2013-2014 Applicants and their parents.....

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>Just having completed the pre-reqs isn’t enough. </p>

<p>There’s a saying: MCAT score + GPA will get your application through the door, but it’s your ECs that get you an interview invitation.</p>

<p>Seriously without sufficient ECs, your son will be tossing several thousand dollars right out the window.</p>

<p>What ECs are expected:</p>

<p>1) physician shadowing–to demonstrate he understands what a doctor’s job actually is</p>

<p>2) community service–to demonstrate his concern for for his fellow man. Medicine is life of service to others. Med school want to see a history of service to others.</p>

<p>3) clinical experience-- hands on work with patients. The purpose is to show he understands how people really behave/react when they was sick, injured or chronically ill. And to demonstrate he has the interpersonal skills to deal with sick and injured people.</p>

<p>4) lab or clinical research–to demonstrate he understands the scientific process and strengths and weaknesses inherent in research results.</p>

<p>5) leadership positions --because (rightly or wrongly) physicians are expect to take on leadership roles in their communities</p>

<p>Why do med school want these ECs? Educating a doctor is enormously expensive in terms of time and resources. Med school want applicants who understand what they’re getting into. Strong academic skills/ability are only a part of what makes a successful med student. (Necessary but not sufficient.)</p>

<p>Your son might have a successful applicants season if he is strong in any 4 of the 5, but without any ECs–his application will get round filed.</p>

<p>I have 2 kids–one in med school, one applying. Both came to the decision only after much soul-searching and thought. Neither one was one of those kids who knew at age 10 they wanted to be a doctor. It was a difficult decision for each of them–and for very different reasons.</p>

<p>~~~~</p>

<p>He’ll also be expected to clearly and persuasively articulate why he wants to be doctor in his personal statement for med school applications. One of the most important parts of the applicaiton process. (BTW, wanting to help people or wanting to save lives–neither is an adequate reason.)</p>

222

<p>Thanks much WOWM. You explained that well. Sorry if I took a detour in the thread.</p>

223

<p>But it’s not too late for your son if he does decide that medicine is the path he wants to follow. </p>

<p>The average age of medical students nationally is about 24. At some schools, the average age is even higher. In my older D’s med school class fewer than half of the student came straight out of undergrad. </p>

<p>Your son can start working on his ECs now and apply couple of years from now if he’s still interested.</p>

<p>(For the record, neither of my kiddos went straight from undergrad into med school.)</p>

224

<p>WOWM - thanks for your detailed response. I am in a similar position to doughmom and your answer was very useful. D is a rising junior who has been thinking about med school for the past two years. She’s also fairly certain she doesn’t want to go to med school directly after her undergrad. You said both your kids didn’t do this either - how long after undergrad did they apply to med school? What did they do in that period? How do recommendations from professors/advisors work if you are out of school for a year or two?</p>

225

<p>You can open an Interfolio account and have the letters written when still in school. My DD took one year off and worked in a medically related research lab, great experience and good for the application, too.</p>

226

<p>D1 wasn’t a bio major and so was missing most of pre-reqs. In fact, she didn’t decide she wanted to try for med school until right before graduation. She had a couple of acceptances for grad school–which she turned down. </p>

<p>D1 worked multiple part-time jobs to pay her bills and went to school part-time to complete her pre-reqs. Her jobs included: math, chem and physics tutor at her uni, waitressing (at a high end restaurant–this paid most of her bills), math instructor/tutor at the community college (her best gig–she got benies even part-time!), chem lab instructor at her uni, substitute teaching. Took her about 2.5 years to finish her pre-reqs. (Non degree meant she was last to register for chem labs–those were her big hold up. She applied to med school with her OChem labs pending and her fingers crossed.)</p>

<p>D2 had all her pre-reqs done by graduation but wanted time off before med school. D2 has a full time position as research assistant at a med school. She graduated last year and will apply this cycle–so she’ll have been out of school for 2 years when she starts med school. (FYI, nearly all research asst positions require a minimum 2 year contact.) </p>

<p>I think the break for D2 was a wise move. It gave her time to decide between a straight MD and MD/PhD. After working full time in research and seeing the pressure and the funding difficulties researchers even at a Top 10 med school face, she’s opting for a straight MD (albeit she’s still very interested in academic medicine, but as clinician rather than a basic researcher).</p>

227

<p>Hey guys–just checking in. School ends in about a week. LORs have all been requested (3 academic and my PI, which should be enough everywhere I’m applying). PS is coming along…slowly but surely. </p>

