So how am I doing? Right track?

[Handinhand]

Hey there; just found this forum and am really excited that something like this exists; wish I would have found it sooner.

I guess I'd just like some advice from people a little more senior to me about how well I am following the 'path' to medical school.

I have roughly a 3.15 GPA right now; got a 3.00 Freshman year and just received a 3.4 last semester.

My pre-med classes grades so far are:

Gen Chem: B
Gen Chem 2: A-
Bio 1: A
Calc:C+

I'm also a Spanish Minor, with a B-,B, B+ respectively in my classes so far.

Next semester's Schedule looks like:

Genetics
Bio statistics(Graduate level course at my school)
Bio 2
O Chem
Spanish

I'm shooting for a 4.0, trying to continue the upward trend I started last semester going from a 3.0 to a 3.4, while not amazing was a step in the right direction I feel.

As for ECs last summer I got my EMT-B license and am hoping to start working this summer doing that(I haven't had time to take my National Registry written yet so I need to do that sometime this semester.)

I'm also planning on transffering schools. If that all goes through and I get accepted I will get my EMT-IV Tech Fall 2009 and then try and get a ER Tech job. If I don't get accetped for xfer I will stay here and just try and work as an EMT-B.

I'm planning on taking the MCAT spring of my junior year; but I do have a question about that. I won't be starting physics 'till my junior year, so will I be at a huge disadvantage is I'm finishing physics the semester I'm taking the MCAT? And also, I was planning on taking a test prep course, would that not be a good idea if I'm also in physics?

Ideally I'd like to apply at the end of my Junior year, but don't know if I'm behind already or not. If I continuley do well GPA wise and get a decent to good MCAT score would I still be a strong canidate?

I apologize for this long winded, short paragraph riddeled little speech I compiled here. If you have any suggestions on what I could add or what I should be doing for my position in my UG I'd greatly appreciate it.

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[Handinhand]

Nobody has an opinion?

 

[Mobius1985]

If I'm figuring correctly, your GPA after 3 semesters is a 3.13. If you get a 4.0 for the next three semesters, it could go up to a 3.56 by the end of your junior year. (Consider that a 3.65 is the mean GPA for accepted students.) This would not make you a strong candidate, but if you get an MCAT score of 32+, you might be considered. To have a stronger application, consider continuing your GPA resuscitation for an additional year before applying (it could go up to 3.67). With this scenario, you could delay taking the MCAT until you finish Physics II, and have an entire summer to dedicate to studying while you take a prep course.

Taking a prep course along with a full course load is very difficult.

 

[MilkmanAl]

You're certainly a little behind, but you have tons of time to catch up. Try to pump your GPA up to at least a 3.5 by the end of your junior year. That'll require about a 3.8 from now until then, so get going. The EMT-B thing will be decent experience, but try to get some shadowing and clinical volunteering as well.

Taking physics right before taking the MCAT is probably more of an advantage than a disadvantage, especially if you've never had it before. The prep course is a good plan.

Overall, you still have plenty of time to make yourslef competitive, but it will take a lot of work. A 3.5 is a bit low compared to the matriculant average of 3.65, so you'll need a good MCAT score (shoot for at least a 32) to have a reliable shot.

edit for crosspost: I agree about the extra year for grade improvement. That's definitely a good plan.

 

[Handinhand]

Is postponing your application until the end of your senior year something a lot of people do? I guess that wouldn't be a terrible plan at all because it would give me more time to boost my GPA. Also; if I went this route I would have a year off in between Senior year and M1 correct? I've done some thinking about studying in Spain for a while; would doing Post bac work in Spain add to application?

I'm also planning on taking summer classes, which if I do well would add even more credits onto the pile to raise my GPA. I believe before when I calculated it I could end up graduating with around a 3.7-3.75.

As for clinical experience, would the ER Technician be ample enough for that? Assuming I get a year of EMT-B work in before I start that; that would be 2.5 years of two different heavy involvement into health care related work.

Lastly, research. I had an opportunity this semester to do some work with a professor aiding with data collecting at the MC Wisconsin; but due to not having any transportation I had to decline. Seeing as I'm going to be fairly busy with school and volunteering work in the next 2-3 years; would you suggest even worrying about research? Are there any schools that are going to be less inclined to look at my file if I have a blank research spot?

I appreciate both your help so far. Thanks.

