS extracurriculars
4. A lot of schools will want at least 1 science professor, usually 2 of them for LOR's. If you dont have a commitee letter, I suggest you start trying to create some relationships this year.
5. Talk about it in you PS as part of "Why you want to be a doctor"
6. Maybe in a secondary? If they ask a question about your connection to the state (aka for in state schools)
 
It does you no real favors by med schools graduating a year early (with exceptions, obviously, but you don't appear to be one).

1. You don't have to address that, they'll see and as long as you have the necessary courses/credit requirements it won't matter.

2. The higher the gpa, the better. If your spring grades give you a significant boost, then wait to include them. (I would)

4. It's very dependent on the schools you're applying to. Look it up on their school websites or msar. For example, Jefferson requires either the committee letter OR four letters (bio,chem,physics, humanities) if you don't have one. Be very careful regarding this because that would be a very bad reason to not get into med school because you didn't do your research on this.

5. In general, you don't include what you did in high school on your application. It may be placed in your PS if it was that meaningful and helped you make your overall decision to pursue medicine. However, without any active clinical experience throughout undergrad (you appear to have ZERO volunteering, actually), your application may very well be dead in the water. Many adcoms here have stated it is 100% necessary along with shadowing. They like nonclinical volunteering to show your altruistic side.

6. That won't matter at all. Something like 2/3s of all CA applicants are forced to leave CA to attend med school every year. Yes, you may have a compelling reason, but so does everyone else.
 
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