Volunteering projected hours advise

[Banana364]

Hey everyone, I am pretty much finished with writing all my primary essays and activities with all my transcripts sent so I can get verified early. The only problem I have is what to do with my projected volunteer hours. I have finished all my training and certifications to be a firefighter and have an interview with a volunteer fire department on June 6th, 2023 and it would be my only volunteering experience in my activities section. I don't know if I should just label being a firefighter as volunteering with 0 hours and explain how I am still in the interview process or if I should leave it as the 460 hours of training I did to be certified as only an extracurricular?

I really want to submit early to have the best shot possible and wasn't sure what to do about my one volunteering activity because my advisor said it's the only weakness she can see for my activities because I pretty much have everything else except volunteering. She advised me to only put the projected hours in if I'm confident that I will get on with the department, they sent me an interview request two days after my application but it's not guaranteed. I don't want to seem dishonest to the admissions people but if I do put 0 hours and then update them as soon as I get it I can project out the hours. Thank you for any advice!

Extracurricular activities:
Clinical Technician - 2000 Hours (Clinical Employment & Meaningful Experience)
NASA Fellowship - 780 Hours + projected until matriculation (Research & Meaningful Experience)
Intercollegiate Football Athlete - 520 hours because athletic career cut short in first years of undergrad (Meaningful Experience)
Physician Shadowing - 14 hours + More this month after a background check
The most prestigious and significant university award inductee (Award) - 0 hours
Genetics Laboratory Assistant - 410 hours (Clinical Employment)
2022 Global Sustainability Space Challenge Finalist - 150 hours (Leadership)
Poster Presentations with 2 awards for 1 local and 1 state level conference - 10 hours
Publications (4 with more pending) - 0 hours
2x NASA USRA Internship - 800 hours
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 1000 hours
Biology Department Graduate Teaching Assistant - 320 hours
Geek Squad Consultation Agent (Non-clinical employment) - 2400 Hours
Boxing (Hobby) - 900 hours

Volunteering Activity/Future:
Fire Fighter Academy Graduate - 450 hours (Training Hours)
or
Volunteer Fire Fighter - Projected 460 Hours if I get approved

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[candbgirl]

Projected hours are viewed as projected hours, something that might happen and might not. So they don’t count for much.
Where is your nonclinical volunteering focusing on the unserved/underserved in your community? You should have 150-200 hours focusing on the disadvantaged . Think of places like homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, habitat for humanity , etc... You have to get out of your comfort zone and learn to deal with people very unlike yourself. Medicine is a service profession and you have to show your altruism. Doctors see people in the very worst of circumstances and you must be comfortable doing that.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Projected doesn't count for admissions decisions.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey everyone, I am pretty much finished with writing all my primary essays and activities with all my transcripts sent so I can get verified early. The only problem I have is what to do with my projected volunteer hours. I have finished all my training and certifications to be a firefighter and have an interview with a volunteer fire department on June 6th, 2023 and it would be my only volunteering experience in my activities section. I don't know if I should just label being a firefighter as volunteering with 0 hours and explain how I am still in the interview process or if I should leave it as the 460 hours of training I did to be certified as only an extracurricular?

I really want to submit early to have the best shot possible and wasn't sure what to do about my one volunteering activity because my advisor said it's the only weakness she can see for my activities because I pretty much have everything else except volunteering. She advised me to only put the projected hours in if I'm confident that I will get on with the department, they sent me an interview request two days after my application but it's not guaranteed. I don't want to seem dishonest to the admissions people but if I do put 0 hours and then update them as soon as I get it I can project out the hours. Thank you for any advice!

Extracurricular activities:
Clinical Technician - 2000 Hours (Clinical Employment & Meaningful Experience)
NASA Fellowship - 780 Hours + projected until matriculation (Research & Meaningful Experience)
Intercollegiate Football Athlete - 520 hours because athletic career cut short in first years of undergrad (Meaningful Experience)
Physician Shadowing - 14 hours + More this month after a background check
The most prestigious and significant university award inductee (Award) - 0 hours
Genetics Laboratory Assistant - 410 hours (Clinical Employment)
2022 Global Sustainability Space Challenge Finalist - 150 hours (Leadership)
Poster Presentations with 2 awards for 1 local and 1 state level conference - 10 hours
Publications (4 with more pending) - 0 hours
2x NASA USRA Internship - 800 hours
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 1000 hours
Biology Department Graduate Teaching Assistant - 320 hours
Geek Squad Consultation Agent (Non-clinical employment) - 2400 Hours
Boxing (Hobby) - 900 hours

Volunteering Activity/Future:
Fire Fighter Academy Graduate - 450 hours (Training Hours)
or
Volunteer Fire Fighter - Projected 460 Hours if I get approved

I suggest you consider waiting a year to apply, so you can have some solid completed hours of community volunteering and physician shadowing. It would be nice to be able to list multiple accepted manuscripts, too, as submitted papers count for nothing.

 

[Banana364]

Thank you for all your feedback! For the manuscripts, I've almost maxed the characters with my multiple publications so I probably wouldn't be able to add any more once the other ones have been accepted. I, unfortunately, can't wait another year because my AAMC fee assistance program expires for my applications this year and I wouldn't have the finances to comfortably apply to multiple schools because of my family's financial situation. I spoke with my advisors at school and they think I'm a solid applicant considering I am applying to DO and MD. I really appreciate everyone's advice!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for all your feedback! For the manuscripts, I've almost maxed the characters with my multiple publications so I probably wouldn't be able to add any more once the other ones have been accepted. I, unfortunately, can't wait another year because my AAMC fee assistance program expires for my applications this year and I wouldn't have the finances to comfortably apply to multiple schools because of my family's financial situation. I spoke with my advisors at school and they think I'm a solid applicant considering I am applying to DO and MD. I really appreciate everyone's advice!

If you need to cut anything back, publications in W/A should be among the first to go.