Ellicose
Full Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2020
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 30
Hi all,
I've been really stressing out about my application and as a first time applicant in this cycle I have no idea what to expect. My application is as follows, hope I'm not breaking any rules.
Demographics
Asian male, ORM, California (RIP)
First gen, disadvantaged
Acamdemics
Submitted primaries 7/10 to AMCAS, submitted 7/20 to AACOMAS
Personal statement is good I guess, much of my applications focus on serving underrepresented.
Graduated from UCLA this year with Biology degree
cGPA: 3.48
sGPA: 3.42
MCAT: 513 (127 / 129 / 128/ 129) , retake from a 501 in September 2019
Upward trend, have diagnosis of ADHD that coincides with the trend. Did not mention in primaries but did talk about it in secondaries.
Extracirriculars
**Clinical and shadowing**
500+ hours volunteering at Veterans Affairs program with geriatric patients. Program is a physical + social enrichment program, but must be referred by a physician. Kind of a weird one, I put it down as clinical hours because it is direct interaction with patients with a physician present to oversee, but could also spin it to be non-clincal.
30 hours shadowing orthopedic surgeon
30+ hours shadowing local family doctor
40+ hours shadowing geriatricians at Veterans Affairs hospital
**Nonclincal**
80 hours volunteering with dementia patients, providing socialization
100 hours for two school terms as a staff member of Model United Nations
Leadership in one pre-med club as Research Coordinator
**Research**
400ish hours in animal behavior lab for 3 years, leadership role, no publication or poster
150 hours in physics lab for 2 years, one poster presented for my school's undergraduate research day, leadership role as 3D printing technician
300+ hours (still ongoing) for meta-analysis on virtual patient simulation, writing manuscript, will be second or third author. Likely publish before end of year.
**Hobbies etc.**
3D printing, mentioned how I donated to hospitals during pandemic
Co-founder of business, where I design, manufacture, sell bespoke keyboards that are ergonomic and health oriented. Handle thousands of dollars at one time, original designs done all by me.
**Work**
300+ hours working one summer full-time at Humane Society (was pre-vet before switching to pre-med), one of the first employees in new department of the shelter
180 hours working 5 months as assistant to veterinary clinic over 5 months
1100+ hours working 3 years as work study in Asian American studies department at my university.
LORs:
2 science (1 likely strong, 1 unsure but decent)
3 MD (2 strong, 1 good)
Schools
All CA schools, no top 20 schools in my list, looking at OOS friendly schools where my GPA and MCAT are at least within 10% range of acceptances using MSAR.
Currently have 30 MD schools 11 DO schools on my list, received secondaries for half of DO schools so far, for MD secondaries from GWU and Tufts since they send to unverified.
Willing to take any suggestions for school lists
Summary
I am applying to both MD/DO, and don't mind going to DO at all. I am concerned about my non-clinical hours, and no real experience volunteering within a hospital. Had plans lined up for it but everything had to stop due to COVID. My GPA also concerns me, despite having a "reason" (undiagnosed ADHD, upward trend after diagnosis, mentioned earlier in post). Any help would be amazing.
I've been really stressing out about my application and as a first time applicant in this cycle I have no idea what to expect. My application is as follows, hope I'm not breaking any rules.
Demographics
Asian male, ORM, California (RIP)
First gen, disadvantaged
Acamdemics
Submitted primaries 7/10 to AMCAS, submitted 7/20 to AACOMAS
Personal statement is good I guess, much of my applications focus on serving underrepresented.
Graduated from UCLA this year with Biology degree
cGPA: 3.48
sGPA: 3.42
MCAT: 513 (127 / 129 / 128/ 129) , retake from a 501 in September 2019
Upward trend, have diagnosis of ADHD that coincides with the trend. Did not mention in primaries but did talk about it in secondaries.
Extracirriculars
**Clinical and shadowing**
500+ hours volunteering at Veterans Affairs program with geriatric patients. Program is a physical + social enrichment program, but must be referred by a physician. Kind of a weird one, I put it down as clinical hours because it is direct interaction with patients with a physician present to oversee, but could also spin it to be non-clincal.
30 hours shadowing orthopedic surgeon
30+ hours shadowing local family doctor
40+ hours shadowing geriatricians at Veterans Affairs hospital
**Nonclincal**
80 hours volunteering with dementia patients, providing socialization
100 hours for two school terms as a staff member of Model United Nations
Leadership in one pre-med club as Research Coordinator
**Research**
400ish hours in animal behavior lab for 3 years, leadership role, no publication or poster
150 hours in physics lab for 2 years, one poster presented for my school's undergraduate research day, leadership role as 3D printing technician
300+ hours (still ongoing) for meta-analysis on virtual patient simulation, writing manuscript, will be second or third author. Likely publish before end of year.
**Hobbies etc.**
3D printing, mentioned how I donated to hospitals during pandemic
Co-founder of business, where I design, manufacture, sell bespoke keyboards that are ergonomic and health oriented. Handle thousands of dollars at one time, original designs done all by me.
**Work**
300+ hours working one summer full-time at Humane Society (was pre-vet before switching to pre-med), one of the first employees in new department of the shelter
180 hours working 5 months as assistant to veterinary clinic over 5 months
1100+ hours working 3 years as work study in Asian American studies department at my university.
LORs:
2 science (1 likely strong, 1 unsure but decent)
3 MD (2 strong, 1 good)
Schools
All CA schools, no top 20 schools in my list, looking at OOS friendly schools where my GPA and MCAT are at least within 10% range of acceptances using MSAR.
Currently have 30 MD schools 11 DO schools on my list, received secondaries for half of DO schools so far, for MD secondaries from GWU and Tufts since they send to unverified.
Willing to take any suggestions for school lists
Summary
I am applying to both MD/DO, and don't mind going to DO at all. I am concerned about my non-clinical hours, and no real experience volunteering within a hospital. Had plans lined up for it but everything had to stop due to COVID. My GPA also concerns me, despite having a "reason" (undiagnosed ADHD, upward trend after diagnosis, mentioned earlier in post). Any help would be amazing.
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