WAMC: Top heavy, ORM gap years

[2025hopeful]

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[Mr.Smile12]

I think you could try for the brand schools. However, your application is satisfactory and not outstanding. For example, you only have 160 hours of BBBS which is a service-orientation activity, but you don't have much else to show your interest in working with underserved communities (food distribution, shelter work, transportation services, job/tax preparation, housing rehabilitation). It is mentoring-adjacent though the kids do need that help or guidance. It's just going to pale against the competition by itself IMO.

In addition, your clinical experience feels comparably light (300 hours by application). I don't know your self-reflections of your experience which could help you. Lots of experience with children and teenagers... very little with older adults without knowing more about your CNA/hospital volunteer work.

You have a lot of research experience so maybe you're trying to go for MD/PhD or at least PhD?

 

[2025hopeful]

@Mr.Smile12

Appreciate the honest feedback, completely recognize that my application isn't going to be as competitive on its face against other T20 applicants. Comes down to how well I write I suppose?

For example, you only have 160 hours of BBBS which is a service-orientation activity, but you don't have much else to show your interest in working with underserved communities (food distribution, shelter work, transportation services, job/tax preparation, housing rehabilitation)

My after school work was with underserved students in a low SES area, hopefully that helps as well?

very little with older adults without knowing more about your CNA/hospital volunteer work.

Had the exact same thought as you while I was planning gap years, so all my clinical work has been with elderly adults. In my drafts, I try to explicitly point out that I worked with older adults, maybe that will remedy that? To be honest, my narrative to medicine is really born out of personal experience with working with young children with chronic illness which is why I think all my activities unconsciously pulled me in that direction.

You have a lot of research experience so maybe you're trying to go for MD/PhD or at least PhD?

Thought about this as well, ultimately decided against MD/PhD. I love research, but have found that the ways I feel I can walk with patients is patient care first, research second. Also, the 7 year commitment sucks IMO. However, I think I will try for many of the researchy programs (Stanford PSTP, Harvard HST, etc) because of my background. Do you think that works?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12
Appreciate the honest feedback, completely recognize that my application isn't going to be as competitive on its face against other T20 applicants. Comes down to how well I write I suppose?

If it were only that simple. Everything in your application needs to be at least "cannon fodder". If you cannot match the peloton, you will be dropped, as they say in cycling. Without a mission fit, you are interchangeable, and your application can be easily relegated.

My after school work was with underserved students in a low SES area, hopefully that helps as well?

Yes, but it won't make your app stand out. Most prehealth students work with K-12 schools, especially in low SES areas. You are keeping pace.

... To be honest, my narrative to medicine is really born out of personal experience with working with young children with chronic illness which is why I think all my activities unconsciously pulled me in that direction.

Now that you are aware, how does this change things with your purpose as a physician? Why not work as a physical therapist, speech language pathologist, clinical psychologist, audiologist? They can work with children with chronic conditions all the time, and you will have a personal relationship that impacts them more than a physician.

Thought about this as well, ultimately decided against MD/PhD. I love research, but have found that the ways I feel I can walk with patients is patient care first, research second. Also, the 7 year commitment sucks IMO. However, I think I will try for many of the researchy programs (Stanford PSTP, Harvard HST, etc) because of my background. Do you think that works?

You can go for MSTP-lite tracks. I just want to be sure how this would fit your narrative.

 

[chilly_md]

Is there any reason you can't work as a CNA again for the next 4-5 months? I am surprised you are listing it as a most meaningful with only 80 hours over a year. Even just one 4-hr shift a week gets to 80 hours in less than half a year.

 

[2025hopeful]

Is there any reason you can't work as a CNA again for the next 4-5 months? I am surprised you are listing it as a most meaningful with only 80 hours over a year. Even just one 4-hr shift a week gets to 80 hours in less than half a year.

Yea, for the timeline I worked as a CNA during my last year of college. College was in a rural area, so the hospital was saturated with CNAs. Ended up doing a 3-hour shift every other week-ish simply because they didn't need me half the time.

Currently I signed on for minimum 2 years in my research tech role, so I can't quit that unfortunately. To remedy this, I'm doing 10 hours of hospital volunteering on the weekends.

I know on it's face 80 isn't a lot, but I really felt every hour was very meaningful. Early feedback so far has been that my descriptions for this activity has been fairly strong, do you reckon that is okay?

Any additions/deletions to school list would be greatly appreciated as well!

 

[chilly_md]

Yea, for the timeline I worked as a CNA during my last year of college. College was in a rural area, so the hospital was saturated with CNAs. Ended up doing a 3-hour shift every other week-ish simply because they didn't need me half the time.

Currently I signed on for minimum 2 years in my research tech role, so I can't quit that unfortunately. To remedy this, I'm doing 10 hours of hospital volunteering on the weekends.

I know on it's face 80 isn't a lot, but I really felt every hour was very meaningful. Early feedback so far has been that my descriptions for this activity has been fairly strong, do you reckon that is okay?

Any additions/deletions to school list would be greatly appreciated as well!

Does the clinical research involve patient interaction? That could potentially count then.

Otherwise, 10 hours of hospital volunteering every weekend for the next ~20 weeks gets you 200 hours on top of your existing amount. I would say you probably should pick that as a most meaningful instead.

 

[2025hopeful]

Does the clinical research involve patient interaction? That could potentially count then.

Otherwise, 10 hours of hospital volunteering every weekend for the next ~20 weeks gets you 200 hours on top of your existing amount. I would say you probably should pick that as a most meaningful instead.

Appreciate the direction, but I want to push a little on why you suggest hospital volunteering to be most meaningful (truly out of curiosity, not to be annoying!).

I had the perception that quality > quantity, which is why I decided to go with the CNA experience, even though it is less volume than my hospital experience. However, if from an admissions POV choosing the CNA would be a red flag in terms of 80 hours, I'm fairly certain it would be easy to adapt my most meaningful CNA description to hospital volunteering.

tldr; how do I choose what is most meaningful? Is it volume of hours + what I consider to be meaningful or can it be just what I consider meaningful?

 

[chilly_md]

Appreciate the direction, but I want to push a little on why you suggest hospital volunteering to be most meaningful (truly out of curiosity, not to be annoying!).

I had the perception that quality > quantity, which is why I decided to go with the CNA experience, even though it is less volume than my hospital experience. However, if from an admissions POV choosing the CNA would be a red flag in terms of 80 hours, I'm fairly certain it would be easy to adapt my most meaningful CNA description to hospital volunteering.

tldr; how do I choose what is most meaningful? Is it volume of hours + what I consider to be meaningful or can it be just what I consider meaningful?

Quality is important but 80 across sporadic shifts is too low imo. You may have liked that job, but it would not be convincing to readers considering you went for 3 hours a week for half a year and chose to invest even more hours into research instead during your gap year. You are free to use that activity for your PS though to answer why you want to pursue medicine.