WAMC 3.89 Traditional

[deleted1232294]

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deleted

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

I see problems with your nonclinical volunteering as most of your hours don't really involve meeting people face to face (text line). You are under the 150 hour threshold with your food bank and clothes drive activities to avoid getting screened out.

Hospital transport is still clinical since you are helping patients. How does this relate to being a "hospital volunteer club" leader?

 

[morak]

My entire lab group has been ghosted by our PI

💀

PI left for a conference and never came back? lol

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the reply! I will def try to get my food bank hours to 150. Do you think it would help to join another volunteering activity or continue with the food bank? Also would reaching that 150hr mark be enough? My crisis text line is some of my most memorable experiences I've had and connects to my theme so I thought that was okay. Anything else that might raise a red flag?

My hospital club was founded by me and my friends who realized there was no opportunity to volunteer at the children's hospital many people wanted to work in. I am there because i had prior experience with volunteering there so i could help them with the policies and training and give them more insight.

You need 150 hours to avoid getting screened out. If you plan to apply to brand-name schools, you should get much more (250 minimum upon submission) because your peers will have much more.

The problem is that medical schools want students who like being on the front lines and working face-to-face with their communities. We do not really embrace a future where physicians are only accessible via text message. The absence of humbly serving a community directly is the red flag.

You should follow up by working directly with community members, navigating them through their challenges with social services or housing. I don't see how the activity connects to other face-to-face opportunities where you can also use that training to help others with their overall needs. Maybe you aren't listing everything (like employment) that shows you understand "customer service."

Texas schools emphasize service to Texas citizens as part of their collective mission, so showing that you have a record of understanding the general needs of Texas residents (not just their health needs) must be part of your profile. This includes helping people unlike yourself.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you for the detailed feedback. Do you think I have enough research for mid tier MDs? And with the extra volunteering would there be anything holding me back from mid tiers? I hope my mcat can make up a little for my low hours.

I can't speak for every school, but I don't think mid-tier MD's put a ton of value on your research (other than you can formulate and communicate a hypothesis and analyze data: academic competencies).

Mission fit matters most.

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success | Student Doctor Network | SDN

All medical schools have a stated mission. Understanding how you fit into that mission helps you focus your application for success.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[Med Ed]

How long have you been doing astrophotography?

 

[Med Ed]

Since high school. I’ve since only doing it during summers but I thought it would be cool to talk about in interviews.

That's a ton of hours. As in 8 hours of astrophotography per day for 250 days. When one has a large amount of hours doing hobbies it can somewhat accentuate a lack of hours in other areas.

Check back with your MCAT score.