Top Tier Material? Quick opinion

[Dragonsimot]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Okay I want to see if the difference in GPA would be factor...MCAT unknown just make a judgement based on what IS given, thanks. (i know that's tough but just try)

What tier do you think I could be accepted at for each?

3.79 cGPA vs 3.83 cGPA
~3.65 sci (guestimation)

Notables
-ex Navy SEAL (4yr)
-1 year Big Bro/Big Sis (4-8hrs/wk)
-4 full days shadowing Gastroenterologist (before I had gastro illness ironic aye), 1 day shadowing anesthesiologist
-Golf Club Creator & President
-Deans List 4x streak to present
-Limited research ~3hr/wk for year
-1 semester volunteer in CVCU, but decided it was a waste of time
-Golden Key member (don't do anything)

Challenges faced during undergrad
- Sophomore Spring semester hospitalized(2wk) and diagnosed w/U.Colitis (whole ordeal ~2months)



Thanks for your input...I really want to attend top tier schools with research more so than primary care. I'm from Illinois.

 

[Mobius1985]

For "top tier", you'll need more than a year of substantive research (usually 2+) and you'll need a high MCAT score. For consideration by any medical school, you'll need way more clinical experience.


Here is a different ranking grid based on school selectivity alone: School_Selector_0910.xls (173.5 KB, 7430 views)


It can give you an idea of where you need to be numbers-wise for the schools you are most interested in.

 

[chessknt]

Med school is not law school and there are no tiers. All MDs have ~ same opportunity to succeed in medicine regardless of where they went, unlike JDs.

 

[drizzt3117]

Med school is not law school and there are no tiers. All MDs have ~ same opportunity to succeed in medicine regardless of where they went, unlike JDs.

There might not be numbered tiers like law school but there's definitely some sort of hierarchy, and it makes a difference however small you believe it to be.

 

[chessknt]

So you think a HMS grad has a much better chance of getting into a ROAD specialty than a X state U grad with similar stats?

 

[drizzt3117]

So you think a HMS grad has a much better chance of getting into a ROAD specialty than a X state U grad with similar stats?

I think a HMS grad will have 1) a better chance to match into competitive specialties 2) be more competitive at the top programs.

 

[Stratego]

The difference between a GPA of 3.79 and 3.83 isn't going to be significant. Your MCAT score will determine the degree of selectivity of the med schools you should apply to. Even if your MCAT is crazy high, a "limited" amount of research won't get you into the top research schools.

 

[scarletgirl777]

For "top tier", you'll need more than a year of substantive research (usually 2+) and you'll need a high MCAT score. For consideration by any medical school, you'll need way more clinical experience.


Here is a different ranking grid based on school selectivity alone: School_Selector_0910.xls (173.5 KB, 7430 views)


It can give you an idea of where you need to be numbers-wise for the schools you are most interested in.

I disagree that you necessarily NEED more than a year, but yes, it is ADVISABLE to get as much as possible. I definitely know several people who matriculated into top 20 schools with less than a year of research

 

[DukeMurken]

As previous posters have mentioned, I think your competitiveness will depend largely on your MCAT score, so study hard!!!

In terms of the year of research, I would ignore that. It looks to me like you're going to be a borderline nontraditional applicant (4 years navy seal! That's awesome!). I think it will also be important how you tell your unique story through your application with personal statements, etc. There's enough there to make you stand out amongst the applicant pool, if you do it correctly, which will make you competitive at some great schools!! The only caveat to that, and why research or whatever might be a good idea, is it does look like you have rather limited exposure to health care (minimal shadowing, no volunteering, minimal research, etc.) As long as you can answer the question: "How do you know you want to go into medicine", and "What do you want to do as a doctor?" in your application and back it up with your story, you'll be fine!

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a cookie cutter formula of what makes a good med school applicant. I myself was a fine arts major, no real research, and was competitive at some top research places. Just be yourself, do your best, and you'll do great!!!

Good luck!!!

 

[Dragonsimot]

Thanks for the opinions I'll definitely take them all into consideration.
As for the MCAT, it's going to be my life to say the least 🙂

How much shadowing would make me cross that "acceptable" exposure to medicine? I plan on calling around town and seeing if I can shadow different doctors in various specialties. If I were to shadow, say 10 different ones would that be pretty good?

