Is this a good amount of research experience to be considered for a BS MD program?

Pre-Med & Medical School Multiple Degree Programs
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<p>Hello CCers!
As you can see I’m a rising senior who as her little heart set on a BS (BA)/MD program (hopefully Stony Brook, Sophie Davis, or Brooklyn College/Downstate), but to be brutally honest with you, my stats just make the cutoff for these kinds of programs and are average-low in comparison to other applicants (in terms of SAT/AP scores, but I rank in the top 1% of my HS (gpa 3.88 uw, weighted is crazy high – not sure of # though) and might move up to become salutatorian if that helps?). Oh, & I attend a VERY non-competitive public HS on Long Island, NY. My hopes are that my EC’s and essay(s) (I’ve been told I write kick-ass essays by quite a few!) will really stand out and help me get to the interview stage! Any advice or guidance on my EC’s will be very helpful, but if you would like to skip down to the real question at hand, be my guest! =p (at very bottom, after line)</p>

<p>I will make a general list of EC’s/achievements but do not guarantee they will be in chronological order:
Clubs/Academics:
-Active in 5 honor societies that perform services for the community (NHS, Spanish, Thespian, NSHSS, & Tri-M – hoping to become VP next yr)
- AP Scholar w/ Honor ( ik ik, it won’t compare to the thousands of applicants who are AP National Scholars, but it’s worth a shot mentioning, right? =p )
- APs: Soph: World History Junior: US History, AP lang, & an intro psych class at stony brook (similar to AP psych but on steroids lol) senior: AP lit, Spanish, Calc AB, Bio, & Music Theory
Music EC’s:
- played violin for 10 yrs (concertmaster/1st chair violinist) in all 4 orchestras in school) & piano for 13 yrs (All-county pianist)
-Won a LI Arts Alliance Scholar-Artist Scholarship & Award for combined academic and music excellence- also goes under academics, but too lazy to copy & paste
Community Service:
-50 hours of community service awarded for playing in community pitt orchestra in drama productions for the elderly (concertmaster/1st chair violinist)
-Give free private piano/violin/music theory lessons to underprivileged kids in my community (started this program all on my own)
-500+ hours volunteering at Stony Brook Hospital Medical Center in the Cardiology Research dept. (I got sooo lucky on this one, they don’t usually let jr volunteers work in research positions, only college kids) I got a ton of research and patient experience out of this one & even consented & called patients for studies!!!
Research (I guess?):
-Working at a prestigious LI lab on DNA and human genome this summer for 2 wks (about 63 hrs of lab experience)
-Above volunteer position at Cardiology Research 500+ hrs
Shadowing:
3 drs: primary care, psychologist, & general surgeon
Other Medical Experiences:
My aunt who I consider to be on the same lvl as my mother was recently (& unfortunately) diagnosed w/ NSCLC (type of lung cancer). I am the one who attends all of her appointments & am taking care of her so I know my stuff on LC! On a SB essay I think, it asks what qualities do you feel make up the ideal physician, & I might write about my experiences w/ her, how through her eyes I saw uncaring specialists telling her she had lung cancer like they were giving her the time of day. With lung cancer you’re basically dead, the prognosis is depressing & she was scared & lost! No one provided her with any hope on beating this beast. IMO out of any physician out there, compassion should be #1 on the list of qualities for an oncologist right? I saw none of this until I met her LC surgeon who basically exemplifies what it means to be a doctor, someone I hope to mirror one day. He gave her the will to live & fight this battle & assured her that he will do everything he can to rid of the tumor without giving her false hope. This holds very dear to my heart because I understand what it’s like to be a patient with a serious illness through my aunt & is 1 of the many reasons I want to become a doctor.
Misc. Achievement:
-not asian nor caucasian which is a feat for itself! (no offense to anyone really, just trying to be light-hearted after my serious rant! :) ) Idk if being biracial helps in the application process though...</p>

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<p>Question: Does 500+ hours volunteering at Stony Brook University Hospital in the Cardiology Research Dept where I learned about various clinical drug studies for the heart involving stents & consented patients/made phone calls count as sufficient research experience? If not, will my 63 hrs of lab research on DNA & human genome help put my application on top of the pile for a BS/MD program (I am keeping in mind other factors as well, like grades, etc.)?</p>

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<p>500 hrs is a lot of hours, and it’s pretty cool to be working on clinical research. 63 hrs, however, is not a lot at all. Was that one week of lab work, or a few weeks going a few days a week? Are you entering the research into anything?</p>

<p>Also, you seem to have the stats to go to a non-SUNY level school. You could probably get into top-tier. BUT, if money’s an issue, then definitely go on the track you’re going. </p>

<p>I do think you have a very good chance though at all of those programs (if you have a high enough SAT/ACT). You seem to be dedicated to medicine, which I’m sure will come off in your essay’s and, hopefully, in your interviews.</p>

