gobbledeeloop
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- Joined
- Oct 27, 2023
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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:
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!
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:
- Previous career: Lawyer, est. 6,000 hours
- 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.
- Inpatient psych tech- 800 hours working full time over 6 months
- Hospital Volunteering in underserved ED- about 700 hours over 2.5 years
- Homelessness outreach and basic needs assistance w/ different organizations since undergrad. Est. 1,000 hours. The most recent was in 2022.
- Refugee assistance for families integrating into the community- 500 hours while in undergrad (older activity).
- Year-long service fellowship as a full-time teacher working in a developing country after undergrad (about 10 years ago)
- Prisoner Education Program Volunteer- about 200 hours (about 6 years ago)
- 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?
-
Thanks for any advice or feedback!