 

[Mobius1985]

1) Is postponing your application until the end of your senior year something a lot of people do?

2) if I went this route I would have a year off in between Senior year and M1 correct? I've done some thinking about studying in Spain for a while; would doing Post bac work in Spain add to application?

3) if I do get accepted to UW Madison; would that look negatively on my app?

4) As for clinical experience, would the ER Technician be ample enough for that?

5) are there any schools that are going to be less inclined to look at my file if I have a blank research spot?

1) The average age of applicants is 24.

2) Yes, you would have a gap year to fill. Anything you do after submitting your application will not be known to med schools you're applying to.

3) No.

4) Yes, but it would not satisfy the expectation of community service. Be sure you have some type of volunteerism.

5) Having a research experience will cause more schools to seriously consider you. Find out what per cent of your favored school's matriculants had research on their application before you decide not to do any..

 

[Handinhand]

I would like to do research; and if I can help it it's definitely not something I'm going to dismiss.

Four Volunteering; would that be satisfied if say I joined an EMT Squad and worked for no money, or does it need to be a registered project?

I know you don't know what opportunities I will be presented with, but on average what to successful pre-meds do for volunteering and leadership roles?

And for the year leading up to Medical school but after UG completion; I'm sure the ADComs would be interested in what I would plan to do with that time. I was just curious if being determined to travel to Spain to increase my competency with Spanish would be something they like to see? On their scale of value where would fluency in Spanish sit to them?

I appreciate your help, Thanks.

 

[Catalystik]

For Volunteering; would that be satisfied if say I joined an EMT Squad and worked for no money? Yes.

I know you don't know what opportunities I will be presented with, but on average what to successful pre-meds do for volunteering and leadership roles? Look at the MDAPPS link under MilkmanAl's avatar above, and at those of other SDN posters to get some ideas.

travel to Spain to increase my competency with Spanish would be something they like to see? Absolutely, yes, but moreso in states with large hispanic populations.

.

 

[Dr Lyss]

I agree with what everyone else has said pretty much. I also started with a humble beginning and decided to apply after my senior year instead of after junior year. A lot of people do it and it gives you a lot more room to do your MCAT and be prepared for applying that summer.

Look into doing a summer research program. It gives you an opportunity to get some research under your belt and make connections at different institutions.

As far as volunteering, EMT is great but you don't want that to be your only EC. Do some shadowing & find at least one other place to volunteer so you have some diversity in your application. You don't want to be one-note & it will give you more to talk about. You will really appreciate this later when it is time to apply and you need achievements & experiences to help you stand out.

 

[Handinhand]

So I just got offered another research spot with a Neuroscience professor. It's for credits at my school so it's not like I'm offering my time with nothing in return except experience, so I don't know how beneficial that looks. Anyways, I'm reaching for an opinion. Since the research would put me over 18 credits, I'm going to need to drop a class, Spanish specifically. Although I want to learn to speak Spanish, I've been thinking every semester if it's worth the spot in my schedule to take up credits that could be taken differently. I have yet to start taking Humanities and Social science credits towards my degree requirements, so should I just drop Spanish and forget about the minor?

 

[Mobius1985]

Having a minor is meaningless in the med school application process. Since your Spanish grades aren't doing anything to improve your GPA, I think dropping the minor is a good idea.

 

[Kakoy]

So I just got offered another research spot with a Neuroscience professor. It's for credits at my school so it's not like I'm offering my time with nothing in return except experience, so I don't know how beneficial that looks. Anyways, I'm reaching for an opinion. Since the research would put me over 18 credits, I'm going to need to drop a class, Spanish specifically. Although I want to learn to speak Spanish, I've been thinking every semester if it's worth the spot in my schedule to take up credits that could be taken differently. I have yet to start taking Humanities and Social science credits towards my degree requirements, so should I just drop Spanish and forget about the minor?

It seems to be perfectly acceptable to do research for credit. All my research experience as been for credit and it as not hinder my application process this year. Just make sure the project you work on is meaningful, meaning you do more than was dishes. Preferably, it would require you to apply your basic science knowledge, use your critical thinking skills, and refine you ability to analyze data. I focused my essays about research on these aspects of my research.

 

[Handinhand]

Okay so I thought I would revive this thread here with a little update at the end of this semester and ask a few more questions.

