Just want to confirm my thoughts!

[Round786]

Hello! I've been ghosting the pre-med community for a couple weeks and would like to confirm what I have so far! This is the list I have formulated about the various factors in a Medical School's decision, from most important to least:

1. GPA:
-DO Schools are more rewarding to a rising trend then MD
2. MCAT:
-You only retake if your score is very very far off the median of the schools you are applying to
3. Research (paid or unpaid):
-Lower hours (0-500 maybe?) with pubs and poster is better then multiple hours (1000+) with nothing
3. Community Service Hours (Clinical) or a healthcare job:
-If you can smell the patient its clinical. (what's a good minimum baseline for this one?)
4. Community Service Hours (Non-clinical):
-Ideally should be you directly interacting with underserved people/communities (I also don't know a good minimum baseline for this one)
5. Shadowing
-Better to shadow with PCPs then specialized physicians since PCPs will truly show both the good and bad of being a doctor (40+ hours)
6. LORs
-2 Science, 2 Non-science and, optionally, one from a PI, they must be from instructors that gave you a grade
7. Personal Statement
-Will close doors but won't open them

I am omitting interview skills, race (URM/ORM), and state residency

Have I got the general gist (order of importance and number of hours) down? Is there anything I got wrong or interpreted wrong? Is there anything I should add?

Thank you in advance!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums!

You are missing mission and fit with the school, which governs all the factors you point out. Think of your list as ingredients in a recipe... everything has an element of importance. Besides just because you have the ingredients doesn't mean you can make something digestible. Unless you're on the Great Baking Shows with technical challenges, I will also note every good recipe usually takes time and patience. You don't brine your Thanksgiving turkey after just an hour. If you do that sort of thing.

I prefer the EAM holistic review model. I like you think those items help us focus on you as a professional. Look up AAMC Anatomy of an Applicant.

Also mentors and champions make a difference.

Look at our What are my chances template. It looks a lot like your list. Read our responses for insights.

 

[LizzyM]

3. Community Service Hours (Clinical) or a healthcare job:
-If you can smell the patient its clinical. (what's a good minimum baseline for this one?)

The bare minimum would be 100 hours and an average of 100 hours/year for the number of years since HS graduation would be better. The ultimate is to have been employed full-time for at year or more (not uncommon for gap year applicants).

4. Community Service Hours (Non-clinical):
-Ideally should be you directly interacting with underserved people/communities (I also don't know a good minimum baseline for this one)

The bare minimum would be 100 hours and an average of 100 hours/year for the number of years since HS graduation would be better. The ultimate is to have done a year of full-time service (or more) as a volunteer either here (VISTA, City Year, etc) or abroad (Peace Corps).

5. Shadowing
-Better to shadow with PCPs then specialized physicians since PCPs will truly show both the good and bad of being a doctor (40+ hours)

The reason one shadows PCPs is because most medical school graduates go on to be PCPs. Best to find out what that's all about before getting too far in this process. Every specialty has good and bad and you can learn more about the ups and downs by shadowing specialists, too.

6. LORs
-2 Science, 2 Non-science and, optionally, one from a PI, they must be from instructors that gave you a grade

Most schools ask for just one non-science letter. If your school offers a committee letter, that is preferred over individual letters. The committee however may ask that you have letters submitted to it.

 

[Goro]

I suggest > 150 hrs of clinical exposure and nonclinical volunteering, and 50+ hrs of shadowing.

Getting a PI's LOR is more important for the research who...um...sex workers.

 

[Round786]

Getting a PI's LOR is more important for the research who...um...sex workers.

What do you mean by this?

 

[Goro]

What do you mean by this?

The Really Top Schools are research ******. SDN censors the pejorative.

 

[KnightDoc]

What do you mean by this?

He means that some schools really value research experience, and that those schools will highly value a LOR from a PI, while most schools outside the T20 (and even some within it) won't care one way or the other. He just has a colorful way of expressing himself.