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[799747]

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Hello everyone,

So I am a nontraditional completing my last year of prerequisites. My time and energy are limited, and so I need help deciding what areas of my application should I focus on specifically and what goals would be worth pursuing. Thank you for your help in this:

-Academic: 3.96 cGPA, 4.00 sGPA (prior degree in Anthropology/Sociology). My adviser recommended that I take Cell Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology as well as O Chem and Biochem that are required.

-Patient Exposure: Worked 1,024 hours as a psychiatric technician/psychosocial rehabilitation therapist at a elementary school for children with major mental health/behavioral disorders. I handled mainly crisis intervention, medication management, and helping to care for and build coping skills in the kids. All of the students had a behavioral intervention plan that was built by the child's physician, parents, and teachers. I am also working as a surgical aide at a dermatologist's office, taking care of patients, passing instruments, and maintaining a sterile environment.

-Volunteering: I have volunteered as a victim advocate for a domestic violence shelter (also was on the Board of Directors, off and on for 1 year) and a District Attorney's office (3 month period, 40 hours/week), at an emergency food bank (also on Board of Directors, off and on for 3 yeras), and currently volunteer on a crisis textline, with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, and with Make-A-Wish as a wish granter. I have plans to also volunteer as a patient care attendant at the local VA emergency room.

-Leadership: Alongside the Board of Directors positions I listed, I was also a student senator at one of the colleges (for 1 year) I attended and was also an assistant Scoutmaster for a loop Boy Scout Troop (also 1 year).

-Research: was a research assistant for 2 experimental psychology projects (Internet Usage and Temporal Discounting, Color Conditioning and IQ Test Performance) and 1 meta-analysis project (Labeling and Academic Outcomes), was a research leader for a sociology project surveying pediatric mental health for a rural county, and was an intern for a CDC-grant research project surrounding public health education and outreach.

-Physician Shadowing: Currently I have 120 hours shadowing a Dermatologist, 3 Psychiatrists, ENT, Sleep Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Primary Care Physician.

-Letters of Recommendation: I have excellent letters that I can get from a MD Dermatologist, my mentor/research adviser (Sociology Professor), a Physics Professor, my supervisor at the psychiatric elementary school, and with a couple of my volunteer positions.

So, I will be applying in Summer 2018 and have started studying for the MCAT. I would just like input on potential weaknesses in my application/areas to work on and if you can answers to the following questions:

-Do I need more shadowing hours? I love shadowing, but I wasn't sure if it matters that much to admissions committees.

-Would you advise me taking those extra courses to show my academic ability?

Thank you so much! I want to find a way to be able to pay back anyone who can help. I don't know if it is in the rules of SDN or not, but I'll PM any replies.

elprez333

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Your application looks excellent! You're missing an MCAT score, but I imagine that will come eventually. Make sure you prepare so you get it right the first time.

Other than that, I'd say your biggest weakness is your research. Psychology and public health are kinda on the fringe of what premed applicants tend to do (hard science research, biological science research, clinical research). It won't hurt you (those still sound like really cool experiences!), but it will raise questions about why you aren't pursuing public health that you have to be ready to answer.

 

[799747]

Your application looks excellent! You're missing an MCAT score, but I imagine that will come eventually. Make sure you prepare so you get it right the first time.

Other than that, I'd say your biggest weakness is your research. Psychology and public health are kinda on the fringe of what premed applicants tend to do (hard science research, biological science research, clinical research). It won't hurt you (those still sound like really cool experiences!), but it will raise questions about why you aren't pursuing public health that you have to be ready to answer.

Yeah I was figuring the research would be not as strong. I am interested in public health and pediatric psychiatry, so I was figuring that would be the route that I would present these experiences with.

 

[efle]

near perfect grades, some excellent and unique ECs. It all comes down to your MCAT, imo. Score very high there, and you are already sitting on an app that will get interest from the most competitive places.

 

[honey0102]

Yeah I was figuring the research would be not as strong. I am interested in public health and pediatric psychiatry, so I was figuring that would be the route that I would present these experiences with.

I actually research in similar fields-pediatric psych, public health. I think it made a huge positive difference in my application and I ended up getting many interviews and acceptances, including to schools that tend to be research-heavy. I definitely don't think it's a disadvantage to have the kind of research you have. On the contrary, it's helpful because it helps you understand health from a different, albeit still very important, perspective

 

[799747]

near perfect grades, some excellent and unique ECs. It all comes down to your MCAT, imo. Score very high there, and you are already sitting on an app that will get interest from the most competitive places.

Thank you efle, I hope this post doesn't come off as a humble brag. I just don't get much support from my premed department.

 

[honey0102]

Thank you efle, I hope this post doesn't come off as a humble brag. I just don't get much support from my premed department.

No worries, it definitely happens, we know it isn't a humble brag. Good luck with everything!

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

Research is research, I wouldn't worry about your research not being basic sciences related. As a premed it's not necessarily important the research you're doing but what you learn from doing research. Take that for what you will, good luck!

 

[Stagg737]

You're fine OP. Just crush the MCAT, apply, make sure your interview skills are decent and that you don't come off as some kind of alien or completely socially awkward/inappropriate, and wait for the acceptances to roll in.

Your research is fine. Unique research/experience is good as long as you can show you actually did something and it was a legit commitment.

100+ hours of shadowing is great. Imo 50+ is adequate, so the fact you've got double that with multiple fields shows you've tried to expose yourself to plenty of fields. A+ there.

Like I said, everything else looks really solid, just make sure you don't bomb the MCAT and that you apply early when the time comes and you're good to go.

 

[799747]

No worries, it definitely happens, we know it isn't a humble brag. Good luck with everything!

Thank you and to you as well.

 

[799747]

You're fine OP. Just crush the MCAT, apply, make sure your interview skills are decent and that you don't come off as some kind of alien or completely socially awkward/inappropriate, and wait for the acceptances to roll in.

Your research is fine. Unique research/experience is good as long as you can show you actually did something and it was a legit commitment.

100+ hours of shadowing is great. Imo 50+ is adequate, so the fact you've got double that with multiple fields shows you've tried to expose yourself to plenty of fields. A+ there.

Like I said, everything else looks really solid, just make sure you don't bomb the MCAT and that you apply early when the time comes and you're good to go.

Thank you Stagg, I really appreciate the reply.

 

[799747]

Research is research, I wouldn't worry about your research not being basic sciences related. As a premed it's not necessarily important the research you're doing but what you learn from doing research. Take that for what you will, good luck!

I'm glad to hear that. Research had me a bit worried in that I've been having trouble getting into a biology or chemistry research lab. Good luck to you as well and thank you for the reply.

 

[CoffeeintheMorning]

Jeez, your record is amazing!!!