First, at the bare minimum it looks like I'll have a 3.7 this semester, with still a real good chance at a 4.0. Obviously, I'm happy about this because it's really the boost I needed to keep me going.

I did end up getting my transfer accepted which I'm very excited about, I think as far as opportunities, even though I don't have them planned out 100%, will be a lot easier to come by there. I'm now planning on taking OChem II + Lab over this summer and get this out of the way so I can be fully caught up going into Fall 2009, Junior year. For the time being though I'm trying to find an EMT-B job for the summer and fall to start accruing some good healthcare related experience.

The thing I'm worried about, and hopefully can get some help from you people that have gone through it is, how should I spread myself out EC wise these next two years? Hopefully throughout the two years I can be commited to either the ER Tech job, or riding around on an ambo. What else though? This fall I will be taking 13 credits (Physics I, English Comp class, Neurobiology I, Intro to Biochem for non chem majors) + the 4 credit EMT-Intermediate Tech class, and if I'm also working, I don't think I'm going to try and find any research work or community service.

So if I continually work as an EMT is either of those two settings for the next two years, if only a few hours a month, but hopefully week, I would think I would have more than enough clinical/health care related experience. What else should I focus on doing outside of the class room though?

Thanks

 

[JennaQ]

Ventriloquism is a must.

 

[Handinhand]

But I want to get into Medical school...









Not pick up every girl on campus.









...wait.

 

[drizzt3117]

going to madison is good if you want to go to UW... you get additional points in the process if you're a alum of madison.

 

[Handinhand]

I kind of hoped that was how it went. Not only just because I'm an alum applying to the Med school, but also hopefully I have good letters from faculty as well as some research in a lab at Madison as well. Madison is definitely where I want to end up for Med school.

 

[Handinhand]

Let's give this thread a little smack in tha bum to the top.

 

[JJMrK]

You've got a while until you apply. Focus on getting that GPA up.

 

[Handinhand]

End of semester update w/ grades.

Bio II: A-
Genetics: A
OChem I: A
Bio stats: A
Psych: A

sem. GPA: 3.918

This raised my cum GPA to 3.32, so I definitely did what I needed to this semester, now I've got to keep it going until spring '11, oh boy!

 

[Stratego]

Nicely done! You're on a roll. You've proven you can do it.

 

[JJMrK]

End of semester update w/ grades.

Bio II: A-
Genetics: A
OChem II: A
Bio stats: A
Psych: A

sem. GPA: 3.918

This raised my cum GPA to 3.32, so I definitely did what I needed to this semester, now I've got to keep it going until spring '11, oh boy!

Congratulations. Rinse and repeat a few times and you'll be on your way.

 

[Handinhand]

Ha I meant OChem I, II isn't for another month; hope that goes just as well and is just as easy as I was.

Thanks for the comments guys, it was a lot of work but it was worth it.

 

[Mobius1985]

Thanks for the comments guys, it was a lot of work but it was worth it.

You're the bomb! (in American Idolese).

 

[Handinhand]

So a little update:

Over summer took Orgo II and Lab. Got an A in II and a B in Lab (Had a strict TA, said he was only going to give an A and AB to 2 people, I was #3)

GPA is a 3.4 now. Just chugging along with my neurobiology major currently. Schedule this semester has been pretty relaxed and easy, but next semester is going to hit like a freight train between classes (Two 600 level Neurobiology classes, Physics II, Econ 101, and Biochem) and ECs. Also planning on taking a TPR class this summer and then taking the MCAT in august, and then taking earlier advice and waiting until senior year to apply.

I started EMTing about 2 months ago. Working 40-50 hours/month doing that. I have an interview on Friday about a volunteering job at the university hospital, which I'm assuming I'll get. (Hopefully in the neurosurgery/opthamology ward, but as long as I can work around patients and doctors I don't care)

I also had an interview today about a research position in a neurosurgery research lab (MD/PhD researcher, no clinical work as far as I know). Pretty sure I got the position, she wants me to come to lab meetings for the rest of the semester and then start learning the basics of her lab next semester. Said there is opportunity for independent study, most past undergrads in her lab have gotten at least one co-authorship/publication. I'm planning on doing the work for credit.

Basically, I'm just seeing how I'm doing as far as staying on track. I got a lot of help previously from you guys about my questions and figured I would update again and see if I should be doing anything else.

