High Numbers, Low Experiences. Help with list!

[ch2m2617]

Hi Guys,

I am a white male from Ohio and my application is ready to go. My cGPA is a 3.96 and my sGPA is a 4.0 (damn english classes). Got my MCAT back two days ago at a 517 (130/128/130/129). However, I was really late in determining I wanted to be a doctor (thought I wanted to do research) so I have little clinical and volunteering experience. Right now I have about 60 hours of shadowing, few shifts in the ER and at a family practice facility. I have about 500 hours of research in organic medicinal chemistry at my university and am here for the summer working 4 days a week and shadowing one day. I started volunteering at a homeless shelter two nights a week this summer but only have 20 hours. Other than that I am a dive instructor and took my junior fall off because I was so ahead with credits to live abroad and teach. In the fall I have been accepted to join an organization that volunteers in the cancer center at my local hospital acting as a liaison to help patients understand their treatments. My pre-med committee denied to write me a committee letter based on my lack of experiences. With all of that I am just not sure where to aim. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[NeuroSoph75]

I would take a gap year if I were you, it would be a shame for you not to get in with your stats due to lack of experience.

60 hours is sufficient shadowing, especially if you plan to shadow one day per week this summer, it is also good that you have seen primary care since med schools like this experience. Your research is also sufficient. Your teaching and leadership experience is good with your dive instructor position and teaching abroad. Your non-clinical volunteering is weak but will be fine by next June if you continue at the homeless shelter this year. Your clinical volunteering and patient contact are also weak but will be fine if you continue with the cancer center positon for a year.

I would go back to your pre-med committee next spring with 100+ shadowing hours, 100+ hours at the homeless shelter, and 100+ hours patient contact and they should be willing to write you a letter, especially if you explain your late transition to pre-med. Medicine is a service profession and I think many med schools will have a problem with your lack of service as well as your lack of patient contact.

If you don't want to wait then you should get a lot of non-clinical volunteering and patient contact in this summer and send updates to schools in the early fall.

Good luck!