Hello everyone
I've spent the last 4 weeks in the hospital because of a seizure and my organs were basically shutting down. All have to say is I'm very grateful that my interview happened before this event, and I am fully recovering. I'm also fortunate to be accepted into the UC Davis PB program. I was discharged and just want to share my tips/what I found helpful
Background
- Went to community college and transferred to a UC. Graduated in 2017 with a liberal arts degree and a 3.1 GPA. Also applied to UC PB program in 2017 , and never got any email/invite (basically, got ghosted since I didn't have any pre-med pre-reqs fulfilled). Decided to fulfill my dream of medicine. I went back to my local community college to fulfill premed requirements (I completed ALL of the series of bio, chem, ochem, physics, and Calc I). I did prereqs at cc because I simply couldn't afford university. Important to mention that this was NOT brought up in interviews. Had my financial circumstances been different, I would had definitely took classes at university. Maybe this will have an effect after the program, who knows. And also, just because it worked for me, doesn't mean it will work for you!
ECs
- Volunteered at the hospital since 2017 - March 2020 (covid suspended volunteering program). I was first a front desk volunteer, then volunteered in pediatrics, volunteered with social workers, and shadowed a surgeon. I probably spent 8-12 hours a week in hospital getting clinical experience and working with patients. Also volunteered at science museum, created health club at cc, worked at restaurant. I feel like all this was manageable since I was taking 2 STEM classes per semester, except for one semester which involved Calc 1. Hours included anywhere between 200 hours, for each activity. I also won volunteer of the year scholarship for hospital, which was pretty cool.
Tips on application
1) Ask your letter of recommender if they are willing to write a strong letter that discusses your growth and what you did (Ask them exactly this. Be straight forward). If it's a Science professor, make sure they can vouch for you to talk about how you contributed to the classroom (ex: tutoring students, leadership skills, volunteering as a lab tech, not just getting an A since every applicant has one). I did not allow my recommender to talk about my activities in the hospital because that was what my hospital volunteer manager was for. Also, it would take up extra space. And follow the LoR requirements ; STEM professor, employer, and volunteering manager. Don't make it complicated and do two volunteering supervisors, or a English Professor. Follow the guidelines. Also, give them a due date of December. Your LoR are people and have lives too, so delays can happen.
2) SUBMIT YOUR TRANSCRIPTS EARLY! I cannot stress this enough. This is by far what will delay your application, other than the LoRs. Since apps are rolling, plan accordingly and ahead. Transcript submission can take anywhere between 1-3 weeks, even longer. Also, the trend seems to be the earlier you submit, they earlier you hear a response (hence, rolling admission)
3) Not only write great essays, but make sure your PS and your goals align with the schools mission. If you don't have the same goals, you just wont be a strong candidate. Show them your passinonate about serving the underserved by writing a great PS, and also volunteering in your underserved community.
General Application
- Applied: 3rd week of January to UCSD, UCI, UCSF, UCSD, UCR
- Verified/Completed: 3rd week of February
- Rejections : UCSD, UCI, UCSF (?). If you apply to UCSD, make sure your app is VERIFIED by first week of January. Any later for UCSD is basically a rejection since verification process can take up to two-three weeks, which is beyond the deadline. Also, they will take/accept your money even though your app isn't verified after deadline. No one to blame but myself for not reading guidelines/instructions carefully. UCI rejected me sometime late April. No word from UCSF, so fair to say I am rejected
- Interview invite: UCD 3rd week of March and 3rd week of April
- Accepted: First week of May
Thoughts
- I'm sure I'm mentioning alot of stuff out, but if you guys are in a position of re-applying, I strongly consider you look at your LoRs, PS, and types of EC you participated in. For me, when I look at my old app, I actually cringe bc I had no idea what I was doing. After immersing myself in the hospital and STEM, I found my passion. I say this because if I can do it, you can definitely can too. Keep a positive mentality, trust the process, and surround yourself with people who want to see you win. PLEASE do not make this journey any harder on yourself and do it solo, it will not end well.
Here's an example of how my pre-med classes went
- First year of premed classes at CC
* Fall 2017 - Fail, Withdrawal
* Spring 2018 - B, B
* Summer 2018 - W, W
- 2nd year and 3rd year: basically A letter grades the rest of the year. First year was rough, I wasn't mentally prepared, had other obligations, and didn't take it serious enough. NEVER take a science class during the summer, unless you are 110% sure you can ace it and have no other obligations than to study. If you are working, forget it. The risk is not worth it. Strive for A's only. One to three B's are fine in my opinion.
And that's all I have to say.
Good luck to everyone. Dedicating 3 years of my life for an acceptance to the PB was worth every second. Formulate a plan, and never give up no matter how bad things get. If you really want it, you will find a way to win. Do not make excuses. No one wants to hear it.
The marathon continues!
TLDR: Never give up, trust the process, turn in your transcripts ASAP, turn your apps in early, make your dream team composing of those who want to see you win
Videos that helped me when I first started the pre-med journey (there other really good videos from the pre-health conference)
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https://youtu.be/UCdqrtgBk54
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https://youtu.be/80_ktyATKEU
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https://youtu.be/pTxDYPJeCSI