Is there anything that would be a glaring omission on an application from what I've done/ am doing currently? I plan on EMTing for the next two years, hopefully volunteering at the hospital for the same amount of time, as well as research. Would EMTing and Hospital be enough between the two for Volunteer/ health care experience? If time allots next fall I will take the EMT-Intermediate class which would allow me to become a crew chief working on the ambulance.

So yeah...

 

[Stratego]

Any plan for a leadership activity or teaching? Not essential, but very nice to list. What about physician shadowing? Now that you'll be in a clinical environment, you'll meet doctors you can ask.

Nice job on the GPA repair.

 

[Handinhand]

I was wondering if the crew chief position would count as leadership. They are basically the man in charge on the ambulance for that shift. I also have the possibility to drive the ambulance as well, my service wanted me to get the cert. for that right when I came on.

As for shadowing, how much is a good amount? I wouldn't think it would be incredibly beneficial to spend a bunch of time with one doctor, compared to spending a small bit of time with a few doctors. Is this correct? Get a little 'taste' of different fields as compared to a lot of experience in just one.

As for the GPA. Thanks. I'm pretty happy that in just two semesters I brought myself to a 3.4 from a 3.15. I've got 4 more semesters left, so I'm hoping I can get myself around a 3.6-3.65. I know it's a little below average for the midwest schools I'm going to be applying to. I'm hoping with the ECs I'm building up right now(which if I stick with should be very strong in two years), the research I'm just getting into, as well as the very strong upward trend I'll have, that with a good MCAT score I can still be a competitive applicant. I'd hate to be putting in all this work just to be mediocre only because of a bad freshman year.

 

[Stratego]

I was wondering if the crew chief position would count as leadership.

As for shadowing, how much is a good amount? I wouldn't think it would be incredibly beneficial to spend a bunch of time with one doctor, compared to spending a small bit of time with a few doctors. Is this correct?

Crew chief for leadership crossed my mind, but I think adcomms want your leadership to be for more that 2 people. I'd include it in the description of the activity, but I wouldn't list it separately unless you're desperate. By the time you apply, you could well be given more responsibility that would more clearly be leadership.

There are varying opinions about the best way to do shadowing. IMO following 2-3 types of doctor (one in primary care, at least) for a full work day to a week each is the way to go. Others shadow 7-8 docotrs for brief times, and still others may shadow a single physician regularly for months to years. It depends on what you want to get out of it, and how interesting the activity is.

 

[Handinhand]

End of the semester update. I got screwed kind of by my new school, they do the AB system over the A-/B+ system of my last school, so I got 2 ABs instead of 2 A-s.

Grades:

Physics I: AB
Neurobiology I: AB
English 200: A
Ecology: A

Semester GPA: 3.75

I got a little ahead of myself my last post and said I was at a 3.4, I was a little under it. I am over it now however; specifically my gpa is as follows:

CGPA: 3.41
BCMP: 3.39

Everything else is the same. Volunteer EMTing 40-60 hrs/month, Volunteering in the neurosurgery ward at the local trauma1 2-3 hrs/week, and working in the neurological surgery research lab ~10 hrs/week.

Also, signed up for TPR MCAT review class for this coming summer, and with the dedication I plan on putting forward can score 35+ on the MCAT.

If I keep my GPA trend up, I should graduate with around a 3.6. If I did get a 35+ on the MCAT, and with my projected ECs and GPA, how competitive of an applicant would I be? I would love to stay in state and at my same school for med school, UW Madison, so specifically my competitiveness there and at MCW.

Thanks.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Have you taken any practice tests that indicate you could possibly get a 35+? There are plenty of people who study relentlessly and still don't do anywhere near that well. I'm not trying to bring you down, but it would be good to be realistic about your chances of scoring that high. If you've cranked out a 30+ "diagnostic" practice test with little to no studying, never mind me.

 

[Handinhand]

I got a 29 on the free AAMC test. That was last year though before physics, so I was going just off of AP Physics knowledge. I want to be realistic, but I think a good 3 months of dedicated studying and I could get a 35. I do well in English so VR should go well, I knocked OChem out of the park as well. I had a 93% exam average going into my Physics final, but our final was so ridiculously hard the class average was a 50, I got a 76% and dropped to an AB in the class.

