WAMC 3.92 SC ORM Gap year advice

[leus33]

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Hi all,

I am looking for some advice here as I prepare to apply next year. I am currently on my gap year working as a clinical research coordinator at a local hospital after finishing post bacc program last summer. I majored in Microbiology at T10 undergrad cGPA 3.92 sGPA 4.0 but with only gen bio and gen chem. Then I attended one of the top postbacc programs finished with cGPA 3.93. Following are my current experiences:

Clinical
1. Hospice ~90 hours - spending time with elderly patients at hospice. It was done back in college 2 years ago
2. Local hospital ~70 hours - Spending time with elderly patients similar to my previous experience above. This is my current volunteer. I am projected to have ~70 hours by the time I apply next year.
3. Clinical research coordinator - if I put my current employment here, I am looking at ~1200 hours by the time I apply. My job involves directly talking to in-patients semi daily basis.

Non clinical
1. Church ~100 hours - serving as a local church leader for several years.
2. Non profit organization for after school program during undergrad ~200 hours - participated in this organization providing after school program in an underserved community.

Research
1. Microbiology lab during undergrad ~200 hours - never had a poster presentation or publication.

I do not have any shadowing experience at all. I am planning to start at the local hospital I am working at. I do have interest in pediatrics but planning to shadow several different area hoping for close to 30 hours total? Would that be sufficient? Also, is it important to have majority of these hours on primary care? Besides that, I am planning to study for MCAT while volunteering at the hospital. Based on my current situation, is there some other area I should be working on? I would appreciate your advice!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

MCAT? Networking with schools? How have you stretched outside your comfort zone?

 

[LunaOri]

I think you need significantly more volunteering.

 

[leus33]

MCAT? Networking with schools? How have you stretched outside your comfort zone?

MCAT I am planning to take in January. Networking, I gotta be honest not my strongest area. I do work with couple doctors who are my boss in my research lab. I will see if there are any opportunities when I start shadowing. Any tips?

 

[leus33]

I think you need significantly more volunteering.

Would that be for both clinical and non clinical?

 

[LunaOri]

Would that be for both clinical and non clinical?

Nonclinical

 

[Mr.Smile12]

MCAT I am planning to take in January. Networking, I gotta be honest not my strongest area. I do work with couple doctors who are my boss in my research lab. I will see if there are any opportunities when I start shadowing. Any tips?

There may be some networking events coming up (many virtual given the time of year now).

Read

Building Your Best School List | SDN

Your success in any application cycle depends on how well you match a school’s metrics profile and the schools where you send your application - your

www.studentdoctor.net

Beyond MSAR: Additional Resources for Building Your School List | SDN

Compilations like the MSAR, the ChooseDO, the VMSAR, or the ADEA DSE are essential tools to compare your application profile against historical trends,

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[leus33]

Nonclinical

I was thinking ~300 hrs nonclinical would be enough. How many hours should I be looking for?

 

[leus33]

There may be some networking events coming up (many virtual given the time of year now).

Read

Building Your Best School List | SDN

Your success in any application cycle depends on how well you match a school’s metrics profile and the schools where you send your application - your

www.studentdoctor.net

Beyond MSAR: Additional Resources for Building Your School List | SDN

Compilations like the MSAR, the ChooseDO, the VMSAR, or the ADEA DSE are essential tools to compare your application profile against historical trends,

www.studentdoctor.net

I will look into them thank you!!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You can only do so many hours. 300 would be enough to avoid getting screened out (150 for sure), but you'd still be on the relatively low end among the high-flyers if you wish to play in the Ivy+ pool. You would need more if your goal as a physician were more community-oriented. Ideally it should be distinct from your clinical volunteering. Again, you probably didn't need to go do a postbac with an undergrad 3.9+ GPA, but you did what you wanted. (I don't know how you could have avoided physics as a science/premed unless you weren't premed as an undergrad neuroscience major... which seems odd to me having had experience crafting such schedules for neuroscience premed majors in my past.)

Food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, and housing rehabilitation are most effective.

 

[leus33]

You can only do so many hours. 300 would be enough to avoid getting screened out (150 for sure), but you'd still be on the relatively low end among the high-flyers if you wish to play in the Ivy+ pool. You would need more if your goal as a physician were more community-oriented. Ideally it should be distinct from your clinical volunteering. Again, you probably didn't need to go do a postbac with an undergrad 3.9+ GPA, but you did what you wanted. (I don't know how you could have avoided physics as a science/premed unless you weren't premed as an undergrad neuroscience major... which seems odd to me having had experience crafting such schedules for neuroscience premed majors in my past.)

Food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, and housing rehabilitation are most effective.

Thank you i will look for another nonclinical volunteering opportunity. It looks like there are bunch of options for soup kitchen in my area. I believe i should be able to complete close to ~90 additional hours by the time I apply. Do you think that would be sufficient for my volunteering exp? I am hoping to be in ivy+ pool as you mentioned.

I forgot to mention that I was never a premed in undergrad so I did not have to take those prereq courses. Postbacc was for a career change.

 

[mike-sheree]

MCAT I am planning to take in January. Networking, I gotta be honest not my strongest area. I do work with couple doctors who are my boss in my research lab. I will see if there are any opportunities when I start shadowing. Any tips?

Get GOOD at networking. It will become more and more important as your career progresses if you go into medicine.