Should I volunteer at home? Also, app question.

[3v0]

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So like everyone here basically. I'm looking to go into med school. And I have a few questions about making my application look good.

1. I'm currently in community college and there is an acute care clinic and also an orthopedic care office fairly close to my house. I plan to transfer to a 4yr university next year and I'm curious if you think volunteering, or maybe even shadowing at either of these places would be a good choice. I probably can't get a letter of recommendation out of it since I'll be gone but for general hours is it a smart choice?
I'm not sure if I should wait and start this all until I transfer and can steadily do this at my new school. Another reason is I feel my GPA will come down to org. chem and physics. People say org. is hard but I know physics will be b/c I suck at math. My school is apparently known for having very hard science classes since it also has it's own medical school.
So what do you think. Volunteer over summer or wait until I transfer?

2. I here people say "community service and volunteer" work a lot when talking about extracurricular. Does this include such basics as forest preserve care. ex. cutting down bushes, collecting twigs, etc. There is a heavily wooded area by me where they ask for help all the time with this. Is that what they mean?

3. I always worked out on and off but recently I got serious about it. This is what led me to want to work in health care. Learning about the body, how it works, how you can improve it etc. I'm actually to the point where I'll be competing in my first weight lifting meet in a few months. Should I work this into my personal statement or would this seem like filler and not what they are looking for.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[essaywhuman]

All the volunteering you can do is positive. It doesn't necessarily have to be medical volunteering either, so I would imagine whatever you want to do will help...

That being said, I would still look for other opportunities as med schools do want to see exposure to actual healthcare settings.

As far as weight-lifting; I would see that as a plus for your app. It shows you know how to work hard and commit.

You're thinking about the right things IMO. You have a lot more to do, but I would say jump right in and do everything you can think of right off the bat. Try to think of things that will set you apart and make you more interesting and unique.

 

[Catalystik]

If you're planning to apply at the end of junior year (in 1.5 years), then it's time to start gaining clinical experience now (don't wait for summer). About 2-4 hours a week would be fine. When you get to your new school you can look for another setting. If you'll be applying at the end of senior year, then it would be fine to wait until you arrive on your new campus.

Also, it's a good idea to have good longevity in some regular nonmedical community service where you give your time to a cause you care about for 2-4 hours a week or twice monthly. Helping the poor in some capacity would be ideal, but other activities like helping at the forest preserve, Humane Society, etc. are fine too. You more you have, years-wise, the better for your application, even if it's multiple settings.

Shadowing can be done any time, even at the last minute. For MD schools you are unlikely to need a LOR.

Eventually, you'll also want to look for a research opportunity, some leadership, and maybe a teaching experience.

You should list leisuretime activities also, like lifting, as well as hobbies and artistic endeavors, so as to look well-rounded and interesting.

 

[obscurehero]

Start volunteering now! Don't however volunteer at the expensive of your GPA in pre-req classes. Ideally, you should be able to volunteer and do reasonably well in class too.

As for weightlifting, I wouldn't make it all that defines me, but I think adcoms are always interested in how you became inspired to pursue medicine.

 

[3v0]

Thanks for the help! I didnt know 2-4 hours a week was enough, I thought I'd need more. Good to know.
I'll def be applying my senior year. I had a lot go down my first semester at school so I'll probably have to do an extra semester. Ill def at least start looking now. I'm currently at a community college but transferring. Right now I'm taking all my gen eds here and pretty much when I transfer all I have left are my pre-reqs. (All chem classes, bio's, physics and probably some calc.)

So I'll try to volunteer at these local care centers and do some community service but do you guys have other examples.
Are there any stickied forum posts that go into this topic.

I know research is a nice addition but how exactly do I go about getting into that?
I'm mainly concerned about leadership and teaching. I could MAYBE, maybe tutor general chem but do any of you have example of leadership that dont involve starting a club.

 

[803]

This may sound bad, nut why are you worrying about Orgo and Physics at community college.

if you cant get an A on these at a community college, you doubtfully will ever become a doctor.

 

[3v0]

This may sound bad, nut why are you worrying about Orgo and Physics at community college.

if you cant get an A on these at a community college, you doubtfully will ever become a doctor.

Sorry I must of worded it weird. Only once I transfer to my new university will I take those courses. I wont be taking any pre-reqs besides maybe calc at community college. I hear it looks fairly bad on applications if you do. I was just saying that where I plan to transfer is said to have very hard science courses. So I worry about Orgo there, but mainly physics since math is my weakness compared to chemistry.

 

[Catalystik]

1) So I'll try to volunteer at these local care centers and do some community service but do you guys have other examples.

2) I know research is a nice addition but how exactly do I go about getting into that?

3) example of leadership that dont involve starting a club.

1) Examples of nonmedical community service: consider Habitat for Humanity, crisis hotline, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless shelter. women's shelter, after-school tutoring for middle school students, teaching ESL to adults, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels.

2) Don't worry about this until you've completed some science labs or psychology classes. Research could be in the nonsciences, too, BTW, like Econ, linguistics, Stats, epidemiology, etc.

3) Club president, member of student senate, volunteer trainer, shift supervisor at work, team captain.

 

[TACMON]

So like everyone here basically. I'm looking to go into med school. And I have a few questions about making my application look good.

Thanks for all the help!

you don't want your app to look good, that's not enough....it needs to be great

 

[3v0]

you don't want your app to look good, that's not enough....it needs to be great

Well thats the plan. Make it stand out as much as possible.

One more thing. Once I do all this volunteer work how do I log it? Do I just kind of keep track of it all and then put it on the application. There has to be more than that. People could just make stuff up.

 

[Catalystik]

Once I do all this volunteer work how do I log it? Do I just kind of keep track of it all and then put it on the application.

Keep track of your own hours. It's an honor system. But you do record a contact person on the appplication.