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Not to be rude, but I feel you're being overly dramatic. Your GPA is 3.75/3.54. You need to take the MCAT, but almost by definition you can't be a lost cause unless there's some scandal or IA in there somewhere that I missed. DO is well within reach, and MD isn't off the table.Im not sure if this is the right place to put this if this isn't suppose to be here I apologize. There is a lot I have to say so I will try to organize it as best I can, I'm very sorry. This post is actually a lot shorter than it looks since I include a list of my ECs and their descriptions and of course you don't need to read those descriptions if you don't want to. Thank you.
I graduated from university in Dec 2019. I am about to turn 24.
In 2020, I had a lot of problems in my personal life. I was considering getting my master's in anesthesia to be an anesthesiologist assistant or going to podiatry school since it's a lot easier getting into. I also thought (at very first glance) that podiatry was a cool career path since it would've been a semi-surgical specialty. I enjoyed everything I saw in podiatry both in the OR and in the clinic with the exception of nail and callus trimming.
I did 35 hours of podiatry shadowing and 40 hours of anesthesia shadowing in 2020 and that's all I did. The anesthesia shadowing made me sad for unknown reasons. Podiatry shadowing was decent, however, when I browse the podiatry sdn forums they make it sound like they're pharmacy crisis 2.0 and that all hope is lost. Allegedly their job market is terrible and on average they make between 70,000 to 130,000. I am by no means in this for the money, but that income in my view is very uncomfortable due to the debt. I grew up poor.
I didn't do mcat studying or any other ECs last year.
So below I will make a list of ECs and my GPAs. At the bottom of this list is where I will explain what I plan on doing and my questions.
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Here is a list of my two GPAs and ECs:
cGPA: 3.72
sGPA: 3.54
ECs:
VA Hospital Transport Volunteer (50 hours)
At VA Hospital, I was responsible for transporting patients and lab specimens to various parts of the hospital. While transporting patients, I practiced developing meaningful interactions with them, such as employing humor, casual conversation, and positive regards to try to enhance their experience as best as possible. Often, teamwork was necessary to either move multiple patients promptly or to transport patients in beds. Overall, I learned about the structure of a hospital, how to better interact with patients, and how I could see myself easily working as a part of a healthcare team.
Assisted Living Resident Activities Volunteer (156 hours)
I helped elderly residents with technical and motor skills in physical activities, such as Wii bowling and bocce ball. Additionally, I organized and participated in card games and monopoly tournaments with the residents. Also, I assisted residents with their technology needs. I had both casual and personal conversations with residents during lunch. My assistance often helped restore residents’ confidence, and the interactions I had with them contributed to an upbringing to their spirits. Ultimately, I learned how to enhance the residents' daily quality of life in small, yet meaningful ways.
Hurricane Harvey Mission Trip in Nederland, Texas (40 hours)
My church group and I helped reconstruct the interior of a couple's home that was ruined because of flooding from the hurricane. It was also my job to supervise a group of high school students from the church during the trip. I learned how to use power tools, how to do dry-walling, and other construction techniques and noted that I could learn new skills promptly. I realized I should not take the smallest things for granted; as this couple that nearly lost their home were always optimistic. This was a personal inspiration to always move forward regardless of the circumstances.
M.D. Sports medicine shadowing (11.5 hours)
Observing Dr. M gave me an understanding of sports medicine and its applications in the medically underserved rural community. He consulted patients about joint pain, performed cortisone shots, attached splints, reapplied casts, and educated patients about exercises for long term strengthening. I learned how sports medicine can be employed in preventing or treating conditions common in the elderly, such as osteoarthritis. Additionally, younger patient cases were also highly frequent for injuries from school sports or other outdoor activities.
D.O. - Pediatrics shadowing (32.5 hours)
This was the first impression I had of what it is like being a physician. This pediatrician is based in a rural and medically underserved community, which I learned results in high patient volume and case variety. I observed student checkups, treatment plans for ear infections, pink eye, and strep throat, as well as physician-patient interactions with both children and their parents. This also gave me an idea about how primary care physicians are truly immersed in both long-term care and relationships with patients and their families.
D.O. - Family medicine shadowing (19.5 hours)
Observing Dr. S demonstrated that primary care consists of a variety of cases, many involved in long term care. Particularly, I was given a glimpse of how a physician thinks. Dr. S would have me read an internal medicine textbook about a patient's symptoms and would then provide me an opportunity to try to determine a basic diagnosis. This made it much easier to understand patient cases and Dr. S treatment plans. This experience made me feel that medicine is an intellectual stimulation that I would appreciate.