<p>I just had a question for the veterans. Some of my friends say it takes WEEKS for a transcript to get to AMCAS. My school will probably release final grades May 17th. If I wait until then to request transcripts, will it be late? My friends are considering sending them in now with only 5 semesters worth of grades. Is that okay? (many just don’t want to include this semesters’ grades because they did a little worse and their GPA might drop). I’m in my second semester physics and second second semester rhet, so these are the only two prereqs they won’t see. My GPA won’t change either way most likely. Thanks!</p>

228

<p>It can take weeks to validate the transcripts at AMCAS. The mailing time is whatever your school does. If they can mail them out in late May, I think the transcripts will still arrive before the earliest possible submission date, so you would be fine to wait for the current term marks.</p>

229

<p>D’s spring quarter doesn’t end until June 15. So spring grades won’t be out until end of June. Yet the school’s pre-med advisors have said to wait until you know your spring grades before sending in the applications. I’m not sure this is good advice or not. </p>

<p>I know many colleges are ending their spring quarter now. So those on the quarter system are at a disadvantage if early apps = better chances.</p>

230

<p>DD’s year, she wanted the final Q grades and submitted the transcripts after June 11th, it was fine. YOu might see if he can put his request in now, with “wait for final grades” checked so that he has his place in line and it goes out first of the post-finals mailing.</p>

231

<p>It does take longer for AMCAS to verify grades the later it gets in the application season, but June 15 is still early. (AMCAS submissions opens June 5? June 8th? this year.)</p>

<p>If she were going to be delayed until after July 1st, then it might be a problem.</p>

232

<p>June 14 is the end of finals week. So then it’s likely another week for grades to come in. </p>

<p>There is so much conflicting advice on this. </p>

<p>AAMCAS says you don’t need spring grades.</p>

<p>Her advisor said it’s best to have spring grades. </p>

<p>Some say it looks like you’re hiding your spring grades if you leave them off.</p>

<p>Others say you can send updates to the school with the spring grades. </p>

<p>LizzyM (on that other website) said that if the GPA is over 3.9, it doesn’t matter when you send in the application. (I suppose you get put to the top of the pile even if late?)</p>

<p>I wish AAMCAS had a definitive answer.</p>

233

<p>TatinG, regarding your question, about “you get
Put into the top of the
Pile”, this is true for BCM.</p>

<p>Intuitively speaking, if you apply, the med school may
Think their school is not your
First choice and do not want to waste an interview slot on such a potential low yield student.</p>

234

<p>BCM ???</p>

<p>I don’t know this one.</p>

235

<p>I meant to type;
If you apply late to a particular school, the med school may think their school is not uour</p>

236

<p>Well, she’ll be applying ‘late’ to all the schools what with the transcripts and verification coming in July. </p>

<p>One hopes that the med schools know the schools that are on the quarter system and take that into account. Surely the California schools are sensitive to this. Someone attending the University of Michigan where finals are finishing now, might be applying late if he waits until July. Someone attending UCLA is not.</p>

237

<p>BCM; Baylor college of medicine.</p>

<p>(Sorry about my horrible typing on my smartphone
.)</p>

238

<p>As I remember, DD’s term finished around June 10-11th, her transcripts went in after grades were posted and she was complete around July 1-2-3. Early July is totally fine for the secondaries.</p>

<p>Your post raises some questions:</p>

<p>Is she a junior or senior? If a senior, then she has more classes to include so the spring grades could be less critical</p>

<p>Which classes is she taking? If she has med school pre-reqs, then they likely ought to be included.</p>

<p>How high is her GPA already, if it is 3.9 or 4.0, then yeah, they probably will stress those spring grades less than if it were 3.4, 3.5, etc.</p>

<p>I think you are fine to wait, because we did and it seemed to move quickly, I would still have the AMCAS in the first day and would make the transcript request now so it is in line.</p>

239

<p>My advisor always thought that quarters systems did in fact disadvantage their students in the AMCAS process. I would defer to your daughter’s advisor on this point. Bear in mind that while earlier is better, anything before July 4 is still okay.</p>

<p>While LizzyM is much more knowledgeable than I am, her advice on this point sounds crazy to me. Timing always matters. A strong applicant applying late will look disinterested, and a weak applicant applying late has just shot himself in his only foot. A 3.9 could still be a weak applicant.</p>

240

<p>Did LizzyM, perhaps mean any time in June versus any time ever? The AMCAS application can still be submitted on opening day, if the transcript is in mid-June, shouldn’t that be okay?</p>

<p>I feel like I remember the transcript would not go out until mid-June, but DD finished class the end of May, so if you are talking transcript mid June, that should be fine. If you are talking classed end June 20th+ and the transcript is two weeks later, I would be searching SDN for what people in your situation did in the prior years and how that worked out. I am afraid I would never rely entirely on the school adviser, too much conflicting advice at DD’s school</p>