Want to go top tier. What should I focus on improving?

[ANATOMYgirl22]

EDIT: Would it help me significantly to get a LOR from my collegiate volleyball coach in addition to the 5 letters that I mention below? I don't think she would have a problem writing one for me (she would be able to touch on teamwork/leadership), but I haven't had much contact with her since I finished volleyball a couple years ago. Just a thought... thanks in advance for any advice!


Hello all! I am applying next spring and would love any advice about improving my application

3.85 sGPA/cGPA
36M MCAT (12,12,12)
Honors College
Michigan Resident

Research:
-Presented poster on 1 semester project at undergrad university scholarship day.
-Summer internship at top school (work resulted in 4th author publication).
-Now working in a pediatric cancer research lab (lab tech). I have taken over my own project and will submit a paper in the next couple of months (2nd or 3rd author). I hope to get one first-author paper before starting medical school. Might have the chance to present a poster at a national conference.
~2600 hours by time of application

Volunteering:
~150 hours over 1 year as a friendly visitor for a patient in her home. I would see her for a few hours about once a week.
~volunteer volleyball instruction for women in sport's day at undergrad university (single day event). Taught underprivileged kids volleyball skills. Participated 4 years.

Patient Contact:
-Worked 1 summer part time at an assisted living (home with 7 residents). Residents had high medical needs as well as physical and psychological disabilities. I gave meds and assisted with all types of personal care.
~370 hours

Shadowing:
-With many different specialties. Spent time in clinics, private offices, and hospitals. Inpatient and outpatient at hospitals. Shadowed in OR.
~70 hours

Leadership:
-Captain and 4 year player on an NCAA collegiate volleyball team

Teaching:
-Tutor for 1 semester. Orgo/genetics/cell and molecular biology ~40 hours
-TA for 1 semester. Comparative vertebrate anatomy.

LOR's
-2 science profs. One was my Prof for 2 upper-level anatomy classes- I was his TA, and he was my Honors project adviser. Other was my biochemistry professor- She helped talk me in to starting research.
-1 non-science. I had him for a 6 credit Honors class my freshman year.
-1 from post-doc who mentored me for summer internship (might ask PI to co-sign)
-1 from current PI (who is a practicing MD)

Other:
-Honors project. Full dissection of human head/neck/torso for plastination with report on using plastinates in teaching college courses (some time shadowing in plastination lab). Over 100 hours
-Awarded Upperclassman Anatomy scholarship my final year.

Top 3 Schools:
University of Michigan
Northwestern
University of Chicago

I know that I have a good app so far, but I have over a year before I apply and I'm not sure what to focus my time on. I would like to pick up some more volunteering. Will it matter at this point if it's not in a hospital? Thank you for any advice!!

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[darkjedi]

There's nothing I can think of that seems missing from your application. You seem to check off all the right boxes and have clearly spent a lot of time setting yourself up for application to med school.

My biggest piece of advice to you is to find something non-medically you're passionate about and do something amazing with it. I'm sure you already have something bouncing around you haven't shared, but at this point, you just need to stand out from the other applicants. To do that you should focus on your more unique passions outside of medicine.

 

[basedbear]

Volleyball doesn't count in that regard jedi?

 

[darkjedi]

Volleyball doesn't count in that regard jedi?

It most definitely can. Doesn't hurt to have a couple of varied passions and accomplishments however.

 

[Catalystik]

Hello all! I am applying next spring and would love any advice about improving my application

3.85 sGPA/cGPA
36M MCAT (12,12,12)
Honors College
Michigan Resident

Research:
-Presented poster on 1 semester project at undergrad university scholarship day.
-Summer internship at top school (work resulted in 4th author publication).
-Now working in a pediatric cancer research lab (lab tech). I have taken over my own project and will submit a paper in the next couple of months (2nd or 3rd author). I hope to get one first-author paper before starting medical school. Might have the chance to present a poster at a national conference.
~2600 hours by time of application

Volunteering:
~150 hours over 1 year as a friendly visitor for a patient in her home. I would see her for a few hours about once a week.
~volunteer volleyball instruction for women in sport's day at undergrad university (single day event). Taught underprivileged kids volleyball skills. Participated 4 years.

Patient Contact:
-Worked 1 summer part time at an assisted living (home with 7 residents). Residents had high medical needs as well as physical and psychological disabilities. I gave meds and assisted with all types of personal care.
~370 hours

Shadowing:
-With many different specialties. Spent time in clinics, private offices, and hospitals. Inpatient and outpatient at hospitals. Shadowed in OR.
~70 hours

Leadership:
-Captain and 4 year player on an NCAA collegiate volleyball team
-Tutor for 1 semester. Orgo/genetics/cell and molecular biology ~40 hours
-TA for 1 semester. Comparative vertebrate anatomy.

