Realistic Med School Timeline with Weak ECs?

[toothytoothtooth123]

Hi everyone,

I need brutally honest advice about when I should realistically apply to med school. I'm okay with MD or DO, but I don’t want to waste an application cycle if I’m not competitive. Here's the full picture:

Background:

• I didn’t plan on healthcare in undergrad. I pivoted to pre-dental after graduation, and now I’m committed to going to medical school. So my application is all over the place right now.

Stats & Education:

• Undergrad: Biology major, 3.85 GPA
• Grad School: Currently in a Biostatistics MS program, 4.0 GPA
• MCAT: Not taken yet
• Missing Prereqs: Physics 1 & 2, Orgo 2, Anatomy, Physiology

ECs (Very Weak):

• Clinical(?): ~150 hours as a dental assistant (oral surgeon + general dentist)
• Non-Clinical Volunteering: ~30 hours at a disability home for children/young adults
• Leadership: 2 summers as a co-director of a large summer camp (basically ran 13 camps w like 700 kids with 3 other directors)
• Research: None
• Clubs/Shadowing: None yet

Current Plan:

• Quit DA job soon
• Trying to get a CNA license/Tech job this summer
• Actively looking for both clinical and non-clinical volunteering
• Planning to start shadowing once I land a clinical job
• Will take missing prereqs starting Fall 2025
• Aiming for MCAT in early 2026

Is June 2026 (for 2027 matriculation) realistic if I grind hard for the next year? Or is that too rushed and I should wait until June 2027 (for 2028 matriculation) to apply with a more complete and competitive app?

I know I’m behind. Just want honest advice from people who’ve been through this or seen others do it.

Thanks in advance!

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[candbgirl]

You’ve got a lot to do so slow down and do it well.
The DA hours aren’t really applicable but maybe you could mention them by saying being a DA ruled Dentistry out as a career. But you’ll still need 200+ clinical hours with sick, injured and dying people.Clinical hours can be paid or unpaid.
You need 150+ hours of nonclinical volunteering. Find something that gets you outside of your comfort zone where you come face to face with people very unlike yourself. Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, habitat for humanity etc are examples. Most schools seem to screen people out based on the lack of nonclinical volunteering. So like everything else, it’s important.
Don’t worry about Research. But Shadowing is important. You only need 50 hours total and some of that should be with primary care docs.
Study hard for the MCAT . You only want to take it one time. If you aren’t ready , move the date. If you are taking 4-5 classes in the Fall , study starting in January. Don’t try to do both, especially if you are working too.
Build the best possible application you can. You really only want to apply one time. You want your application to scream PICK ME for an interview.
Keep asking questions on SDN. You’ll get good advice.
Good luck.

 

[C17H21NO4]

I don't want to discourage you, but if you're determined to find a clinical job, I highly recommend you to pursue a medical assistant job if your state of residence doesn't require a certification to work as one. As someone who went and got a CNA license and worked as a caregiver & tech, it's really tiring/tough work.

However, it is much more manageable if you work a few shifts per month, or if you work as an ER tech. Just my 2 cents