Suggestions for improving application before June 2019 cycle

[drgoldenboy]

Hello All,
I am planning to apply this coming cycle to mostly DO schools, and I want to ask for suggestions on how to improve my application. I went to a liberal arts school and did not do pre-med, but once I graduated I decided that I wanted to go for it. So, since graduating, I have been trying to correct my mistakes. See below!

Stats:
ORM, CA resident
Major: Neuroscience and Philosophy
undergrad cGPA: 3.01
undergrad sGPA: 2.7
2 thesis projects completed
pbGPA (44 credits): 3.72 sGPA -- upper div science + some of the pre-med courses that I had to finish. I took only 1 or 2 courses a semester (every semester) while I worked full time in a research lab (24 semester credits spread across 2 years at a 3.88 GPA), but I have since taken 2 quarters full time and received a 3.25 (17 units) & 4.0 (12 units). Should I do another semester of full-time upper division classes while I study for the MCAT, or should I just focus on the MCAT? ** The only courses that I can take are online, unfortunately, as I have taken all in-class upper division science courses at the local university.

AACOMAS cPGA: 3.2
AACOMAS sPGA: 3.13

Shadowing and volunteer:
100 hours non-clinical volunteering
40 hours clinical volunteering - working on this currently
60 hours shadowing ID doc
40 hours shadowing Neurologist
20 hours shadowing Psychiatrist
6 hours shadowing PCP
NO PAID CLINICAL WORK

Research:
2 years as a full-time paid research assistant in a human research lab
1 first author primer textbook publication
1 3rd author peer reviewed journal publication
Many abstract publications and conference presentations

EC (not a strength to my application)
President of a Philosophy club in college - 1 year

LORs will be very good

Please comment constructive criticism! The primary question is what I should do at the start of New Year -- take a full schedule of online courses while I study for the MCAT, or just focus on the MCAT while I do volunteer work? Thank you!

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[Goro]

You need a LOT more patient contact experience.

Have you shadowed a DO?

Gotten LOR from same?

 

[drgoldenboy]

Okay -- I am currently volunteering in a hospital where my job is to talk with patients who are in-patient/feed them. Do I need to get something that is beyond this, such as a paid part-time job?

Yes, shadowed a DO and will be getting a letter from them!

Thank you Goro!

 

[drgoldenboy]

Agreed RE getting a good MCAT score. I was planning to take a full 5 months to study up for the MCAT, but now I am thinking that I have some major weakpoints that I need to address, and could possibly do so while studying. Do you both think I should try to get a clinical job during the course of my MCAT studies? The concern I have is that it will compromise my ability to get a high score, which as you just noted, is particularly important for my application given my grades.

 

[asnontraditionalasitgets]

Agreed RE getting a good MCAT score. I was planning to take a full 5 months to study up for the MCAT, but now I am thinking that I have some major weakpoints that I need to address, and could possibly do so while studying. Do you both think I should try to get a clinical job during the course of my MCAT studies? The concern I have is that it will compromise my ability to get a high score, which as you just noted, is particularly important for my application given my grades.

It depends if you are planning on working full-time. Since you want to apply next cycle, your best bet would to be balance on the MCAT while trying to acquire patient contact hours as Goro suggested.

The alternative is that you take your time and make sure you apply only once. It very typical to hear "it's a marathon, not a sprint" when becoming a competitive applicant. Waiting may seem out of the question until you factor in being a re-applicant and the monetary cost of another application cycle (applications are not cheap).

You can improve your application by next cycle but it is going to be close. If you are going to get paid hours as a scribe, it takes longer than many realize to go through the hiring process and training. I would start to submit applications for jobs now. If you work part-time and start in February you may have enough hours by application time. Goro can give more insight--I am not sure how many patient contact hours schools prefer.

I worked while I studied for the MCAT then requested time off leading up to the test. 5 months full-time studying can get old quicker than you realize. Create a study plan or use one of the many good study schedules on SDN and Pre-Med Reddit. I would get a 3 month trial for UWorld which is a great resource. Their question banks felt very similar to the MCAT. The UWorld 3 month trial is free and you can find the promotion code on SDN or Reddit. Send me a PM if you cannot find the promo code and I will try to help you out. There are other free full-length tests from the other testing companies that you can use to get your timing down. Then save all of the official AAMC MCAT full-lengths for the last 4-5 weeks before your test and take one official FL every week in a simulated testing environment.

 

[drgoldenboy]

It depends if you are planning on working full-time. Since you want to apply next cycle, your best bet would to be balance on the MCAT while trying to acquire patient contact hours as Goro suggested.

