Will medical schools take COVID-19 into consideration?

[jasmine1015]

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Good morning!

Aside from all the other worries associated with the outbreak, I’m starting to worry about reapplying this cycle. I’m retaking my MCAT, taking courses, continuing volunteering, and had shadowing set up with my primary care to obtain more hours.

My April MCAT was just cancelled, the clinic I volunteer at just closed, and I’m sure shadowing will need to be put on hold for at least several months.

I’m sure this is affecting others as well; does anyone have any advice or input on if medical schools will take this into consideration at all? Or simply to apply once my MCAT is rescheduled and just send schools updates on hours and additional activities once we can complete them?

 

[labtech312]

I'm in the same boat, kind of.

Couple differences is that I already took my MCAT, and Im applying next cycle because I start a SMP in August.

But my clinical volunteering and shadowing have been suspended untill further notice, I imagine at least 2-3 months. I also hope my SMP does not have any delays or go fully online due to the virus.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

All of this is uncharted territory for both applicants and adcoms. I don't think even the admissions committees know how they will treat the next cycle's applicants. However, I'm confident that adcoms will take what has been happening into consideration and try to figure out a system that would not hurt those whose applications have been impacted. As long as there is an activity that you know you will be doing, you can put future hours on your AMCAS application. You can put a start and end date and the expected hours between those dates. Just don't put an activity on your application and then end up not doing it.

Many schools also have secondary essay prompts where you can say what you have been doing/plan to be doing from when you submitted your application until when you would matriculate into medical school.

Hope this helps.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[mhussaini1]

Yea I'm in the same boat. My application for the shadowing program that was offered through my school was canceled till Fall of 2020 and I plan on taking the MCAT on May 9th and hopefully apply without any shadowing hours (for now). I am confident to say that admission officers are going to be fair during this pandemic. However, I believe there will be a bias against out-of-state applicants who are applying from a state with high Covid-19 cases. This is my take on it, but one may disagree which is cool. Stay safe y'all!

 

[Goro]

Good morning!

Aside from all the other worries associated with the outbreak, I’m starting to worry about reapplying this cycle. I’m retaking my MCAT, taking courses, continuing volunteering, and had shadowing set up with my primary care to obtain more hours.

My April MCAT was just cancelled, the clinic I volunteer at just closed, and I’m sure shadowing will need to be put on hold for at least several months.

I’m sure this is affecting others as well; does anyone have any advice or input on if medical schools will take this into consideration at all? Or simply to apply once my MCAT is rescheduled and just send schools updates on hours and additional activities once we can complete them?

You apply when you have the best possible app.

 

[Goro]

Yup. Adcoms are ruthless. There could be a zombie apocalypse and they still wouldn't factor that in. If you're applying this cycle, you had 3+ years to work on your app. Everyone is going through the same thing as you, so there is no need of standardization.

Apologies for the cynical outlook, but having gone through the process this past year, I simply believe that this is how adcoms think.

Is that entitlement I'm getting a whiff of?

Making exceptions makes it unfair to everyone else. Unfortunately, life happens and the desire to get into med school on one's own schedule has to take a back seat to other things.

In the mean time, take two of these.

 

[Isoval]

Believe this has already been stated, but no.

Adcoms will not cut you slack because you "planned to shadow this summer but can't because of the coronavirus" or some such.

If your application isn't ready, don't apply.

 

[Kumorebi]

Believe this has already been stated, but no.

Adcoms will not cut you slack because you "planned to shadow this summer but can't because of the coronavirus" or some such.

If your application isn't ready, don't apply.

Which sucks because lower SES families are being hit harder than those that can still afford groceries without having to work.

 

[Goro]

Which sucks because lower SES families are being hit harder than those that can still afford groceries without having to work.

Life is not fair