<p>Just a few words of encouragement: most BS/MD programs want you to have either medical OR scientific research. Having both is a plus :)</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t phrase it this way. I think it’s fine to talk about compassion and such in your essays and it’s fine to praise her surgeon but you should really do it without criticizing other physicians until you understand the medical professions better. In general, it just looks bad for you, a high schooler, to be talking about how someone is a bad physician.</p>

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<p>“500 hrs is a lot of hours, and it’s pretty cool to be working on clinical research. 63 hrs, however, is not a lot at all. Was that one week of lab work, or a few weeks going a few days a week? Are you entering the research into anything?”</p>

<p>Thanks so much for posting moonman676!! I know I’m a little worried about the 60+ hours spent at lab on DNA research because
a) it was only 2 weeks
b) I didn’t publish anything, it was more of a summer camp for rising juniors & seniors
That is why I am hoping that my clinical research experience at the Medicine/Cardiology Dept. will help me out in the “research experience” realm of this whole process.
Do you really think that I could get into better programs? That would be nice, but money is not the issue. My parents would be devasted if I went out of state. They don’t even want me traveling out to the city (1/2 hr drive!), which I do think is very sweet (probably b/c I’m their 1st child =) I would absolutely be content with acceptance to Stony Brook though or really any BS/MD for that matter.</p>

<p>Thank you too, norcalguy, for taking time to read my rantings! =p I totally understand what you’re saying. It was very late and I was a little upset when I wrote this so I don’t mean to bash any physician, but I do think that compassion is something that I want to discuss. Maybe I’ll just describe this ideal doctor’s good qualities and not mention any negatives about anyone else =) Thanks for the advice!!</p>

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<p>Just wondering, as I am not a knowlegeable poster in this area - did you post your SAT I results? Also, do you need SAT subject tests for these types of programs?</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>No InvolvedmomFL, I did not post my SAT I score out of sheer embarrassment since it was soo low. Well here it is: M + R = 1180. I know that I need to boost that score up 220 pts to a 1400, and I’ve been working my butt off this summer to do so. I will take the SAT I again in October & November (hopefully my score will go up!). As for the SAT II, from what I’ve read, some programs require Math II (which I’m planning on taking in December) & Chemistry (which I can’t take b/c my school just started offering AP chem this yr due to the only AP chem teacher retiring). The programs I’m trying to apply to don’t require them, but it would be nice to have them under your belt. I have only taken US History (750), & I was wondering if any CCers have suggestions as to what I should take next w/ Math II? I have completed HS physics last yr, but didn’t take AP which rules that out, I can’t take chem (above reason), & I’m taking bio this yr & I don’t think half a year of curriculum will help me out on this test. Should I try the lit & Spanish SAT IIs? I heard they were pretty hard, so any opinions would be helpful, thanks!</p>

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<p>Um, if you actually think it’s a question whether or not you have enough research experience, that’s sad. Most people do not have that kind of medical exposure, but most DO have significantly higher than an 1180. Also, I really don’t think you should write a whole essay on compassion…it’s so cliche and not as important for a doctor as something like dedication. The lung cancer topic is fine, just don’t focus too much on how compassionate you are… there are a lot of people who say they are compassionate…just my opinion.</p>

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<p>The research experience sounds good! Continue with it, and add some hospital volunteering if you can (non-research). I was accepted into the Stony Brook BS/MD (Scholars for Med) program this past cycle, and from what I gather, they are pretty strict about their minimum GPA/SAT requirements. I talked to a few admissions reps when I was applying, and they stressed that the min stats are baseline, and most of those accepted have even higher academic credentials. I also think that the essay plays a big role in being selected for interview, after you meet their academic requirements. Keep studying hard for the SAT, and you’ll have a great shot when the time comes! Also, don’t restrict yourself to the NY programs. There are plenty of great programs in other states that you should definitely look into. NJ is pretty close if distance is an issue. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice manu101! I will definitely see to it that my SAT score increases!! I’ll also see if I can volunteer in another dept too. If you don’t mind me asking, how is the Scholars for Medicine program so far? Do you attend the same classes as the others in your cycle (same people in each class)? Just curious, I wouldn’t mind it though, it’s a blessing just being accepted into one of these programs! =D</p>

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<p>^ I’m actually attending a different B.S/MD program this fall. But when I went for my interview for Scholars for Med, they explained how you take classes on your own schedule(just as a regular undergraduate student). There is no set schedule that students in the program must follow. Think of it as attending Stony Brook as a regular premed student, with the special advantage of having a guaranteed acceptance once four years are up (as long as you fulfill the Scholars for Med min MCAT and min GPA requirement and the Honors College requirements). It was really tough for me to give up the acceptance come decision-time in April. Regardless, it truly is a great opportunity! Good luck again!</p>

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<p>Keep studying! Your perseverance will pay off! I hope you reach your goals. :)</p>