The alternative is that you take your time and make sure you apply only once. It very typical to hear "it's a marathon, not a sprint" when becoming a competitive applicant. Waiting may seem out of the question until you factor in being a re-applicant and the monetary cost of another application cycle (applications are not cheap).

You can improve your application by next cycle but it is going to be close. If you are going to get paid hours as a scribe, it takes longer than many realize to go through the hiring process and training. I would start to submit applications for jobs now. If you work part-time and start in February you may have enough hours by application time. Goro can give more insight--I am not sure how many patient contact hours schools prefer.

I worked while I studied for the MCAT then requested time off leading up to the test. 5 months full-time studying can get old quicker than you realize. Create a study plan or use one of the many good study schedules on SDN and Pre-Med Reddit. I would get a 3 month trial for UWorld which is a great resource. Their question banks felt very similar to the MCAT. The UWorld 3 month trial is free and you can find the promotion code on SDN or Reddit. Send me a PM if you cannot find the promo code and I will try to help you out. There are other free full-length tests from the other testing companies that you can use to get your timing down. Then save all of the official AAMC MCAT full-lengths for the last 4-5 weeks before your test and take one official FL every week in a simulated testing environment.

I hear you on waiting for another cycle, but by the time 2019 rolls around I will be 3 years removed from graduating, which seems like quite a bit of time. But, I am getting the sense from both you and Goro that my application isn't too competitive, so maybe that is what I should do. I do want to get into a more established DO school.

When I was in research, I had many friends that were studying for the MCAT while working full-time and it seemed like hell. I definitely do not want to work full-time while I do it because I predict a crash and burn scenario from that one (at least in the sense of not getting a very good score). Unfortunately though, beggars can't be choosers, and I don't really have any qualifications to get a part-time (or full-time) clinical job, so getting a good part-time job while I study for the MCAT seems far-fetched. Scribing would probably take too long to get together, but I will look into it.

Appreciate your feedback! This is important for me to hear.

 

[Dhooy7]

How many clinical hours is competitive to have? I have about 3000 hours.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

How many clinical hours is competitive to have? I have about 3000 hours.

I mean it depends on the quality of clinical experience, but 3000 hours is overkill. I think the gold standard is about 600.

 

[DO2015CA]

If you are volunteering what sounds like a pca type job you are fine. I’d keep the research job because it’s income. Do well on the mcat and see where you land. Ideally your sgpa would be >3.25.

Also what are your aspirations? If you want to be a surgeon/something competitive and you do well on the mcat debate a formal SMP then apply MD.

 

[Dhooy7]

I have been working as a CNA for 3 years now.

 

[drgoldenboy]

If you are volunteering what sounds like a pca type job you are fine. I’d keep the research job because it’s income. Do well on the mcat and see where you land. Ideally your sgpa would be >3.25.

Also what are your aspirations? If you want to be a surgeon/something competitive and you do well on the mcat debate a formal SMP then apply MD.

My aspirations do not entail surgery -- interested in Psychiatry. Maybe infectious disease. I picked up another volunteer position that is clinically oriented, but is only 6 hours a week. I looked around for jobs but couldn't find anything feasible in such a short period of time, and I am about to start studying for the MCAT, so hopefully 10 hours a week of volunteering and a good MCAT score will push me through.

 

[drgoldenboy]

Thanks all for your comments

 

[DO2015CA]

My aspirations do not entail surgery -- interested in Psychiatry. Maybe infectious disease. I picked up another volunteer position that is clinically oriented, but is only 6 hours a week. I looked around for jobs but couldn't find anything feasible in such a short period of time, and I am about to start studying for the MCAT, so hopefully 10 hours a week of volunteering and a good MCAT score will push me through.

It’s about what you gained from the experience and length of time you volunteered not the amount of hours. 10 hours per week is more than sufficient. Just continue volunteering until you’ve got your first acceptance. You’ll be fine.

 

[drgoldenboy]

It’s about what you gained from the experience and length of time you volunteered not the amount of hours. 10 hours per week is more than sufficient. Just continue volunteering until you’ve got your first acceptance. You’ll be fine.

Thanks..I hope that is true!

 

[drgoldenboy]

Can someone comment on whether it might be worth it to take more classes at the local CC after I apply this cycle (that will be all I can afford)? I can take:

1. Medical terminology
2. Microbiology
3. Pharmacology (but for pre-dental students)

After those, I will have exhausted all options for improving my GPA with the local college systems, and will have to let my MCAT talk.

@Goro if you have any suggestions (thanks for all of your continued help!)