Sophomore Premed

[EmpressTheo]

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I am a sophomore Medical studies and Neuroscience major. I'm not really sure how to to strengthen myself as an applicant. I know I need more clinical experience and shadowing, but I am not sure how to approach the situation. I won't be applying until the spring of 2021, but I want to be proactive in making myself a great candidate for good schools. I really want to get in to a top 10. I have included an overview of my stats below.

1. cGPA: 3.786 sGPA: 3.633
2. I'm from GA, but I go to school in the Northeast
3. I'm an AA female
4. I go to a Catholic Institution
5. Clinical Experience:
   1. Not much, I worked at a blood lab for a semester in my senior year of high school
      1. I have an EMT license, so I am trying to get a job
      2. I worked as a medical assistant for a summer, but it was mostly paperwork
6. Research experience and productivity
   1. Research Assistant: this is a recent development, I started this this semester and we are doing research on how genetics are involved with a learning disorder
7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. OB/GYN - 70hrs
8. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: ~500 or more hours because I did that for 4 years.
   2. Service trips:
      1. Puerto Rico for Hurricane relief
      2. Locally (NE) with the homeless population
9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
   1. President of my class
   2. VP of diversity club
   3. Choir
   4. Theater
   5. Intercollegiate Leadership program (2018-2019)
   6. Emerging Leaders (Fall 2017)
   7. Social Justice Leadership program (2018-2019)
   8. We don't really have any clubs geared toward medicine
10. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Does Dean's list count?

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I am a sophomore Medical studies and Neuroscience major. I'm not really sure how to to strengthen myself as an applicant. I know I need more clinical experience and shadowing, but I am not sure how to approach the situation. I won't be applying until the spring of 2021, but I want to be proactive in making myself a great candidate for good schools. I really want to get in to a top 10. I have included an overview of my stats below.

1. cGPA: 3.786 sGPA: 3.633
2. I'm from GA, but I go to school in the Northeast
3. I'm an AA female
4. I go to a Catholic Institution
5. Clinical Experience:
   1. Not much, I worked at a blood lab for a semester in my senior year of high school
      1. I have an EMT license, so I am trying to get a job
      2. I worked as a medical assistant for a summer, but it was mostly paperwork
6. Research experience and productivity
   1. Research Assistant: this is a recent development, I started this this semester and we are doing research on how genetics are involved with a learning disorder
7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. OB/GYN - 70hrs
8. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: ~500 or more hours because I did that for 4 years.
   2. Service trips:
      1. Puerto Rico for Hurricane relief
      2. Locally (NE) with the homeless population
9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
   1. President of my class
   2. VP of diversity club
   3. Choir
   4. Theater
   5. Intercollegiate Leadership program (2018-2019)
   6. Emerging Leaders (Fall 2017)
   7. Social Justice Leadership program (2018-2019)
   8. We don't really have any clubs geared toward medicine
10. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Does Dean's list count?

Are you including the high school experiences? Not sure if they count.

 

[ciestar]

Are you including the high school experiences? Not sure if they count.

Only count if they were continued throughout undergrad.

 

[EmpressTheo]

Only count if they were continued throughout undergrad.

The only thing that wasn’t continued was the blood lab internship. The Tax Assistance was continued in college

 

[shaosoldier]

Something that looks great on application is teaching experience, especially in the sciences. Apart of being a physician is not only as a provider but also as an educator to your patients and the next generation of medical students. I taught anatomy in undergrad as an undergrad as a lab TA. I'm sure you're university has something along those lines. You could even tutor as well.

 

[FutureDPM123]

Probably not going to get into a top 10 school, but that shouldn't even matter. Majority of the schools are going to give you a good education. No one cares where you go to school.

 

[Rachapkis]

The key, in my opinion, is to delve deeply into the ECs that interest you. Adcoms want to see a history of dedication, leadership, and a passion to serve in the areas you pursued.

