Strong GPA and MCAT score- little clinical experience

[premedgirl04]

I am applying this coming 24/25 cycle. I currently go to undergraduate school in New England and would like to stay there. Being that I would prefer to go to an osteopathic school, UNECOM is my top medical school. I have a GPA of 3.85 and an MCAT score of 510. I have a ton of leadership experience. I also have a lot of volunteer hours and am a volunteer with the crisis text line. I have been in a research lab since freshman year (around 600 hours), but I do not have any publications. I have around 50 shadowing hours (I will be getting at least 10 more before I apply as well). I have around 450 hours of community service. I am an undergraduate TA for biology and I do have a job as a laboratory assistant. However, I am lacking clinical experience. I am certified as a phlebotomist, but with classes and not being able to afford the class till this past summer, I have not been able to get any hours. I will have only around 50 hours when I apply (maybe even less like 35-40). Do you think that I will still be able to get into an osteopathic medical school? Or do I have almost no chance and should wait till the next cycle?

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

How long have you been working as a phlebotomist? I don't understand how you can be certified but not afford the course. I would encourage you to use your skills or else you will lose them.

What does your community service entail?

Have you shadowed DO's? Did you grow up in Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire? Have you attended any recruitment events (on campus or virtual) that UNECOM or other DO programs (like NYCOM or LECOM) host?

What advice have you received from your prehealth advising team?

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence ?

 

[premedgirl04]

Welcome to the forums.

How long have you been working as a phlebotomist? I don't understand how you can be certified but not afford the course. I would encourage you to use your skills or else you will lose them.

What does your community service entail?

Have you shadowed DO's? Did you grow up in Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire? Have you attended any recruitment events (on campus or virtual) that UNECOM or other DO programs (like NYCOM or LECOM) host?

What advice have you received from your prehealth advising team?

I have not been able to work as a phlebotomist because by the time I was able to afford the course and get certified, the semester was starting and I did not have the time with my class schedule.
My community service is from the crisis text line and from be being the philanthropy and community service chair for the panhellenic council. It is mainly volunteering at food banks and shelters and raising money as well as clothing and food drives and organizing fundraising events.
I have shadowed a DO, who is also writing a letter of rec for me. I am from Pennsylvania. I have attended a virtual event for UNECOM and attended an event hosted by my campus where a UNECOM rep came to speak. I am also currently getting set up to talk to a current student at UNECOM.
My pre-health advisor is currently on Maternity leave since the beginning of the semester so I have not received much input or help from the office with her being gone.

 

[premedgirl04]

Where is your state of residence ?

Pennsylvania. I was also looking at Lake Erie, PCOM, and (even though it is an allopathic school) the Geisinger Commonwealth in Scranton. There also a lot more schools I am looking at, but those were just a few examples.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

My community service is from the crisis text line and from be being the philanthropy and community service chair for the panhellenic council. It is mainly volunteering at food banks and shelters and raising money as well as clothing and food drives and organizing fundraising events.

Please itemize your 450 hours by individual tasks as described above. Leadership roles with your sorority or PHC are different than fundraising or in-person service.

Will you be able to get certified or are you dumping this option for different clinical volunteering/work?

Any interest in LECOM or PCOM? Just wondering.

 

[premedgirl04]

Please itemize your 450 hours by individual tasks as described above. Leadership roles with your sorority or PHC are different than fundraising or in-person service.

Will you be able to get certified or are you dumping this option for different clinical volunteering/work?

Any interest in LECOM or PCOM? Just wondering.

I am certified. I just have not been able to work as a phlebotomist. By the time I got certified it was August and my semester was beginning. I am hoping to get a few more hours in before I apply and I will have a full time job as one over the summer which I will be stating on the application since a rep from UNECOM said I should mention that. I am hoping to do even some hospice volunteering to count as a few clinical hours as well over the break. I just will not have many hours, probably not anymore than 50.

Yes I am interested in LECOM and PCOM and will be applying however UNECOM is my top school so I want to know if I have a chance for there.

250 hours for Crisis Text Line
50 hours as a volunteer for the sexual harassment and rape prevention program
70 hours from being an undergraduate TA (professor and advisor said if I don't do it for credit I can do it for volunteer hours) (this will be doubled to 140 since I will be doing the same thing this coming semester)
40 hours at the animal rescue I volunteer with
50 hours for volunteer work with my sorority (not because of leadership role, we just do community service and volunteering) like volunteering at the local food bank (30 hours), volunteering for our town to do trash pick ups and table events for the kids of the town during holidays like halloween (20 hours)

 

[Faha]

Pennsylvania. I was also looking at Lake Erie, PCOM, and (even though it is an allopathic school) the Geisinger Commonwealth in Scranton. There also a lot more schools I am looking at, but those were just a few examples.

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UNECOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
WVSOM
CUSOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
AZCOM
ACOM
For MD schools you could try these:
Geisinger
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
West Virginia
George Washington
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
NOVA MD
Belmont
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
If you can increase your clinical hours to 150+ (before you submit your application) it will greatly increase your chances for interviews. Those hours could include hospice or phlebotomist.

 

[premedgirl04]

I suggest these schools with your stats:
UNECOM
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
MU-COM
WVSOM
CUSOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
UIWSOM
TUNCOM
AZCOM
ACOM
For MD schools you could try these:
Geisinger
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Hackensack
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
West Virginia
George Washington
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
NOVA MD
Belmont
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
If you can increase your clinical hours to 150+ (before you submit your application) it will greatly increase your chances for interviews. Those hours could include hospice or phlebotomist.

Are there are any other osteopathic schools I have a shot at do you think? And if I don’t get 150 hours do you think I still have a shot at the ones you listed?

 

[Faha]

Are there are any other osteopathic schools I have a shot at do you think? And if I don’t get 150 hours do you think I still have a shot at the ones you listed?

Which other DO schools are you interested in? Some schools screen out applicants with less than 150 hours of clinical exposure.

 

[premedgirl04]

Which other DO schools are you interested in? Some schools screen out applicants with less than 150 hours of clinical exposure.

None in particular. Do you know what schools screen out applicants with less than 150 hours? Also thank you so much for all the help. I have asked these questions to my pre-health advisors and they never give me straight answers like this.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

None in particular. Do you know what schools screen out applicants with less than 150 hours? Also thank you so much for all the help. I have asked these questions to my pre-health advisors and they never give me straight answers like this.

Many schools would like to choose people with about twice the number for interview, but the lowest number in the range we see is around 150 hours.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you rushing to apply without clinical experience? How do you even know you want to spend the next 35+ years with the sick, injured and dying? You have somehow fit in and amassed the expectations for the other areas but not for clinical. If I can see that , the schools will see it too. I know you were saving for a phlebotomist course but now that you have it, you still aren’t doing anything. You could have volunteered at a hospice location, hospital, rehab center, etc to at least get a start on clinical hours. IMO it isn’t smart to apply until you have the best application possible.