As for the no volunteering, I am doing Big Bro/Big Sis. I feel I make more of an impact upon a kid that is in need by establishing a relationship that's positive factor in his future.....Where as filing papers and disinfecting a hospitals pc's I feel like I'm benefiting no one and wasting my time. I have no problem telling adcom's that, to be perfectly honest - I believe they will understand my POV.

 

[drizzt3117]

As for the no volunteering, I am doing Big Bro/Big Sis. I feel I make more of an impact upon a kid that is in need by establishing a relationship that's positive factor in his future.....Where as filing papers and disinfecting a hospitals pc's I feel like I'm benefiting no one and wasting my time. I have no problem telling adcom's that, to be perfectly honest - I believe they will understand my POV.

They'll probably understand your POV during the short walk to deposit your application in the trash... volunteering is pretty much required for med schools, so if you want to get in, especially to a top tier, you better suck it up and do some volunteering.

 

[Dragonsimot]

So since when did Big Brothers Big Sisters become a non-volunteer organization? At least when they ask me about volunteering I can give an honest non-cookie cutting breadth of an applicant. On the other side, If they asked me about my hospital time I would have to "make" up some sugar coating transparent answer...that's not me.

Volunteering is volunteering is how I see it...big bro is anywhere from 4-8hrs/week...you putting that time into your hospital? I'm learning how to deal with children if I would like to get into pediatrics.

Not saying I'll not volunteer again at a hospital but...not more than an hour a week. It is a waste of time, nearly all the time unfortunately, wish it wasn't.


Does anyone agree or am I egotistical/bias/lazy? Would 1 hr/wk cover my bases in case it comes up?

 

[Kickback]

-ex Navy SEAL (4yr)

That's one hell of an EC 😱
I'll bet that'll be talked about in your interviews.

As long as you can answer the question: "How do you know you want to go into medicine", and "What do you want to do as a doctor?" in your application and back it up with your story, you'll be fine!

👍👍👍


Just be able to do this and you should be golden (assuming an MCAT above 30)

 

[drizzt3117]

So since when did Big Brothers Big Sisters become a non-volunteer organization? At least when they ask me about volunteering I can give an honest non-cookie cutting breadth of an applicant. On the other side, If they asked me about my hospital time I would have to "make" up some sugar coating transparent answer...that's not me.

Volunteering is volunteering is how I see it...big bro is anywhere from 4-8hrs/week...you putting that time into your hospital? I'm learning how to deal with children if I would like to get into pediatrics.

Not saying I'll not volunteer again at a hospital but...not more than an hour a week. It is a waste of time, nearly all the time unfortunately, wish it wasn't.


Does anyone agree or am I egotistical/bias/lazy? Would 1 hr/wk cover my bases in case it comes up?

I don't think telling doctors that volunteering in hospitals is useless is a good idea, but that's just me. Most med schools want a good amount of clinical volunteering. That's just the way it is.

 

[Dragonsimot]

Haha! Ya of course I wouldn't tell them that! I'm just being straight with you guys...I would just say something along the lines of

"I wasn't feeling that I was gaining as much from my hospital volunteering time as I would by pursuing research...etc etc"

Magnet: How much shadowing would one need to do to satisfy clinical exposure? How many different specialties? I feel these are the best experiences. You get a feel for Dr's daily routines and if it's something you could see yourself enjoying.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Ex-SEAL huh? That's awesome!!!!!!!! I hope you do amazing in applying to schools - I'm sure you'll have success 🙂

 

[drizzt3117]

Haha! Ya of course I wouldn't tell them that! I'm just being straight with you guys...I would just say something along the lines of

"I wasn't feeling that I was gaining as much from my hospital volunteering time as I would by pursuing research...etc etc"

Magnet: How much shadowing would one need to do to satisfy clinical exposure? How many different specialties? I feel these are the best experiences. You get a feel for Dr's daily routines and if it's something you could see yourself enjoying.

I had about 500 hours of clinical volunteering and 100 hours of shadowing and most adcoms felt I had pretty solid clinical experience with that. Shadowing is definitely good but clinical volunteering is a prerequisite at many schools, as I mentioned before. I've had deans of adcoms tell me that directly.

