The Perfect Applicant

[Dockaz]

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What is the perfet applicant?... or at least an applicant that would absolutely get accepted into med school. I am 19yrs old and in the US Navy. I am in the process of getting my associates degree at a community college and when i get out of the Navy in 3 years i will transfer to a 4yr university where i will complete all of the med school pre req courses. I am trying to maintain a 3.8 gpa. I'm wondering what would be considered the perfect applicant as far as gpa, mcat score, volunteer time, research, or whatever else is needed. I feel like i do have time on my side so whatever i have to do to make myself the "perfect" candidate, i will do (extracurricular, shadowing ect.) Any suggestions will help

My job in the Navy is in medical, so by the time i get out of the Navy i will have 4.5 years of medical experience with direct patient contact and work with doctors, nurses, and PA's so hopefully that will be a plus when applying

i also am an african american female so hopefully that will also help a little bit (i do however want to know that even if i wasn't an "underrepresented minority" that i would still get into med school)


any help???... THANKS🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

... I'm wondering what would be considered the perfect applicant as far as gpa, mcat score, volunteer time, research, ...

Um, I'd try to maximize all of these. I'm not sure what you are asking. Obviously good numbers, good ECs, good experiences will put you in good standing for medical school. The rest (and it's not a small part) is going to be how you present yourself in your essays, your interview and how your LORs look.

 

[aRnonymous]

Perfect application? 45 on the MCAT, 4.00 GPA, amazing letters of recommendation, founded a charitable organization, and cured cancer

 

[NickNaylor]

Perfect application? 45 on the MCAT, 4.00 GPA, amazing letters of recommendation, founded a charitable organization, and cured cancer

👍

There is no perfect applicant. If there was one, someone on SDN would've already figured it out.

 

[TheMagicCookie]

Med schools are subjective. A "perfect" applicant for one school may not even be considered by another. Your main job is to maintain the highest GPA that you can, study and do well on the MCAT and continue with your EC's and volunteering. Your work in the Navy will surely help you when you go to apply, but don't stop when you think you might have enough...just keep going and make your app stronger.

 

[binko]

There is no perfect applicant because that would mean there would be a theoretical point where the pre-med could theoretically stop FREAKING THE FORK OUT! which everyone knows would lead to immediate universal implosion or heat death or something.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

Sounds like you have some solid clinical experience so here's what you should do:

-Maximize gpa and mcat (#1 priority here, it's really all they care about)
-Put a little time into some non-medically related hobby/club
-Make some contacts with profs/advisors/supervisors and obtain 3 decent (don't have to be spectacular) letters of recommendation
-Finish all applications by the beginning of september of the year you are applying (#2 priority)
-Show up to interview with a suit on, have a pulse, and be sociable

That's really all you need to do...good luck 🙂

 

[DrWookie]

Here are some things I think you should do before applying, to guarantee your acceptance:

1. Perform open heart surgery in a crowded lecture hall with a ballpoint pen. The patient must make a miraculous recovery

2. Eradicate AIDS/Malaria/Some other horrible disease in a third world country
EDIT: Oh and if you really want to show off, write a memoir about it. Something like "Eradicating AIDS: My Life's Mission"

3. Rescue 10-12 babies from a burning building (more than 12 would make it seem like you're trying TOO hard)

4. Write a text book and get the faculty at Harvard to use it

5. A Nobel Prize might be handy

6. Get letters from the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa (that last one might be hard...)

7. Get a 4.0 and a 44 on your MCAT (Don't want to be TOO perfect)


Those should work just fine. Don't want to overdo it or anything.

 

[Lukkie]

👍

There is no perfect applicant. If there was one, someone on SDN would've already figured it out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_solution_fallacy

 

[Forthegood]

http://home.att.net/~ppmd/cv-ps/ps/ENT01.HTM

That is the perfect applicant according to some ADCOMs. I like to read it when something great has happened to me. It really brings me back down to earth.

 

[NickNaylor]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_solution_fallacy

Touche my good man.