I guess my question should have been what would I need to be competitive for my two state schools based on current trends. If you could help me with that I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

 

[Catalystik]

I have the matriculation data for those two schools from the year before the last class:

Median GPA and MCAT
-MCW 3.75 and 29.7
-UWisc 3.8 and 31.2

So with a 3.6 cGPA, you'd want to aim for a MCAT of 33 (but higher is fine).

I really like the way you post on the same thread with your updates so those of us involved early on can get the flow of the whole story.

 

[Handinhand]

Is UW Madison really that competitive? It doesn't seem like many OS applicants even apply to UW, any reasoning behind their selectivity when they're a state school?

Should I look to getting more ECs? I know leadership came up before, but I'm hoping I can work that into research by doing my own project for my senior thesis. Besides that though, is there still any glaring spots that are missing from my future app based on what I've got going on currently.



Also, I plan on doing the semester updates until I apply, just to help organize everything. It's also cool looking back when I started this. It's only been a year but it's pretty crazy how much I've done since then.

 

[Catalystik]

UW has a pretty good reputation, and everyone likes living in Madison. Maybe if it's less expensive, in-state residents are more likely to choose it. And it did accept 32 out of 155 OOS applicants = 20% of the class. Maybe the standard is higher for OOS, thus cranking up the median stats.

Leadership means peer leadership. Unless you were running a crew of researchers, I don't think that would be the type of leadership AMCAS intends. On the other hand, if you mention the responsibility you're taking for the project, that gets extra points in the research department. It's still possible you'll get more responsibility on the EMT squad? On another note: Are you Teaching new EMTs or showing them the ropes?

 

[Handinhand]

How important is research to either school? I've been told by admissions people at both schools that it's not life or death if you don't have research, so I kind of feel like it's not all that important to them.

Also, I'm not quite sure where you got those stats from. UWs website has this table, and I don't see those numbers. They weren't far off though.

http://www.med.wisc.edu/education/md/admissions/about-our-entering-class/107

 

[Catalystik]

The numbers I gave you are medians, not means.

 

[Handinhand]

So I'd like to give a little update here and get a few questions asked.

First off, research. Since I last posted I've gotten a LOT more involved in research. I went from thinking I was going to be the dish washer/solution maker in lab to being the guy handling all neuron/glial cell culturing. I also found out recently from my PI that she would like me to take a paid position in her lab over the summer continuing to do all the culturing, as well as starting my own project dealing with brain tumor stem cells, which I will continue with into my senior year.

Grades: I got a 3.75 last semester which put me at a cGPA: 3.41, sGPA: 3.39. This semester is going decently well so far. It's definitely my hardest semester yet, and I'm hoping I can grind out another good semester, but we'll see, it might not be as high as my past two semesters have been. With my cum GPAs where they stand right now, and having the foresight to say they will be around 3.5-3.6 when I apply, how competitive of an applicant does that make me considering everything thus far?

MCAT: Still planning on taking TPR MCAT class over summer and then taking the MCAT in August. I'm hoping that with some real hard work in the books this summer I can pull out a nice MCAT score to counter-act my lowish GPA come application time at the end of senior year.

Volunteering: I'm EMTing still, working an 18 hour shift almost every Saturday. I'm also doing 2 hours/week at the hospital, but I really don't think I can keep doing it. IMO, it's a completely useless experience, I get no healthcare experience out of it. I'm wondering with my EMTing, will my clinical experience/volunteering be enough? I may try and get an ER volunteer spot at one of the smaller hospitals next year, where they let volunteers do more.

Shadowing: Since I'm so busy right now with everything, and will be in the summer as well I'm going to put off my shadowing until my senior year. For reasons I will explain below (LORS), I'm thinking I'd like to shadow 2-3 doctors for a good amount of time, so I can form a better relationship with them and have them know me better. Off the top of my head, I'd like to find a Primary (How weird is it if I ask my physician if he allows shadowing?), a neurosurgeon (I work in a NS lab, and there are two MDs that sit in on our lab meetings every week), and some then some other doc. Sound like a good plan?

LORS: Now that I'm a Junior, this is starting to loom over my head a little bit. I don't currently have LORs from anybody, but I'm trying to start and plan where I will be getting them from. My PI is a very nice lady, and I have no doubt that in another year I will be able to get a great letter from her. My boss where I EMT as well, I should get a good letter from him. Where else should I look to though? Most of my professors don't make themselves available outside of class, and I really don't think a letter from a professor whose class I got an A in would hold much weight anyways. If I form a good relationship with the doctors I shadow, would letters from them count as faculty LORS? I've tried reading topics on SDN about LORs but they are all so contradictory and confusing I feel less knowledgeable now than before I read them.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I also found out recently from my PI that she would like me to take a paid position in her lab over the summer continuing to do all the culturing, as well as starting my own project dealing with brain tumor stem cells, which I will continue with into my senior year.

