What should I work on to improve my app?

[gobbledeeloop]

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Hi all,

I am a 30-something career changer in a pre-med postbac through May. I hope to apply in the next cycle for Fall 2026. I worked in another industry for a few years, transitioned into clinical research to explore healthcare further, and am about 10 years out of undergrad.

Over my first semester this past summer, I only focused on my grades because the pace was so accelerated and I haven't taken science since high school. I managed to get all A's in Gen Chem I and II and Physics I. I am taking three sciences right now, but I have a day off in the week that I can use for activities.

I am considering doing hospice volunteering in my area while I am in school. Would this be clinical or non-clinical (it is in people's homes but deals with patients?

Right now, my activities look like this:

Paid Employment:

1. Previous career: Lawyer, est. 6,000 hours

Clinical:

1. Outpatient phlebotomist- 1100 hours
   • This is split off (not double counted) from my clinical research coordinator experience listed in "Research." All of this phlebotomy was for sick patients at clinical visits (not healthy research participants, students, etc). I also observed physicians conducting patient visits, coordinating patient care and services and some medical assistant-type work like taking histories, checking insurance, etc.
2. Inpatient psych tech- 800 hours working full time over 6 months
3. Hospital Volunteering in underserved ED- about 700 hours over 2.5 years

Community Service:

1. Homelessness outreach and basic needs assistance w/ different organizations since undergrad. Est. 1,000 hours. The most recent was in 2022.
2. Refugee assistance for families integrating into the community- 500 hours while in undergrad (older activity).

Teaching/Tutoring:

1. Year-long service fellowship as a full-time teacher working in a developing country after undergrad (about 10 years ago)
2. Prisoner Education Program Volunteer- about 200 hours (about 6 years ago)

Research:

1. Clinical research coordinator at an academic medical center for industry-sponsored trials: Main responsibilities were collecting data (surveys, collecting blood and urine), running study visits, submitting and maintaining IRB and regulatory paperwork, and processing blood samples in the lab. Est about 1000 hours.
   • I am only counting about 25% of my total time (3 years full time) from this job as research. I am excluding time spent doing admin and project management-type work.
   • I am not sure this counts as research really? I do not have any publications and I don't have any of the basic science research that a lot of pre-meds do.

I'm not sure how things I have done that are now quite old (undergrad and beyond, nothing from high school) will be looked at. Is it worth it to include activities that are older? /how long ago is too long?

For obtaining new experiences, in trying to maximize my time, what do you think is the best place to focus on gaining experience now to improve my application?
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Thanks for any advice or feedback!

 

[karaya]

Would this be clinical or non-clinical (it is in people's homes but deals with patients?

Depends what you're doing. If you're a caregiver then it's clinical. But you already have an abundance of varied clinical experience. Is it recent? If so, I might suggest doing some nonclinical volunteering instead, since your latest was in 2022. If you can provide legal aid to underserved populations, all the better. Just my 2 cents as a M1.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Where is your physician shadowing?

Have you talked with admissions recruiters at the schools closest to you?

 

[gobbledeeloop]

@karaya most of my clinical experience is recent (within the last 2-3 years and from full time work until summer 2024 when I went back to school for pre-reqs). The emergency department volunteering is a little older (2017-2020 when the pandemic hit) but it was one of the main experiences that made me consider changing careers (logistics and life just extended the timeline).

Unfortunately, I cannot do legal services work right now because I am not licensed in the state I moved to and the process for joining the bar here is lengthy. I am going to start some new non-clinical volunteering (like food pantry and meal service at a housing organization) soon. The orientation is this Friday.

@Mr.Smile12 I am also working on finding some shadowing opportunities. I have been emailing and calling local offices but it has been hard to get a response. I have about 15 hours of neurology shadowing from last year and shadowed various doctors in the emergency department when I volunteered there but it is older.

In terms of networking, I attended an admissions fair last spring at one of my state medical schools nearby and signed up for a virtual AMCAS school fair in a few weeks.