LOR's
-2 science profs. One was my Honors project adviser and other helped talk me in to starting research.
-1 non-science. An honors history professor
-1 from post-doc who mentored me for summer internship (might ask PI to co-sign)
-1 from current PI (who is a practicing MD)

Other:
-Honors project. Full dissection of human head/neck/torso for plastination with report on using plastinates in teaching college courses (some time shadowing in plastination lab). Over 100 hours
-Awarded Upperclassman Anatomy scholarship my final year.

Top 3 Schools:
University of Michigan
Northwestern
University of Chicago

I know that I have a good app so far, but I have over a year before I apply and I'm not sure what to focus my time on. I would like to pick up some more volunteering. Will it matter at this point if it's not in a hospital? Thank you for any advice!!

You already have a very nice application, but since you're asking for picky suggestions:

Do you have any Hobbies or Artistic Endeavors to mention? These can help you stand out.

Any chance of taking on a non-sport leadership role? TA and tutoring are generally listed in the Teaching category. They'd be more peer leadership-y if you organized other TAs or tutors.

If teaching kids volleyball skills was not very time consuming/of long duration during the school year (you didn't specify hours of involvement), then I agree that some off-campus, weekly, nonmedical community service would be good to add. This is another potential venue for demonstrating leadership skills. I think you're fine not to add additional clinical volunteering.

Another picky point: many schools specify that they want two science faculty letters from those who taught you. It isn't clear if that's the case from what you wrote.

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

My biggest piece of advice to you is to find something non-medically you're passionate about and do something amazing with it. I'm sure you already have something bouncing around you haven't shared, but at this point, you just need to stand out from the other applicants. To do that you should focus on your more unique passions outside of medicine.

I definitely have some other interests where I could invest my time, so maybe I'll really start thinking about that now. It's just weird getting away from the "what can I do to improve my app" attitude after so many years of preparing. Thanks for the advice!

Do you have any Hobbies or Artistic Endeavors to mention? These can help you stand out.

Any chance of taking on a non-sport leadership role? TA and tutoring are generally listed in the Teaching category. They'd be more peer leadership-y if you organized other TAs or tutors.

If teaching kids volleyball skills was not very time consuming/of long duration during the school year (you didn't specify hours of involvement), then I agree that some off-campus, weekly, nonmedical community service would be good to add. This is another potential venue for demonstrating leadership skills. I think you're fine not to add additional clinical volunteering.

Another picky point: many schools specify that they want two science faculty letters from those who taught you. It isn't clear if that's the case from what you wrote.

I was strongly considering an art minor for a while because I love to paint/draw and do metalwork. However, it would have taken up too much of my precious studying time, so I decided against it. Maybe I will take up some of those activities again.

For another leadership role... would organizing events to raise money for pediatric cancer research count here? I've been itching to do something like that lately.

For volunteering I was thinking I'd like to spend some time with my furry friends at the Humane Society. I could find a more people-oriented position if it really mattered, but I figured that would be fine.

And both Science profs were people who taught me (just to clarify).

You've been so helpful. Thank you so much!

 

[Catalystik]

1) For another leadership role... would organizing events to raise money for pediatric cancer research count here? I've been itching to do something like that lately.

2) For volunteering I was thinking I'd like to spend some time with my furry friends at the Humane Society. I could find a more people-oriented position if it really mattered, but I figured that would be fine.

1) As long as you are organizing peers to get the job done, and not doing all the work yourself, it would be leadership.

2) Hands-on service to the disadvantaged seems to carry the most weight with adcomms. Interestingly, Humane Society volunteering is considered very positively, considering all the humans with poor resources that need help as well.

 

[deleted314957]

M.D. is M.D. No one will care where you went to med school ( there are outliers but i generally mean Univ of Name your state). This is from my perspective of 35 years as a doc and hiring people.
get board certified, have great communication skills and be personable. all the rest is generally junk.
you will not see this any where on this thread because it is too o/c.

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

M.D. is M.D. No one will care where you went to med school ( there are outliers but i generally mean Univ of Name your state). This is from my perspective of 35 years as a doc and hiring people.
get board certified, have great communication skills and be personable. all the rest is generally junk.
you will not see this any where on this thread because it is too o/c.

Do you think that the same applies for those who are interested in research or academia? I realize that the most important thing when it comes to becoming a doctor is to do well in all of your courses and on the USMLE. I'm mostly concerned about where I go to school based on my desire to do research.

 

[darkjedi]

Do you think that the same applies for those who are interested in research or academia? I realize that the most important thing when it comes to becoming a doctor is to do well in all of your courses and on the USMLE exams. I'm mostly concerned about where I go to school based on my desire to do research.