2) With my cum GPAs where they stand right now, and having the foresight to say they will be around 3.5-3.6 when I apply, how competitive of an applicant does that make me considering everything thus far?

3) Volunteering: I'm EMTing still, working an 18 hour shift almost every Saturday. I'm also doing 2 hours/week at the hospital, but I really don't think I can keep doing it.

4) Shadowing: I'm going to put off my shadowing until my senior year. For reasons I will explain below (LORS), I'm thinking I'd like to shadow 2-3 doctors for a good amount of time, so I can form a better relationship with them and have them know me better. Off the top of my head, I'd like to find a Primary (How weird is it if I ask my physician if he allows shadowing?), a neurosurgeon (I work in a NS lab, and there are two MDs that sit in on our lab meetings every week), and some then some other doc. Sound like a good plan?

5) LORS: My PI is a very nice lady, and I have no doubt that in another year I will be able to get a great letter from her. My boss where I EMT as well, I should get a good letter from him. Where else should I look to though?

1) Excellent. She must think well of you to offer the position.

2) Your GPAs will still be a bit below where we'd want them, but acceptable and a strong MCAT score will make up for them.

3) Since you're getting your clinical experience at work as an EMT, I think you're fine to drop the hospital volunteering, as you've gotten a good sense of a clinical environment already. You should take up some other community service. I'd suggest it be nonmedical/noncampus-related, and for a cause you care about (if you aren't already doing this).

4) Your shadowing plan is fine. Asking your own physician is more likely to be productive than hitting on a stranger. Having 2-3 docs total is fine. I suggest a total of 60-80 hours split among all of them (others like different formulas and none is wrong).

5) You must have 2 letters from science professors who can attest to your academic prowess. Also, one nonscience prof and your PI. After that some get a physician letter, employment letter, and volunteer letter, but the latter three are much less commonly asked for. You need to start cultivating professors. Stay after class and ask questions. Visit during office hours if they have any. Ask good questions in class. This is a hoop you must jump through. At least you have plenty of time to strategize how to achieve this objective. You might take a class with the PI to do double duty with one letter.

 

[addo]

1) The average age of applicants is 24.

Really? I saw on the MSAR the majority of applicants and people accepted were 22. Well actually the average might be 24 but the sharpest peak in acceptances is at 22, at least for 2007. Does age play an important factor, or is the peak simply a consequence of most people that apply are 22 years old?

 

[MiniMoo]

Really? I saw on the MSAR the majority of applicants and people accepted were 22. Well actually the average might be 24 but the sharpest peak in acceptances is at 22, at least for 2007. Does age play an important factor, or is the peak simply a consequence of most people that apply are 22 years old?

~24 is the average age for matriculants. This varies a bit from school to school. But age itself is not going to influence your chance of obtaining an acceptance. Plenty of people start medical school in their 30's, 40's, and yes even 50's. I haven't looked at the data, but if the acceptance rate for younger applicants is higher than that for older individuals, it likely has much more to do with their stats. Older applicants may have had to go back to school to do damage control on their GPAs or had other careers prior to going into medicine. As a whole, they may be less stat-strong than their younger counterparts.

 

[drizzt3117]

Are you going to take anatomy as an undergrad? Getting to know Karen and Ed really well and doing well in their class would be very favorable because they teach anatomy to first year med students too. I believe Dr. Bersu is also on the admissions committee most years although I could be wrong about that. A letter of recommendation from either would have a ton of value.

 

[Handinhand]

5) You must have 2 letters from science professors who can attest to your academic prowess. Also, one nonscience prof and your PI. After that some get a physician letter, employment letter, and volunteer letter, but the latter three are much less commonly asked for. You need to start cultivating professors. Stay after class and ask questions. Visit during office hours if they have any. Ask good questions in class. This is a hoop you must jump through. At least you have plenty of time to strategize how to achieve this objective. You might take a class with the PI to do double duty with one letter.