 

[ksquad3]

You are a fantastic candidate! If you want to get into a top school, you'll have the best shot if you get a letter of recommendation from a physician who works at a top school. If I were you, I would utilize your vacation time wisely by shadowing a doctor at a large, well-known academic institution (focus on institutions that you'd like to attend). Create a well-written, polite email that expresses your desire to shadow and send it to 1-2 physicians a day. All you need is 1 physician to allow you to shadow. A strong letter of recommendation from a well-known, well-regarded doctor is worth its weight in gold. Make that your goal and study study study for MCAT! You'll do great and best of luck! (kristinakalilily on IG)

 

[boundlesscorpuscle]

You have already done well in building your application, and good on you for being proactive!

While not impossible to gain entry to a Top 10 U.S. MD school, I like others would caution you to pin all your hopes on it. There are many fabulous medical schools that will help you succeed regardless of USNWR rankings.

Perhaps the most obvious thing you need to do is keep excelling in your classes to maintain a high GPA, and then crush the MCAT.

In terms of ECs, I would say to focus on clinical experience and volunteering. You have a good number of shadowing hours in OB/Gyn, but it may be good to shadow in a different specialty. If you are able to get an EMT job, that would give you excellent clinical experience. Also continue to look for opportunities and maintain a position of service in your own community. This could be integrated into your current clubs/orgs/activities or you could find new ones, but definitely show engagement with those in your community who are less fortunate.

I agree that the best way to show commitment and passion is to pursue activities you are passionate about! Don't box check, but rather see it as an opportunity to explore your motivations and your future profession.

Good luck!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I thought LOR from shadowing physician are not valued much because shadowing for very short duration.

 

[Cracking Med Admissions]

Hi! Great application so far and thanks for detailing all your activities. Your stats are pretty good, but to get into medical school, it's about how you pitch yourself to the application committee members. This can make or break your application! We tell the pre-med students we advise to focus on THEMES. Choose 1-3 themes that will be the universal thread throughout your AMCAS work/activities descriptions, personal statement, secondary essays and interviews.
Let us know if you have anymore questions about this!

I am a sophomore Medical studies and Neuroscience major. I'm not really sure how to to strengthen myself as an applicant. I know I need more clinical experience and shadowing, but I am not sure how to approach the situation. I won't be applying until the spring of 2021, but I want to be proactive in making myself a great candidate for good schools. I really want to get in to a top 10. I have included an overview of my stats below.

1. cGPA: 3.786 sGPA: 3.633
2. I'm from GA, but I go to school in the Northeast
3. I'm an AA female
4. I go to a Catholic Institution
5. Clinical Experience:
   1. Not much, I worked at a blood lab for a semester in my senior year of high school
      1. I have an EMT license, so I am trying to get a job
      2. I worked as a medical assistant for a summer, but it was mostly paperwork
6. Research experience and productivity
   1. Research Assistant: this is a recent development, I started this this semester and we are doing research on how genetics are involved with a learning disorder
7. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   1. OB/GYN - 70hrs
8. Non-clinical volunteering
   1. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: ~500 or more hours because I did that for 4 years.
   2. Service trips:
      1. Puerto Rico for Hurricane relief
      2. Locally (NE) with the homeless population
9. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
   1. President of my class
   2. VP of diversity club
   3. Choir
   4. Theater
   5. Intercollegiate Leadership program (2018-2019)
   6. Emerging Leaders (Fall 2017)
   7. Social Justice Leadership program (2018-2019)
   8. We don't really have any clubs geared toward medicine
10. Relevant honors or awards
    1. Does Dean's list count?

 

[theKingLT]

You are a fantastic candidate! If you want to get into a top school, you'll have the best shot if you get a letter of recommendation from a physician who works at a top school. If I were you, I would utilize your vacation time wisely by shadowing a doctor at a large, well-known academic institution (focus on institutions that you'd like to attend). Create a well-written, polite email that expresses your desire to shadow and send it to 1-2 physicians a day. All you need is 1 physician to allow you to shadow. A strong letter of recommendation from a well-known, well-regarded doctor is worth its weight in gold. Make that your goal and study study study for MCAT! You'll do great and best of luck! (kristinakalilily on IG)

Where are you drawing this advice from... get LORs from professors, leadership/service affiliates, employers, and/or PI's... people who can speak to your personal attributes and work ethic, NOT physicians that you shadowed