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This topic seems to fit better here than elsewhere since it's a question geared towards non-traditional students.
I see threads in other forums where applicants post impressive stats regarding number of hours volunteered, amount of research experience, etc. I should probably dismiss any worries and chalk this up to small sample size bias (as I'm sure that the people who post on SDN are, by and large, more competitive as a whole), but it does have me thinking about my own situation. I don't have a good feeling for where I stand on ECs, because my path is...well...non-traditional. I'm betting that others here are (or have been) in the same boat and can provide feedback.
Since I've been working full-time for the past nine years (applied mathematician / software engineer) and have been pursuing the post-bac route for the past two, I have not been able to garner the same breadth of clinical experiences as many of these posters. During the past 9 months, for example, I've done ~90 hours at a free clinic while working full-time, taking two four-hour chemistry courses, and preparing for the MCAT. Now that summer is here, I am shadowing and continuing non-medical volunteer work that I did last summer in Honduras.
I'm absolutely not advocating for a pass on anything, and I'm not asking for any special consideration. For sure, the clinical experiences have been invaluable and necessary, as has the shadowing. I also have what I would consider very solid leadership experience (leading small teams of engineers on projects of length > 1 year as well as mentoring junior colleagues) and on-the-job research experience (although it's not medically-related, and I have not published externally).
I guess my overarching question is this: When ADCOMs look at the whole picture, how does this picture measure up? How does my professional experience factor into their equation (varies by school, I am sure, but perhaps there are some general trends)? Am I competitive? Below par? Should I shut up, stop concerning myself with this, apply, and move on to other things? 🙂
Cheers,
~hiaips
I see threads in other forums where applicants post impressive stats regarding number of hours volunteered, amount of research experience, etc. I should probably dismiss any worries and chalk this up to small sample size bias (as I'm sure that the people who post on SDN are, by and large, more competitive as a whole), but it does have me thinking about my own situation. I don't have a good feeling for where I stand on ECs, because my path is...well...non-traditional. I'm betting that others here are (or have been) in the same boat and can provide feedback.
Since I've been working full-time for the past nine years (applied mathematician / software engineer) and have been pursuing the post-bac route for the past two, I have not been able to garner the same breadth of clinical experiences as many of these posters. During the past 9 months, for example, I've done ~90 hours at a free clinic while working full-time, taking two four-hour chemistry courses, and preparing for the MCAT. Now that summer is here, I am shadowing and continuing non-medical volunteer work that I did last summer in Honduras.
I'm absolutely not advocating for a pass on anything, and I'm not asking for any special consideration. For sure, the clinical experiences have been invaluable and necessary, as has the shadowing. I also have what I would consider very solid leadership experience (leading small teams of engineers on projects of length > 1 year as well as mentoring junior colleagues) and on-the-job research experience (although it's not medically-related, and I have not published externally).
I guess my overarching question is this: When ADCOMs look at the whole picture, how does this picture measure up? How does my professional experience factor into their equation (varies by school, I am sure, but perhaps there are some general trends)? Am I competitive? Below par? Should I shut up, stop concerning myself with this, apply, and move on to other things? 🙂
Cheers,
~hiaips