Really? Wow. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't see how a professors recommendation after having me in class for one semester, even if we talked after every class, would give them even a shred of knowledge on my capability to perform in medical school. I guess that's how it is though. It's going to be tough, all of my science classes are taught by multiple professors, so they're going to know me for less than a semester.

How many letters on average do people submit when applying?

I wasn't planning on taking Anatomy, because I'm doing the Neurobiology major and that would be credits outside of my major. Also, just checking quickly it looks that only Pre-PA and Nursing students are allowed to take Anatomy at UW, unless I was looking at the wrong course (Human Anatomy).

 

[MiniMoo]

How many letters on average do people submit when applying?

Typically a minimum of 3 from professors. After that, additional letters from individuals with whom you've cultivated a strong relationship in research, employment, or volunteer activities would be a good supplement. Some schools have a maximum # you can send, but some don't. I would say 3-5 would be a good number to aim for. More than that and it becomes a bit too much to read, and you risk having letters that start sounding redundant.

 

[Catalystik]

How many letters on average do people submit when applying?

Some schools provide a committee letter for you and may have some variations on what we've outlined as typical. If you aren't sure about whether your school does this, it's best to ask now, because they can have some difficult deadlines and other hoops to jump through (interviews) that it's best to know about well in advance.

 

[MiniMoo]

Some schools provide a committee letter for you and may have some variations on what we've outlined as typical. If you aren't sure about whether your school does this, it's best to ask now, because they can have some difficult deadlines and other hoops to jump through (interviews) that it's best to know about well in advance.

Oh yeah, duh, this too. I attended a school that did not have a committee, so I submitted letters individually. But if your school provides this service, definitely use it.

 

[Handinhand]

I'm just curious as to how people get "amazing LORs" I read about all the time. The scope of what you would talk with a professor after class/ during office hours is pretty narrow. I'm just trying to understand how having a cookie cutter LOR from some professor is going to set me apart.

For a leadership position (and I'm still kicking myself over this), I had the opportunity to get the Vice-Pres of my cities EMS Association, but because of the the time commitment to research, class, EMTing and what not, I had to decline. Hopefully next year, when my schedule is a little more relaxed I will be able to snag that position, or maybe even President. Does that sound like a good leadership position?

Besides all of that, does anybody see any glaring problems with my future application?

 

[Catalystik]

maybe even President. Does that sound like a good leadership position?

Hopefully, it means more than just running meetings. There's LEADERSHIP, and then there's leadership. You know what I mean?

 

[drizzt3117]

Really? Wow. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't see how a professors recommendation after having me in class for one semester, even if we talked after every class, would give them even a shred of knowledge on my capability to perform in medical school. I guess that's how it is though. It's going to be tough, all of my science classes are taught by multiple professors, so they're going to know me for less than a semester.

How many letters on average do people submit when applying?

I wasn't planning on taking Anatomy, because I'm doing the Neurobiology major and that would be credits outside of my major. Also, just checking quickly it looks that only Pre-PA and Nursing students are allowed to take Anatomy at UW, unless I was looking at the wrong course (Human Anatomy).

I submitted a committee letter with ~8 letters from various people, 5 from instructors. I think med school faculty teach neuroanatomy and some of the neuroscience courses too.

As far as your app, obviously the weak point is going to be GPA, but you can probably offset that with good ECs (which you seem to have) good LORs (from teachers, your PI, maybe someone you've worked under in EMS, etc) and a solid mid 30s MCAT.

 

[Handinhand]

Did you go to Madison for undergrad? I don't believe they have committee letters here, but I could be mistaken. (That would be a TON of letters to write).

Do you think my ECs are going to set me apart? I hope to pick up some non-clinical volunteering over the next year and a half, and do some shadowing. I figured they would be pretty average though. It seems like my competitiveness is really hanging on my MCAT this summer, which is almost a good thing, because I'll have that fire under my ass my when it's 80* out and I want to go biking, but force myself to the library instead.

That reminds me. I race mountain bikes as an EC. Not something I planned on putting on an app because I just do it for fun, but it seems like a lot of people put stupid stuff like that on their apps so I might go for it.

 

[Catalystik]

That reminds me. I race mountain bikes as an EC. Not something I planned on putting on an app because I just do it for fun, but it seems like a lot of people put stupid stuff like that on their apps so I might go for it.

Makes you look interesting. Do it. There's no reason you can't group a few hobbies you think of as minor into one slot.