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WAMC 3.988 sGPA, 512 MCAT, OH ORM
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Not only do we need your MCAT, you need community service. The curriculum review for your biotech teacher does not satisfy the service orientation definition. Fundraising does not count either. What's left?
It seems to me your pharm tech work is affiliated with a hospital. I think I understand what you are doing, and it works great for Pharmacy experience for an app to pharmacy school, but I don't know if it will be received as well among medical school faculty.
It seems to me your pharm tech work is affiliated with a hospital. I think I understand what you are doing, and it works great for Pharmacy experience for an app to pharmacy school, but I don't know if it will be received as well among medical school faculty.
Most of our patients on warfarin are low SES as the clinic is a way for them to get warfarin for free so long as they come to their appointments. These patients can't afford to be on more expensive blood thinners that require much less monitoring so they come in, I poke their finger and take their INR, and then the pharmacist adjusts their dose. We work very closely with cardiology. I understand that is payed though. I meant to volunteer at a local soup kitchen this semester but I've been so busy that I just haven't gotten around to it and just hoped since my work is community and service oriented and my non-clinical isn't service but is to help the community it'd be passable.
Do you think if I got some hours in a soup kitchen starting next week it'd be helpful for this cycle?
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150 hours of community service is the minimum threshold that my past committees have had, which seems to be consistent with most schools. Can you get that through soup kitchen work by the time you submit an application in June?
P.S. I can credit you with doing the warfarin clinic, but it is clinical-adjacent experience/direct care (I am not picky for paid vs unpaid), not community service. It helps you for Pharmacy or PA apps for sure, IMO.
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Say I can get 150 or 200 by the time I submit my application in June, do you feel the rest of my app is ready? I'm not 100% attached to not taking a gap year, but I'd like to then take my time with the MCAT and push it out a bit if I take a gap year.
My main worry which I have now created for myself is in no way would this service be longitudinal.
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You know your app isn't ready because you haven't given us your MCAT score yet.
I don't deal in hypotheticals. You have to do MCAT prep so how will you fit the hours to do soup kitchen work if you are also taking classes (you said you aren't doing a gap year) and want to graduate?
You are 100% right, sorry for being so stubborn. It's time that I consider a gap year because I do feel an extra year to focus on ECs could turn my app from rushed into a strong app.
Do you feel an additional clinical experience could also improve my app instead of continuing the one I have now? Honestly with how it is right now I find the job to be completely clinical as I'm poking patients' hands and taking blood, but what you said has been a worry of mine certainly as I've always figured I'd have to explain "why not pharmacy?".
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The pharmacy tech work as you describe is very hands on and works with patients. You need to find out more what doctors do and the difference in managing the doctor patient relationship. I always hear how admissions deans love it when applicants are doing more than shadowing (see @LindaAccepted posts/interviews with admissions folks) but the faculty tend to be less consistent on this from my experience.