WAMC - Need more clinical experience

[kswyjc]

Hi there,

I’m looking for some help planning my med school app. I’m planning to apply next application season.

Some things about me:

• Graduated spring of 2023, GPA ~3.75 - 3.8 (a bit unsure of this- my school uses A+ and my first year, I was at another university, but I think it’s somewhere right below 3.8 or at 3.8; my science GPA is 3.7X)
• In college, I did some hospital volunteering for ~80-90 hours with screening patients for COVID and delivering meals, and some peer support volunteering at a mental health peer group for ~45 hours. It was kind of sporadic, like some months I would do a lot, others not so much
• My first year of college, I did a service-learning program at my first university, where I was doing elderly companionship volunteering (not sure how many hours this was? I don’t think too many)
• Starting last February, I’ve been doing a term with AmeriCorps with a community health center organization; I’ve done retinal imaging for diabetic patients (~50 hours, since each one only takes about 10 minutes) and help with a food bank for diabetic patients (I think this has been 10 hours directly distributing the food so far, should be about 100 by the end of my next AmeriCorps term); I do lots of other projects that connect patients to care, however, most of them are not directly interacting with patients in person
• Planning on doing another part-time AmeriCorps term after my current one (so I can focus on the MCAT)
• Planning on taking the MCAT in January

Questions:

• Does the food bank for diabetic patients count as non-clinical volunteering or clinical experience? I’m not quite sure where this one falls, since the patients are referred by their providers, it’s for diabetes, and it’s at the health centers; however, it’s not really a medical thing… Also, is it still “volunteering” if it’s through AmeriCorps, and I’m receiving a living allowance?
• If I did something involving connecting patients to resources for things like food resources/other social determinants of health etc. in person, would this count as clinical experience or non-clinical volunteering?
• How exactly do you calculate hours? Like if I’m working at the food bank, are only the hours where I’m distributing the food the ones that count as “hours”? Or also prepping the food?
• It seems like weaknesses in my application are clinical experience and maybe also non-clinical volunteering? — Do you guys have any suggestions for ways to get more *meaningful* clinical experience? TBH, I felt like my hospital volunteering was not very meaningful. I thought about being a scribe, but… see below

I’m trying to figure out what the ‘plan’ should be, involving finishing my AmeriCorps term at the end of Nov, taking the MCAT in Jan, and trying to get more clinical experience by some other means. There’s lots of different ways to do this, and I’m not really sure of the best one. I could take a month and a half off after my term and focus only on the MCAT… I could do a part time for 2 days/week while studying… I could involve scribing in there somewhere (???) IDK I’m kind of lost on making a plan for this. I’m guessing it would be best to start scribing, or some other clinical experience, now, and continue doing it throughout all this. But I would only be able to do it one day per week. Maybe, I can really cut down on my second AmeriCorps term, do scribing twice a week, …. AHHH IDK. Please advise lmao

I’ve already studied a good amount for the MCAT, but I would really like a dedicated period where I can focus primarily on that. TBH it would be ideal to scribe 1 day/wk, do AmeriCorps 1 day/wk, and study for the MCAT for this period. Then maybe after the MCAT, I can increase my AmeriCorps time (since it’s ok as long as you get a total number of hours) However, idk how many scribe positions like that are available, and it might also be tricky with AmeriCorps. IDK - should I try to find something where I can scribe 1 day/week, and just start doing that now? Or maybe there is a more meaningful clinical experience? Idk, I feel like I’m word vomiting now, but … please advise <3

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Post with WAMC formatting from the subforum.

 

[kswyjc]

For application next season (not current). Was told to repost here:

1. GPA approx 3.75 - 3.8X
2. Taking MCAT in January
3. NY state
4. White
5. T20 University
6. Clinical experience- 80-90 hours hospital volunteering, 55 hours doing retinal exams
7. In undergrad, worked in a research lab on maternal/child nutrition (mostly helped with screening studies for a literature review), and in a lab on human memory (mostly helped logistically putting the survey studies together and monitoring participants)
8. Shadowed - emergency room pediatrician ~35 hours, primary care pediatricians for a couple days
9. Non-clinical volunteering- AmeriCorps term - Helping with food bank, would be about 100 hours of distributing food by the end of my next term, but more hours if you include preparing the food (do you?), work on other many projects connecting patients with care but mostly virtual (does this count?)- Also volunteered at peer based mental health support group ~45 hours
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)- AmeriCorps in gap year(s)
11. Relevant honors or awards- IDK
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important- Getting a certificate in Public Health (eCourse)

I'm planning to do another part-time term for AmeriCorps (current one ends in Nov), and I'm also trying to make a plan for how to get more clinical experience... After my AmeriCorps term ends, I'm planning on doing another one with low hours, while I study for the MCAT. Maybe in December, I'll start being a part-time scribe? However, would it be bad to only start scribing in December when applying next season? I don't think I can commit to more than 1 day/week until after my term ends...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, you should get more clinical experience. What you have doesn't show your commitment to working in many arenas where doctors work. You may have a lot going on with your Americorps assignment, but get going with the scribe position when you can. Now, don't take the MCAT until you are ready and have balanced everything with sufficient clinical exposure. You don't want to be surprised with a bad score while you are starting out as a scribe.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I saw your WAMC. I leave my comments on your clinical experience (needs) there.

What help have you received with your prehealth advisors about this plan?

I'd fill out an AMCAS BUT NOT SUBMIT it. Get used to what information you need and how tediously long it takes to fill it out.

Take the MCAT in January. Find out if you have to take Casper or PREview, and take it/them in the spring.

Your questions on non-clinical volunteering:

• Does the food bank for diabetic patients count as non-clinical volunteering or clinical experience? I’m not quite sure where this one falls, since the patients are referred by their providers, it’s for diabetes, and it’s at the health centers; however, it’s not really a medical thing… Also, is it still “volunteering” if it’s through AmeriCorps, and I’m receiving a living allowance?

Food distribution is community service orientation (non-clinical) experience. Don't worry about getting paid or receiving a stipend making this experience less valuable (because it doesn't).

• If I did something involving connecting patients to resources for things like food resources/other social determinants of health etc. in person, would this count as clinical experience or non-clinical volunteering?

Community service/non-clinical. Many clinics do this to address SDOH issues, Civil service jobs do this. Faith-based organizations do this. Public health officials put up booths at county fairs to do this.

• How exactly do you calculate hours? Like if I’m working at the food bank, are only the hours where I’m distributing the food the ones that count as “hours”? Or also prepping the food?

Depends on your responsibilities, I would include preparing the food. Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen team makes food on-site.

• It seems like weaknesses in my application are clinical experience and maybe also non-clinical volunteering? — Do you guys have any suggestions for ways to get more *meaningful* clinical experience? TBH, I felt like my hospital volunteering was not very meaningful. I thought about being a scribe, but… see below

As I said, this is a weakness, and if you don't find yourself excited to get up at 4am for your 6am shift start in a hospital, you need more clinical exposure until you know you would actually DREAD doing this.

 

[chilly_md]

Threads were merged to keep discussion in one place.