Sophomore Looking for a Critique

[gatornick]

Hey all,

I am looking for some advice on my strengths and weaknesses that I have gathered so far in my college career. I would really appreciate it someone could give me advise on what else I need to accomplish to really boost my resume and give me a solid shot at medical school. I am currently a sophomore attending the University of Florida.

Highlights:

4.0 GPA currently with 59 credits
45 hours volunteering in the Neurosurgical Specialities Clinic at Shands Hospital
30+ hours misc volunteering
15+ hours teaching underprivileged children
100+ hours in clinical research - currently researching VO2 max's of firefighters and how it affects their rates of death on duty from cardiovascular disease
Starting to co-author a publication on this study which will hopefully be published
Went on a medical mission trip to Peru last summer with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children
President's Honor Roll
Golden Key International Honor Society
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society of the University of Florida
Active member of the Pre-Professional Student Organization and looking to run for an office position in the spring
Worked in an animal hospital for two summers during high school

This is the jist of what my resume currently consists of. Are there any areas that I am lacking in? And what are the typical number of hours applicants have in the volunteering, research, and teaching departments?

Thanks a lot!
Nick

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[avo]

Hey all,

I am looking for some advice on my strengths and weaknesses that I have gathered so far in my college career. I would really appreciate it someone could give me advise on what else I need to accomplish to really boost my resume and give me a solid shot at medical school. I am currently a sophomore attending the University of Florida.

Highlights:

4.0 GPA currently with 59 credits
45 hours volunteering in the Neurosurgical Specialities Clinic at Shands Hospital
30+ hours misc volunteering
15+ hours teaching underprivileged children
100+ hours in clinical research - currently researching VO2 max's of firefighters and how it affects their rates of death on duty from cardiovascular disease
Starting to co-author a publication on this study which will hopefully be published
Went on a medical mission trip to Peru last summer with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children
President's Honor Roll
Golden Key International Honor Society
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society of the University of Florida
Active member of the Pre-Professional Student Organization and looking to run for an office position in the spring
Worked in an animal hospital for two summers during high school

This is the jist of what my resume currently consists of. Are there any areas that I am lacking in? And what are the typical number of hours applicants have in the volunteering, research, and teaching departments?

Thanks a lot!
Nick

I would say that, as a sophomore, with basically a year and a half ahead of you before you apply, you're on the right track. Just keep adding on to the volunteering/research and add in some shadowing. The international trip is great. Just keep doing what you like to do and make sure you enjoy all these activities - that makes it a lot easier to talk about them during an interview.

 

[bravofleet4]

don't list down things you did in high school unless you continued them through college (2 summers volunteering at an animal hospital). I don't know too much about them but I don't think the two honor societies or honor roll will impress anyone. You're on the right track I think though. Just know that the number of hours you have right now in all of your activities isn't particularly impressive if you were to just drop everything. 100 hours of clinical research is just 10 weeks for most people if they put in 10 hours a week. If you can get a paper published that's great. If you can get a research grant that's also wonderful. You're only a sophomore, so you're not expected to have a long history of volunteer services. Aim for volunteer opportunities which you will spend more than 1 a year doing to show that you can commit to a cause. It's quality not quantity that matters.

lastly, just round it off by having a non-medical hobby or activity. it doesn't have to be volunteering.

 

[gatornick]

don't list down things you did in high school unless you continued them through college (2 summers volunteering at an animal hospital). I don't know too much about them but I don't think the two honor societies or honor roll will impress anyone. You're on the right track I think though. Just know that the number of hours you have right now in all of your activities isn't particularly impressive if you were to just drop everything. 100 hours of clinical research is just 10 weeks for most people if they put in 10 hours a week. If you can get a paper published that's great. If you can get a research grant that's also wonderful. You're only a sophomore, so you're not expected to have a long history of volunteer services. Aim for volunteer opportunities which you will spend more than 1 a year doing to show that you can commit to a cause. It's quality not quantity that matters.

lastly, just round it off by having a non-medical hobby or activity. it doesn't have to be volunteering.

Thanks for the real input! I know my numbers are not that significant right now but I am hoping that over the next year and a half, they will increase dramatically. I REALLY love the research I do now and I hope that will show through on my application. It will continue until approximately April of next year at around 8 hrs/week.

I am also currently applying for summer research programs all over the country in hopes of getting a spot! I am super interested in gathering some laboratory based research experience, so I hope that I get back some good news!

For my non-medical hobby, I am on a beach volleyball team but I did not think that counted. Would it count as a hobby?

Also, my teaching that I have done is under the College Reach Out Program which tutors middle and high schoolers from underprivileged backgrounds. But I am considering a TA position for organic chemistry. Which one should I pursue because I am kind of conflicted at the moment.

 

[Music MD]

-Don't put the last 5 things on your app.. it screams fluff.

Overall seriously solid app tho. Try shadowing in a couple different areas (primary care office, emergency dept, surgeon, etc).. get that number up around 150+. They want to see that you know what you are getting into. Try to find a regular deal.

Try not to overdo it with BS volunteering. Really the best thing is to find one or two volunteering activities to do regularly and have a large continuous responsibility for.. these are also the most rewarding anyhow.

Lastly I want to expand on what someone above said about finding a hobby.. its a great idea to find a way to put what you do outside of school on paper. A lot of times that might be difficult but if you can find a way to include it in your app without looking like fluff then it makes it a great topic for interviews. OH and crush the mcat..

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to What are my Chances.

 

[bravofleet4]

Well if you TA for the o-chem class you can get to know professors really well and also potentially get a really good LOR, graded credits or pay, review over o-chem in preparation for MCAT, great leadership experience, a position the adcoms will understand and respect, have experience that makes you viable for research in an o-chem lab/chemistry stockroom position/tutor/. At the same it's a TON OF WORK potentially and you have to develop the stomach for giving kids failing grades (which I didn't have to do just a tutor teaching small classes).

Or you can tutor disadvantaged kids in high school which will be more flexible toward your schedule and you won't have to review much over the subject material. You might be able to get a LOR from a supervisor (although not as impressive as from a professor). However, it will probably be unstimulating and you might not feel appreciated.

If you think helping disadvantaged kids seems more of a noble cause than tutoring it's not. Don't even consider that. Just choose what you think you would like and not b/c you think it will impress med schools.

I've said it before but i will say it again. I FEEL SO SAD FOR THOSE PPL THAT VOLUNTEERED OVER 100'S OF HOURS IN ACTIVITIES THEY NEVER WANTED TO DO TO IMPRESS MED SCHOOL AND NEVER GOT ACCEPTED. I mean come on you wasted a significant portion of your college life!!!