MD WAMC/School list

[unknown999]

.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. If you are aware of your significant weaknesses that likely undermine your success, why are you throwing away money?

A few thoughts:
What did you do as a camp counselor to put it in leadership? Many others like to put it down as non-clinical volunteering, so unless you were doing much more than keep the kids from getting attacked by bears and mosquitoes... 🙂

Teaching, tutoring, and mentoring are academic activities and will not satisfy "service orientation." You need at least 150 hours at submission of food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation to avoid having your application get screened out at most schools. (Yes, teaching Spanish is still teaching, and you aren't showing a commitment to addressing needs of underserved or marginalized communities outside of a clinical setting.)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I thought I had a good shot for at least one acceptance given my stats, narrative, and school list. However, I understand what you're saying and want to do everything possible to avoid being screened out. My camp counselor job was paid (under 2k for the whole summer but still paid), so I can't put it as volunteering unfortunately :/

I did not know that about service orientation, in that case I will get started ASAP to fulfill the requirement. My Spanish teaching is to break down language barriers in medicine as there is a large spanish speaking population where I live, but I agree it is still a teaching assistant/tutor activity. However, it is still through a volunteering organization.

In your opinion, would it be a waste of money to apply with my stats the way they are right now?

Thank you!

I don't see a mission fit, so you can take your shot regardless of my opinion. I don't have your application to know your letters or secondaries. Admissions offices love your money and your desperation.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Where are you seeing that "most schools" screen out applicants with less than 150 hours of volunteering?

Expert insight and analysis. It may not necessarily be a hard cutoff, but it winds up being a good spot to triage applications down to a reasonable number for review. Also look through the WAMC profiles. I think MSAR shows a different calculation of having a few hundred "community service" hours... gotta find that.

Also to clarify: 150 hours of service orientation activities, not "community service". Service orientation is one of the 11 pre-professional competencies, but it is not everything related to community service.