D.O.- Orthopedic surgery shadowing (17 hours)
This experience allowed me to learn about surgical practice. I was able to observe this physician's clinical consultations with patients about their cases and what surgery was necessary. This physician also performed ultrasound-guided injections in the clinic. This experience presented how surgeons practice medicine differently than primary care, and how surgical operations are performed, such as the O.A.T.S. procedure I observed for a knee. Furthermore, I noted how physically demanding medicine can be as well, as I noticed hours of standing and much manual labor during the surgeries.
M.D.- Diagnostic radiology shadowing (15 hours)
I shadowed Dr. A in his diagnostic radiology practice. I learned about the various machines diagnostic radiologists use and observed Dr. A diagnose patients by viewing MRI scans, CT scans, and X-rays. I learned about the roles of other nurses and technicians in diagnostic radiology by both observing and interacting with them. This also presented how complicated the diagnosis process is since many factors such as patient history, lab data, and current health must be considered concerning one another during the process.
Surgery Center shadowing (6 hours)
I viewed a wide variety of functions of a surgery center. First, I observed an anesthesiologist as he prepped, consulted, and anesthetized patients. Then, I watched two hand surgeries, and then several lens replacement surgeries. Additionally, I learned how patients are prepped for surgery and how a surgical center works, as well as learning about what the practice of surgery is like. I also noted what other health care providers do in a surgical center, such as nurses and physicians assistants, and how teamwork is an essential aspect in the operating room.
General dentistry shadowing (8.5 hours)
Though a brief shadowing session, I wanted to be open-minded about other health care professions before picking medicine. This provided a brief introduction to general dentistry. I was able to see general dental procedures, consultations, and learn about the roles that a dental hygienist and dental assistant have in the dental clinic. This was a valuable experience since I was able to learn that dentists can work in conjunction with primary healthcare physicians with patients showing potential signs of skin conditions, head or neck related cancers, dysphagia, or thyroid disease.
Anesthesia shadowing (40 hours) (I haven’t written a description on this yet. )
Podiatry shadowing (35 hours) (I haven’t written a description on this yet. )
Pre-Med American Medical Student Association (PAMSA) Officer (126 hours)
I was responsible for matching undergraduates with first-year medical students at the local College of Medicine. This process involved pairing one or two undergraduate students with one medical student, organizing our presentations to advertise the program, and orchestrating meet and greet events with undergraduates and medical students. I enhanced my ability to work with people involved with the leadership of a program, such as how to communicate effectively with other PAMSA officers with regards to program management, and how to make solutions to problems with the program.
Department of Chemistry peer leader (85 hours)
I was responsible for conducting classes where chemistry concepts were reinforced through group practice every Friday. I would assist students in understanding certain concepts they were struggling with from that week's content from the lecture. Furthermore, I was responsible for maintaining students’ participation grades and attendance records. Also, we learned from the peer leading program director about how students tend to interpret chemistry material and how to guide them to think properly when approaching chemistry problems. I learned how to lead and orchestrate a class of 25 students.
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Ok. Below is what I plan on doing and each has a question. These have explanations of what I plan on doing, but I have questions as well.
1.) As you can see, I only have 50 hours of clinical exposure. So I am planning on getting a job at a local assisted living and memory care facility. My official job title is a Resident Care Aid/ Med-tech. My responsibilities would be administering patient medications, assisting in bathing/toileting, assisting with dressing, and feed the residents. I feel that I can learn a lot about providing care and hopefully learn something about myself here. But in your opinion, would this be good for clinical experience? Im asking this because I dont think this is a CNA position. But the responsibilities sound similar. I would appreciate your thoughts.
2.) I want to volunteer more. I might be able to at a primary care clinic that works with the uninsured and underinsured. This sounds amazing. But I am not sure if I will be able to fit the time in to do this. If i cant get another volunteering experience by May of 2022, how bad is that?
3.) My third question is this. What else should I do? I am hoping to work at that assisted living and memory care facility, volunteer in a specific area, and study for the MCAT. Should I do more if i plan on applying May 2022?
4.) If I get all this done that I have listed and an MCAT score on par with the schools I like, is it reasonable to apply next cycle?
Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, please be honest. If you feel that I am a lost cause for DO school, please just tell me. Please be completely honest. Thank you all so much for your time.
1) This would be good.
2) This would be good if you can swing it, but not essential given that you're working with direct patient contact in your day job. Your number 1 priority has to be scoring well on the MCAT so you need to balance your time.
3) You need to do something related to helping the less fortunate. Your idea for 2 would cover it, but again don't spread yourself too thin.
4) Yep
