What more should I do?

[throwaway654321]

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Looking to maximize my chances for the SUMMER 2017 cycle. currently 1.5 years from graduation (using the gap year)

Major: An Engineering of some kind. NC resident
Currently GPA : 3.5. Can get to 3.7 (upward trend. hoping to keep it going into the application)
MCAT: Havent taken. All prereqs are done and will take next spring. Will study for a long time.
Status: Mexican American, SES, Medically undeserved, etc.

ECs:

- 1.5 years in basic science lab. 1 first author paper. Think I can get to 2 or 3 first author papers by next summer application. (Probably already at 1000 hours)
- Will have 2 years teaching an upper level pre-req. Daily hour long recitations. (Probably will have 1500 hours, 2 great LORs from this)
- 100 hours clinical volunteering. (1 year weekend commitment)
- Scribing part time for just over 1 year by application (probably around 1000 hours or so)
- A few medium sized projects in engineering which are sort of related to medicine. Did not lead to actual change. Just a proof of concept which demonstrates ability in engineering. Made these when I was still thinking about going into engineering. Has been made based on academic papers in the relevant discipline.
- Shadowed 50 hours Gen Surgeon
- Engineering Thesis project yet to be started. Will be related to health.
- Hobbies related to unhealthy passion for NBA and advanced stats in the NBA. Also enjoy reading about law and the concepts behind it. Particularly Criminal and Constitutional.


What I am mulling over. Should I try and add something else to this set up, should I continue along the path I already have set and dedicate my time to my current ECs, or should I drop some of my current ECs for more volunteering or MCAT.

Obviously my GPA needs to improve but I cant do anything to change the past.

Thanks for the help.

 

[terra330]

I think you're fine. Do well on the MCAT and you'll probably get into some great schools

 

[Optimus-Prime]

MCAT is your top priority, keep accumulating clinical hours

 

[gyngyn]

Language skills, commitment to service?

 

[7331poas]

If you get a great MCAT I think you could go high but it depends on how much schools are willing to overlook a gpa.

 

[throwaway654321]

Language skills, commitment to service?

I do not have any skill in the Spanish language. However I did grow up in the rural tobacco fields type area so I have experiences with the "stereotypical" poor mexican farmers.

I do not have service with this community however. Do you think my time would be best served there?

 

[gyngyn]

I do not have any skill in the Spanish language. However I did grow up in the rural tobacco fields type area so I have experiences with the "stereotypical" poor mexican farmers.

I do not have service with this community however. Do you think my time would be best served there?

UiM gives a boost where a commitment and special ability to provide service is apparent. Without language skills or a commitment to community, your application is just ok (with an acceptable MCAT). At my school, you would not get a boost over similar SES applicants. You should plan on an MCAT consistent with success at your state school/s or other private schools in your region.

 

[throwaway654321]

UiM gives a boost where a commitment and special ability to provide service is apparent. Without language skills or a commitment to community, your application is just ok (with an acceptable MCAT). At my school, you would not get a boost over similar SES applicants. You should plan on an MCAT consistent with success at your state school/s or other private schools in your region.

Thanks for the reply,

If I were to begin non-clinical volunteering now until the application in summer 2017 would that demonstrate the service you are talking about?

I definitely understand the need, especially medically. One of our neighbors is a mexican family who does tobacco farming. His teenage son who works the field recently put off some chest pain and ended up in the ICU with a pneumonia of some kind. That was definitely from fear of the medical bill.

The concern on my part is stretching myself thin. Do you think I should drop one of my current ECs and volunteer instead? Is it worth even dropping my lab?

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks for the reply,

If I were to begin non-clinical volunteering now until the application in summer 2017 would that demonstrate the service you are talking about?

I definitely understand the need, especially medically. One of our neighbors is a mexican family who does tobacco farming. His teenage son who works the field recently put off some chest pain and ended up in the ICU with a pneumonia of some kind. That was definitely from fear of the medical bill.

The concern on my part is stretching myself thin. Do you think I should drop one of my current ECs and volunteer instead? Is it worth even dropping my lab?

Take all the time you need to put together a good application. Language skills can also be acquired with effort.

 

[throwaway654321]

Take all the time you need to put together a good application. Language skills can also be acquired with effort.

Thanks, I think the plan may be to work very full time in the lab this summer to hopefully get the 2nd paper. Scribe about 25hrs a week in that time.

Then drop the lab in the fall and take up volunteering the entirety of my senior year.

My question to you I think is what exactly is the upswing from learning spanish? I am not drawing the logic that learning spanish contributes to my service to underserved populations. If I were to volunteer in this community would spanish be worth something on top for some reason?

 

[gyngyn]

My question to you I think is what exactly is the upswing from learning spanish? I am not drawing the logic that learning spanish contributes to my service to underserved populations. If I were to volunteer in this community would spanish be worth something on top for some reason?

Communication skills are a core competency. If you can't speak to the people you purport to serve, you have no value added.

 

[Goro]

The language skill is separate but overlapping from the service. Many of your future patients will be Spanish speaking; being to communicate to patients is a required competency for medical school graduates (no, I don't mean that all future doctors need to have a 2nd language!), hence, the usefulness of having language skills than my learned colleague is trying to point out.


Way the wise gyngyn is saying is that being a Mexican-American candidate means that sometimes you have to walk the walk and not merely talk the talk. Hence, evidence of commitment. Any fool can come along and write in a PS "I want to serve my people".

My question to you I think is what exactly is the upswing from learning spanish? I am not drawing the logic that learning spanish contributes to my service to underserved populations. If I were to volunteer in this community would spanish be worth something on top for some reason?