What are my chances....low volunteer hours

[Blue96]

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What are my chances???
Submitted application June 9th and is now complete as of today. After reviewing app again, my concern is low volunteer hours as it reads in activities section. Spoke about volunteering at hospital in my personal statement but didn't clarify the hours (over 150 hrs.) in my activities. I have 135 hours shadowing and publication in journal as first author, about 40 hours volunteering at clinic and 45 hours rehab facility and have 1 year research. Biochemistry major, state school, GPA 3.8, GPAs 3.8 no mcat score yet, July 22 (510 AAMC FL #1 only few weeks of content). What are my chances and will volunteer/clinical hours be considered low and hurt my chances?

 

[SLU Student]

I'm pretty sure both the AMCAS and AACOMAS require you to put the number of hours you spent doing each activity. Did you accidentally put the wrong number or accidentally leave out that specific activity?

What does your activities section actually read?

If it looks like you had no volunteer hours, then yes, it will probably hurt your application.

 

[Blue96]

I'm pretty sure both the AMCAS and AACOMAS require you to put the number of hours you spent doing each activity. Did you accidentally put the wrong number or accidentally leave out that specific activity?

What does your activities section actually read?

If it looks like you had no volunteer hours, then yes, it will probably hurt your application.

In ACTIVITIES I have listed: 135 hours shadowing, 45 hours clinic (one year), 40 hours rehab center (over a three years). In my ESSAY spoke about volunteer experience at children's hospital (have over 140 hours) but did not specifically say the total hours in my essay and did not list in activities.

 

[gyngyn]

You appear to have a shadowing/volunteering mismatch (way more shadowing than needed).
Depending on your state of residence and overall application it will probably be ok, though.

 

[Goro]

What are my chances???
Submitted application June 9th and is now complete as of today. After reviewing app again, my concern is low volunteer hours as it reads in activities section. Spoke about volunteering at hospital in my personal statement but didn't clarify the hours (over 150 hrs.) in my activities. I have 135 hours shadowing and publication in journal as first author, about 40 hours volunteering at clinic and 45 hours rehab facility and have 1 year research. Biochemistry major, state school, GPA 3.8, GPAs 3.8 no mcat score yet, July 22 (510 AAMC FL #1 only few weeks of content). What are my chances and will volunteer/clinical hours be considered low and hurt my chances?

At my school, my student interviewers would eat you alive.

Look, you need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanistic side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

Here's another way of looking at it: would you buy a new car without test driving it? Buy a new suit or dress without trying it on??

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.

I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.


Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities. The key thing is service to others less fortunate than you. And get off campus and out of your comfort zone!

 

[Blue96]

You appear to have a shadowing/volunteering mismatch (way more shadowing than needed).
Depending on your state of residence and overall application it will probably be ok, though.

You appear to have a shadowing/volunteering mismatch (way more shadowing than needed).
Depending on your state of residence and overall application it will probably be ok, though.

Thank you! Tennessee resident. Hopefully, if I get any secondaries clarify the 150 hours at hospital, also volunteered for Area Rescue Mission over several years.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Thank you! Tennessee resident. Hopefully, if I get any secondaries clarify the 150 hours at hospital, also volunteered for Area Rescue Mission over several years.

Lol being a Tallahassee resident is enough on its own to be an experience where you get your hands dirty, 😉 But seriously, Tallahassee does have TMH, Capital regional hospital, Tallahasse ortho clinic, VA hospital, recommend giving those a go.