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MD What are my chances?
- Thread starter gooeyzoe
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Here's the deal (I need to make a sticky on this): You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanism 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, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.
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.
So, you're also going to have to get the needed ECs in. Start thinking about shadowing and doing patient contact volunteer work. You have to do that at the same time as your coursework, to show us you can walk and chew gum at the same time.
This won't hurt,
Several non-health related activities. Biggest time commitment was time spent in clinical research (I didn't get a letter from my PI/or supervisor because I wasn't sure he would provide a good letter--I didn't get along with some people in the lab. Would this hurt me?).
If it's not published, it doesn't count
3 papers submitted (2 first author) and in review (Can I list these in AMCAs?)
Not witha < avg GPA (national avg for acceptees is 3.6. Aim for low-mediumt tier, depending upon your MCAT score. But first, get the ECs in!
I am hoping to get into the best school possible (preferably in CA).[/QUOTE]
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, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.
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.
So, you're also going to have to get the needed ECs in. Start thinking about shadowing and doing patient contact volunteer work. You have to do that at the same time as your coursework, to show us you can walk and chew gum at the same time.
This won't hurt,
Several non-health related activities. Biggest time commitment was time spent in clinical research (I didn't get a letter from my PI/or supervisor because I wasn't sure he would provide a good letter--I didn't get along with some people in the lab. Would this hurt me?).
If it's not published, it doesn't count
3 papers submitted (2 first author) and in review (Can I list these in AMCAs?)
Not witha < avg GPA (national avg for acceptees is 3.6. Aim for low-mediumt tier, depending upon your MCAT score. But first, get the ECs in!
I am hoping to get into the best school possible (preferably in CA).[/QUOTE]