 

[Rzarecta]

Haha! Ya of course I wouldn't tell them that! I'm just being straight with you guys...I would just say something along the lines of

"I wasn't feeling that I was gaining as much from my hospital volunteering time as I would by pursuing research...etc etc"

Magnet: How much shadowing would one need to do to satisfy clinical exposure? How many different specialties? I feel these are the best experiences. You get a feel for Dr's daily routines and if it's something you could see yourself enjoying.

Do the volunteering. That and a solid MCAT given your life experiences will make you a strong candidate. Trust me, no ADCOM wants to hear excuses, no matter how practical they sound.

 

[scarletgirl777]

I had about 500 hours of clinical volunteering and 100 hours of shadowing and most adcoms felt I had pretty solid clinical experience with that. Shadowing is definitely good but clinical volunteering is a prerequisite at many schools, as I mentioned before. I've had deans of adcoms tell me that directly.

Wait, so you're saying it had to be one activity? Clinical volunteering? Not clinical activity + volunteering activity?

 

[Brent8927]

I think the big brother/big sister experience is an amazing one. I worked as a case manager with formerly homeless individuals, one-on-one, and found it much more beneficial than working as an assistant/academic coordinator at UCSF. I agree you'll be a much better doctor for it. A lot of people think you need to do grunt work in a hospital, but I think working with people, in a big bro/big sis situation, in counseling, etc., is a more valuable experience.

On the other hand, you say you're more interested in a top-tier school focusing on research rather than primary care. I think it's the primary care schools that will look more favorably on big brother/big sister experience. I'm sure research universities will like it as well, but they definitely like to see a lot of research, and according to others, clinical volunteer experience.

I do think any admissions officer will be very impressed that a four-year veteran of the Navy SEALS is applying to their medical school. They don't just let anybody become a SEAL, so you will definitely stand out as becoming a SEAL takes a lot of determination and perseverance (and I'm sure I don't even know the half of it!).

I think you might find clinical volunteering more valuable than volunteering in a hospital. There must be a number of free clinics nearby where you can help out and do more than just paperwork. I volunteered as a medical assistant and I was taking vitals, histories, and dispensing medication.

Even better, if there’s a Ronald McDonald house nearby, volunteering for them would be an amazing experience. If you’re not familiar with the Ronald McDonald house, they provide housing for children who are too ill to live more than about 10-30 min or so from the hospital. My sister stayed in one for a while when she had leukemia, and the kind of “big sister” she had while there is still someone she stays in contact with some 17 years later. You can do a lot of things, such as cooking with the kids, just hanging out, etc. Just like a big brother/big sister, but a little more medically related. And just as rewarding. 🙂

 

[Spiker]

Lol on a less serious note...

If you are one of the sniper that rescued American captain, you are in!

 

[kgrotic]

What exactly was the "limited research" in which you participated? I'm sorry if you explained somewhere else in the thread; I might have missed it. Anyway, because top-tier schools emphasize research and aim to produce not only skilled clinicians but innovative medical researchers, you'll want to think about whether you did enough research and took enough interest in it to even mention it on your application. It's your responsibility to show and not tell, so if you haven't done significant research, you may want to correct that before applying to the top schools.

Also, definitely do some deep thinking about your experience in the Navy. Four years is a hell of a long time, and it would be ideal if you could explain coherently how your experience as a SEAL influenced you and, ultimately, how it seamlessly fits into the story of your journey of becoming a doctor. I do agree that interviewers will be interested to hear about your experience, so work on making that as interesting as possible.

As for clinical experience, I do agree that its absence from your activities is dubious. I know (and am one of) many premedical students who find clinical volunteering opportunities that involve significant interaction with patients and no menial tasks. Though only a volunteer, I'm essentially a clinical research coordinator at an HIV clinic. I administer surveys to patients, watch procedures, shadow, and sometimes even take histories. The hard part of clinical volunteering is finding such great opportunities, but medical schools will expect that your passion for working with patients in a clinical setting will drive you to search for them. With that said, it is good that you're doing volunteer work that really means something to you, although it isn't directly related to medicine. If you're looking at the top schools, though, it's not really your prerogative to decide what makes a good doctor and what doesn't, as valid as your rationale may be, so get some clinical experience.

Lastly, kill that MCAT. It'd be a shame for a good applicant to become a mediocre one on account of not studying enough for one test. Your perspective on it seems well-guided, though, if you truly do plan to devote six months of your life to it.

Best of luck.