Struggling with whether to apply or wait

[deleted483737]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey guys,

I posted here a while back - maybe a year or two ago.

I have since pretty much finished my prereqs (sci gpa = 3.76) and am wondering if I should apply after I (possibly) take the MCAT in May.

Some info about me:
ugrad gpa: 3.3 (no science)
post bacc gpa: 3.76 (all science)
cgpa: 3.6

Work Experience/ Volunteering
Tutpr at a learning center for a year (1.5 years when I apply)
TA for 1.5 years
Began volunteering at a domestic violence hotline

Shadowing:
Began shadowing ObGyn in January

Hospital:
Began volunteering recently (how necessary is this? I am having a pretty awful time at this hospital and really dread going....)

I am worried about my lack of ECs and clinical experience. I'm currently studying for the MCAT and having a pretty dismal time (last score was a 22). Has anyone been able to pull a low score like that to something respectable (eg. 30+). I'm in a Princeton Review Class and do ample studying on my own.

Also, I'm not sure how they feel about courseload with regards to a postbacc. I took 2 sciences/semester during the year and 1 science class every summer (since 2011).

I'm kinda freaking out, so any advice you guys could give me would be much appreciated.

So, basically, what do you guys think? With a good MCAT score (30+), would it be wise of me to apply this year or get more clinical experience (I'm a CNA so I would most likely get a job at a nursing home) and then apply a year later?

 

[Juan Solo]

This is just my opinion but I do think that your EC's, in regards to clinical experience, are a bit light. That being said, time is not always correlated with quality of exposure, maybe you have learned a lot. Also, without an MCAT score it's kind of hard to say to wait another year or not.

My advice would to just take the extra off before you apply because it will only make your application stronger by allowing you to strengthen your ECs.

Good luck!

 

[deleted483737]

This is just my opinion but I do think that your EC's, in regards to clinical experience, are a bit light. That being said, time is not always correlated with quality of exposure, maybe you have learned a lot. Also, without an MCAT score it's kind of hard to say to wait another year or not.

My advice would to just take the extra off before you apply because it will only make your application stronger by allowing you to strengthen your ECs.

Good luck!

What would you suggest to boost my ECs? I feel overloaded already and very dissatisfied with my hospital experience thus far. Did you get a lot of the hospital experience? I can't touch patients despite the fact that I am a CNA and all they have me do is refill the PPE containers, maybe answer the phone (not even since a nurse seems to pick it up first) and bring water to people. I really would like to know how much they care about hospital volunteering.

 

[dsoz]

Keep doing it. But if you can find some other volunteering to do that you like more, then do something that you enjoy.

If you can take your MCAT earlier, that would be better. Have you tried taking the practice exams? If so, what have you been scoring? If you are meeting your goals with the practice exams, then you probably will do it with the real thing.

If you can squeeze in a few more days of shadowing, and keep the volunteering up, then you should be good to apply this year (if your MCAT is good... 30+ for MD or 26+ for DO).

Make sure you have submitted your application in JUNE! Do not wait for July! Waiting will seriously decrease your chances. Have your PS finished early, and start the application in May. Wait for the MCAT score in June, then quickly pick your schools and submit.

Take this as advice, but it worked for me.

dsoz

 

[Juan Solo]

What would you suggest to boost my ECs? I feel overloaded already and very dissatisfied with my hospital experience thus far. Did you get a lot of the hospital experience? I can't touch patients despite the fact that I am a CNA and all they have me do is refill the PPE containers, maybe answer the phone (not even since a nurse seems to pick it up first) and bring water to people. I really would like to know how much they care about hospital volunteering.

I understand the feeling of being overloaded and if you feel that way right now then it's best to not do more than what you are currently doing. There's no need to stress yourself out even more. However, doing clinical activities should be fun or at least interesting for you. Maybe you should do some searching and find something that you like doing for fun and see how you can incorporate that into a clinical setting.

As for me, I did shadow for a few years but I never volunteered at a hospital. All of my clinical experience came from different activities that I enjoyed doing. So to answer your question of whether ADCOMs care about hospital volunteering, then the answer is not necessarily, they care about quality clinical experience.

 

[Goro]

Well, youi do need some patient contact experience to show us you want to be around sick and injured people. we're wait-listed people with little of this experience. However, think outside the box! Not everything has to be hospital based!

Think: clinics, nursing homes, hospice; camps for sick children; EMT

So get those ECs up, do well ont he MCAT and then apply. If it takes you one more year, then so be it. You need to present the best possible packet, after all..




Hospital:
Began volunteering recently (how necessary is this? I am having a pretty awful time at this hospital and really dread going....)


I am worried about my lack of ECs and clinical experience. I'm currently studying for the MCAT and having a pretty dismal time (last score was a 22). Has anyone been able to pull a low score like that to something respectable (eg. 30+). I'm in a Princeton Review Class and do ample studying on my own.

Also, I'm not sure how they feel about courseload with regards to a postbacc. I took 2 sciences/semester during the year and 1 science class every summer (since 2011).

I'm kinda freaking out, so any advice you guys could give me would be much appreciated.

So, basically, what do you guys think? With a good MCAT score (30+), would it be wise of me to apply this year or get more clinical experience (I'm a CNA so I would most likely get a job at a nursing home) and then apply a year later?[/QUOTE]