I think if you have the right reasons for wanting to go to a top tier school, the adcoms will recognize it. If the only reason you have is to get the prestige factor, it will be apparent and adcoms will see through it. I personally thing there are a lot of good reasons for wanting to go to a top tier school. Opportunities in research, academia, and policy are much more prevalent at more established institutions. The faculty and student body you meet and get to know also tend to be a different caliber. Knowing these people may significantly help if you have the ambition to do big things.

 

[Amba]

I have to say, our apps will be pretty similar come next spring. I think you look great and I'd be surprised if you don't end up at a top 20!

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

I have to say, our apps will be pretty similar come next spring. I think you look great and I'd be surprised if you don't end up at a top 20!

Wow! Really similar. Looks like you've had some really great experiences. Do you know where you're applying?

 

[MedPR]

I agree that your app is already very strong, but if we're being picky...

150 hours volunteering is pretty weak. You could easily accumulate more over the next year. You might also try and get a LOR from your volunteer coordinator.. Someone who can write about your "soft" non-science side.. You know, to show that you are a real person.

 

[Amba]

Wow! Really similar. Looks like you've had some really great experiences. Do you know where you're applying?

Basically! I have a list of 20 schools right now and I only foresee one or two potentially changing.

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

150 hours volunteering is pretty weak. You could easily accumulate more over the next year. You might also try and get a LOR from your volunteer coordinator.. Someone who can write about your "soft" non-science side.. You know, to show that you are a real person.

I agree that 150 volunteer hours isn't that much, so I'm definitely planning to do some work there. As for the LOR... were you thinking in addition to the 5 that I'm already planning on? Or as a substitute for one of them? I could also ask my coach for a letter to elaborate on leadership/teamwork/etc, but I'm afraid that would be overkill?

 

[gmcguitar4]

Learn spanish..unless you already know it?

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

edited OP. See above for additional question.

 

[darkjedi]

EDIT: Would it help me significantly to get a LOR from my collegiate volleyball coach in addition to the 5 letters that I mention below? I don't think she would have a problem writing one for me (she would be able to touch on teamwork/leadership), but I haven't had much contact with her since I finished volleyball a couple years ago. Just a thought... thanks in advance for any advice!

If you believe that she will be able to write you a strong letter of recommendation, even after a few years, then by all means go for it. If she can spin your involvement on the team in the context of leadership and skills like that, it definitely won't hurt you.

 

[darkjedi]

You could focus on not being such a ****ing idiot!!

oh boy, this ban should come in record time

 

[mcloaf]

oh boy, this ban should come in record time

Lol yep. 2nd time in <24 hours.

 

[deleted127837]

If you get in early enough you'll very likely interview at at least one of the three, though don't be surprised if one of them passes you over.

If I were nitpicking - your research is weak for someone whose angle is that they want to do research. The number of hours you did research is irrelevant - the number of publications you received will be.

Whether or not you get in, then, will depend on your interview, and making sure to convince your interviews how awesome you are (your scores aren't astronomical to the point where you could coast through, you'll need to prove yourself - UChicago is thought to look pretty heavily at scores, for example, but all three have pretty high medians). Practice interviewing with your career center or like service at your school and you should be all set - there's not too much you can do now.

(Also keep in mind that a top-tier 3 tier system would be the top 40 schools by NIH funding, which also happens to be the designation they look at on the match. Mid tier = 80 - 40, bottom tier = the rest).

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

oh boy, this ban should come in record time

LOL, I guess I missed something?

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

If you get in early enough you'll very likely interview at at least one of the three, though don't be surprised if one of them passes you over.

If I were nitpicking - your research is weak for someone whose angle is that they want to do research. The number of hours you did research is irrelevant - the number of publications you received will be.

Whether or not you get in, then, will depend on your interview, and making sure to convince your interviews how awesome you are (your scores aren't astronomical to the point where you could coast through, you'll need to prove yourself - UChicago is thought to look pretty heavily at scores, for example, but all three have pretty high medians). Practice interviewing with your career center or like service at your school and you should be all set - there's not too much you can do now.

(Also keep in mind that a top-tier 3 tier system would be the top 40 schools by NIH funding, which also happens to be the designation they look at on the match. Mid tier = 80 - 40, bottom tier = the rest).

I agree that my stats aren't anything that will make me really stand out to top schools, so I will definitely put some quality time into perfecting my interview skills. I do plan to apply pretty broadly too (I'm not stuck on top 20 or anything, those three schools just happen to be my top choices).

I did just get that 3rd author paper accepted, and will be presenting a poster at a national conference in April, so hopefully those will boost my research a bit. If I'm able to get my 1st author paper submitted before application season is over do you think that would help pretty significantly (as an update obviously)? Or would it only really matter if I got it accepted/published?