Would more research help or not really?

[ditritium monoxide]

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Trying to plan what to do this summer. I was thinking about applying to REUs, and think I'd get a lot out of being at one, but I'd also like to know how much it would realistically add. Here's what I've got so far

GPA: 3.92
sGPA: around 3.87
Race: Asian
MCAT: Pending, taking it in May
Shadowing: 130 hours with many different specialties (some for a week, some for 1-2 days)
Service: Around 500 hours nonclinical, around 50 clinical (yes I know this is low)
Research: Spent a year and a half in a lab recently. Worked on a project for a year. Presented it at a conference and got a top 10 award for my poster. Also got a grant for this same project last fall. P.I. has guaranteed I'll be second author on the paper, but its uncertain whether that'll actually get done and accepted before I apply.
EC's: A supervisory role leading undergrad TAs (was a TA myself starting Spring 2015, and this supervisory role is my only current EC other than fraternity), two other minor leadership roles in orgs I was part of, philanthropy chair for fraternity, clinical activities on campus, maybe one other thing I'm forgetting
Awards: The two mentioned ones and a scholarship from the biochem department at my school

So would an REU add much? Or ought I to get more clinical volunteering in. If that's the case, what I really want to do this summer is do clinical volunteering in the daytime and get a non-conventional job in nightlife like bartending. Anyone done this?

If my MCAT is 516+ I'd aim for high-mid tier schools but probably wouldn't apply to the tippy top ones (harvard, yale, columbia) regardless.

 

[Lucca]

Trying to plan what to do this summer. I was thinking about applying to REUs, and think I'd get a lot out of being at one, but I'd also like to know how much it would realistically add. Here's what I've got so far

GPA: 3.92
sGPA: around 3.87
Race: Asian
MCAT: Pending, taking it in May
Shadowing: 130 hours with many different specialties (some for a week, some for 1-2 days)
Service: Around 500 hours nonclinical, around 50 clinical (yes I know this is low)
Research: Spent a year and a half in a lab recently. Worked on a project for a year. Presented it at a conference and got a top 10 award for my poster. Also got a grant for this same project last fall. P.I. has guaranteed I'll be second author on the paper, but its uncertain whether that'll actually get done and accepted before I apply.
EC's: A supervisory role leading undergrad TAs (was a TA myself starting Spring 2015, and this supervisory role is my only current EC other than fraternity), two other minor leadership roles in orgs I was part of, philanthropy chair for fraternity, clinical activities on campus, maybe one other thing I'm forgetting
Awards: The two mentioned ones and a scholarship from the biochem department at my school

So would an REU add much? Or ought I to get more clinical volunteering in. If that's the case, what I really want to do this summer is do clinical volunteering in the daytime and get a non-conventional job in nightlife like bartending. Anyone done this?

If my MCAT is 516+ I'd aim for high-mid tier schools but probably wouldn't apply to the tippy top ones (harvard, yale, columbia) regardless.

TBH your whole app seems fine to me. Any MCAT about 510 will probably be enough with a good school list, so work hard to score as well possible if you want to dream big. I say do whatever you want with your summer. If you already have more research planned for the fall on this project you are on with your current PI, an REU might not add much and you'd be better off (in terms of productivity) spending the summer in your PIs lab. If you really want to do the clinical service thing and get a job then do that instead.