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Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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Turkishking

Turkishking

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I feel like by the time I apply to medical school, my EC's will be lacking. My cGPA for my freshman year should be 3.93, and my sGPA should be 3.83.

Clinical Volunteering: I start soon, I should have over 100 hours. I've read that over 200 is preferable.
President of MSA (Muslim Student Association)
No research yet
No shadowing yet

Should I be doing non-clinical volunteering?

I don't know what else to do.

Should I shadow a DO too?
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Definitely get involved with some non-clinical volunteering. There are tons and tons of different opportunities; if you can't find any through your school, you can always go to the Volunteer Match Website. Think of certain types of activities you might enjoy. For example, I like teaching/tutoring, so I mentored high school students, taught ESL and taught algebra at a summer math camp.
 
Assuming you are a Freshman and have no concrete plans for this summer...

#1 Make a list of 10 things you want to do before you graduate.
#2 Make a list of 10 things that would have the greatest positive impact on other people and your community.
#3 Make a list of the common 10 or so 'check boxes' for medical school
#4 Take your list of 30 things and start exploring. Aim to spend 10 hours/week exploring new things/experiences.
#5 Keep going until you find something that you really enjoy. Keep doing that and keep exploring.
#6 Once you have 2-3 things that you really enjoy doing from those lists, back off on the exploring and do those things.
#7 Enjoy life.
#8 Keep up your grades, don't neglect your MCAT.
#9 Get into medical school.
#10 Money, chicks, etc.
 
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Turkishking said:
I feel like by the time I apply to medical school, my EC's will be lacking.
Click to expand...
Just tell people your SDN identity and they'll never question your ECs ever again
 
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If you are a freshman right now, you think your ECs might be lacking when you apply (which will necessarily not be for at least 2 years), and you have figured out things that you haven't done that you probably should do, then you have your work literally laid out in front of you.

You say in your post that you have not done research yet. You also say you haven't shadowed yet. You have done some but not much clinical volunteering. You are asking whether or not you should be doing non-clinical volunteering too.

Your post seems to indicate that you understand what you need to do. Are you asking what you should be doing in addition to the things you've already listed?
 
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What else to do? You should get off SDN and go have a life. A freshman shouldn't be posting here asking about their competitiveness all the time. You know what you need to do, go do it, have some fun, and meet some guys/girls.
 
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Turkishking said:
I feel like by the time I apply to medical school, my EC's will be lacking. My cGPA for my freshman year should be 3.93, and my sGPA should be 3.83.

Clinical Volunteering: I start soon, I should have over 100 hours. I've read that over 200 is preferable.
President of MSA (Muslim Student Association)
No research yet
No shadowing yet

Should I be doing non-clinical volunteering?

I don't know what else to do.

Should I shadow a DO too?
Click to expand...
How'd you become president in your freshman year?
 
Visit your local fire department and volunteer! I'm 25 and starting late on my med school track. GPA 3.0. I had a small publication from 3 years ago. I used to work as a CNA. Now I'm an EMT volunteering at my local fire department and been through a lot of hands on training/experiences. I done this for about 2 years and oh man has it been awesome! Right now I'm debating when take the new Mcat. So I'll apply next cycle which makes me feel old but gives me more time to get a high score and find a doctor to shadow sometime soon. Best of luck! PM for any questions! I love to help.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Does your school have a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega? It's a service fraternity (co-ed) that provides tons of community service opportunities, by definition, as well as being a recognizable campus organization/club. There was a minimum requirement of 25 hrs/semester when I did it, and obviously you can go more, so it can help you get a good base of non-clinical volunteering.
 
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New_Slang said:
Does your school have a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega? It's a service fraternity (co-ed) that provides tons of community service opportunities, by definition, as well as being a recognizable campus organization/club. There was a minimum requirement of 25 hrs/semester when I did it, and obviously you can go more, so it can help you get a good base of non-clinical volunteering.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'll check that out. I feel like time is running out.
 
Turkishking said:
Yeah, I'll check that out. I feel like time is running out.
Click to expand...

You're a freshman. You have time. You're stressing me out with this nonsense.
 
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Turkishking said:
Yeah, I'll check that out. I feel like time is running out.
Click to expand...
Seriously. Why all the pressure? You want good ECs? Then get involved in activities you enjoy, don't just try to check off the requisite boxes. But beyond that, you need to take a deep breath and try to enjoy college.
 
CyrilFiggis said:
Seriously. Why all the pressure? You want good ECs? Then get involved in activities you enjoy, don't just try to check off the requisite boxes. But beyond that, you need to take a deep breath and try to enjoy college.
Click to expand...

I actually do enjoy the stress school brings me, and I do enjoy the workload. When I have nothing to do I feel useless.
 
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Not to be rude, but haven't you posted several times asking if you are on the right track or if you've made a mistake, etc?

If you keep obsessing every step of the way you are going to drive yourself crazy and end up being a cookie-cutter pre-med. Do what you want. You know med schools want research and clinical experience, but they should be done as much for you as they are for getting into med school.
 
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Turkishking said:
Not much.
Click to expand...

Dude seriously go out and have some fun. Like find something that you like doing (preferably with minimal relevance to medicine/premed) and go do that. Itll be more important to your app than all this other crap.

My best interview was spent talking about the mechanics of building treehouses since I mentioned in that building random crap out of wood was something I really love doing in my spare time.

If youre actually passionate about something, anything, and it shows that's 10000x more important than having X number of passionless, check-mark volunteering hours.
 
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Turkishking said:
Not much.
Click to expand...
I'm serious man, all those EC check marks, all those competitive scores mean jack when you interview. Schools want people, that have fun and live life, that do cool things, and can be friendly and sociable. Focus on this man, because not only will it help you for med school, it'll enrich your life forever.
 
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piii said:
I'm serious man, all those EC check marks, all those competitive scores mean jack when you interview. Schools want people, that have fun and live life, that do cool things, and can be friendly and sociable. Focus on this man, because not only will it help you for med school, it'll enrich your life forever.
Click to expand...
Yeah, raise your hand if you got asked in your interview "what do you like to do for fun/with your free time?".

Sidebar: @piii you leaning towards Tufts still?
 
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I was asked about outside hobbies in all 7 of my interviews. That would have been hard to make up on the spot.
 
I was asked about everything from my love of cooking to my time in a punk band.
 
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