stressed about getting into med school... advice?

[cindy02]

Hi all. I am a junior preparing my application for med school right now. I attend a mostly science/engineering school (but I'm a humanities minor and I take a lot of humanity classes--need it to balance out the science here), and many of my friends are premed, but many of them are also really into research. I, on the other hand, find research interesting but do not plan to live next to the lab bench for the rest of my life. My interest is much more in the clinical aspects of medicine and I love interacting with people. So, I guess I have a few questions: 1. I don't think my accomplishments are as competitive as many friends/classmates who are in research (recently a lot of people have been saying "You need to publish/do really good research for med school") and so I would like to know if med schools have a quota for each undergrad institution? and 2. what are my real chances of getting into med schools? I would like to stay in the East Coast (preferably Northeast), so if you think I have a good chance in any specific school I would appreciate any advice! Here are some of my info for question #2...

Major: Biology
Minor: History
School GPA: 4.75/5.0
AMCAS GPA: don't know yet, application for 2002 entering class not up =)
MCAT: 10V, 11P, 12B, S writing
Recommendation: 2 awesome letters from history professors, 2 pretty good letters from science professors

Research:
I worked in a bioengineering lab 2/99-1/00, but I was off half of the time in the summer at an awesome summer job (see below), and eventually my grad student advisor decided to focus on work off campus, and decided to abandon my project. I got busy with my classes too, so I quit.
Summer of 2000 I worked at Harvard Medical School with a postdoc in a microbiology lab. This is about the time when I decided I don't like research that much. Never found my niche, I guess.

Other jobs:
-I worked at the National Youth Science Camp, a GREAT summer program for high school graduates. I worked as a photographer for the program and it was a mind-opening experience for me, teaching and learning from so many different people...
--Teaching/Tutoring: Right now I am a teaching assistant for a biology lab and I love it! I am also an associate advisor for eight freshmen. I am planning to be a TA for the bio class or for another freshman-oriented class next fall.
--This summer besides working for NYSC again I am also teaching at a 2-week pre-science/engineering program for minority junior high students.

Other activities/community service:
I am involved with our school yearbook. I have been on the editorial board for 3 years and will be an editor for the seniors section again this coming year. I am volunteering in a local hospital ER right now. I also volunteered at local programs teaching young girls science. I am the president of our school's premed AMSA chapter(very young, 2 years old). And I am involved with freshman orientation and well-being.

Any advice would be much appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!

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[Medigirl]

Not too sure what the problem is. Your stats are great and you will have no trouble getting interviews. You do not HAVE to do research and get published to get school to notice you. Most people I know that have gotten accepted have not done research. If you show an interest in the field (volunteering at a hospital/clinic, etc.) you will be fine. since you want to stay on the east coast, apply to your state school--UMASS?--as well as some private ones: Boston, Tufts, Harvard etc. You may even try UCONN and the New York med schools. I think you were smart to take humanities, too. So many med school applicants seem one-sided. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Medigirl (edited April 27, 2001).]

 

[OleDoc]

Maybe you have been taking too much history and have been alerted to the fact that there is "something else out there?" You might want to look at the Topic
called "Why Medical School?" currently on page 2 of the forum. You certainly seem to have the ability. Does your "stressed out" feeling relate to feeling that "I ought to" rather than "I really want to"? Do you feel that not going to Med School might be a "cop-out" in some way? I'd be interested to know if any of this might relate to your question.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Also take a look at the thread in the Everybody forum called "dirty pre-meds". There is a lot of misinformation, some of it intentional, swirling out there about medical school. While research is nice, especially for a major research institution, it is by no means required, especially at the undergraduate level.

I think, as Medigirl states, that you present a fine application herewith and *should* do well.

best of luck