If I remember correctly, organizations like National Honor Society do community service activities and volunteering (usually you have to do a certain amount to be able to stay in NHS after being inducted as a junior). So for dates, I would use the date you were inducted as the start date, there would obviously be no end date since you’re currently in it, then add in the number of hours for those activities/volunteering as well as attending meetings. Usually NHS keeps a track record of how many meetings you attended, etc. If you’re an officer of NHS, you’re likely doing even more work outside of those things, so you can include that as well.
Also keep in mind, they are not looking for an exact number. Just give an honest estimation of how much time you spend each week on those activities.
And be reasonable about it and add up all the total hours of your activities that you are currently in. If that number seems really high to you than it probably is. They know that you go to school 8 hours a day and have to study after, no one expects you to spend 40 hours on activities per week, that’s like a full time job!
Yes, you definitely don’t need to give an EXACT number of the number of hours. It is a little weird that they’re asking the total number of hours, rather than hours per week or something like that, but obviously give them what they want. And don’t be the applicant who inflates the hours, that based on simple math and a calculator, it can be easily seen that it would be impossible to do the number of hours listed when taking into account going to school, sleeping, etc.
They also require you to put an end date, but I’m currently in every activity so what should I put?
@Watang, I would call (816-235-1870 from the Admissions page) or email (medicine@umkc.edu) to answer that question, which is a good one. Usually they’re happy to help when it comes to the logistics of the application. Normally, I would tell you to put the date you graduate from high school, since the online application probably won’t allow you type “Present” or “Current” as the end date, but the answer here isn’t clear cut, so I would ask them, just so they don’t reach conclusions regarding why you chose an end date that would be a future date.
Will do thanks for you help! @Roentgen
Will only having 4 recommendations hurt my chances?
@Watang, 4 recommendations is fine. If you look here: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/apply/, “A minimum of three fully complete reference forms are required for a complete application. A maximum of six fully complete reference forms will be accepted.”
For the longest time, when the application was on paper (vs. online now), they gave you 3 reference forms, which you can see how it looks like here: https://www.umkc.edu/admissions/docs/2009MedApplication.pdf.
Just get it from those who can give you an unreserved, strong recommendation. I always recommend asking the person directly something like, “Mr./Ms. ________, do you think you would be able to write me a strong recommendation for my college applications?” So it gives them an out, if they genuinely feel they can not do so. You don’t want a pity letter of recommendation, or in this case a pity reference form, since it asks which categories best describe you on certain characteristics.
Hi, I’m a senior in the KC area. I’ve visited the program/campus multiple times and am really set in going there.
Is it really bad if I don’t have a lot of leadership experience? It’s just that I’ve moved to like 4 different high schools in my education career…kinda hard to be given leadership like that. Thats one of my big concerns.
@AtticusFinchh, that’s really hard to tell, since we don’t really know the rest of your application. I will say this, lack of that one aspect will not sink your application on its own, and the fact that you’re in the in-state pool, will help you a lot as well as your demonstrated interest in the program by going to BA/MD events. You definitely don’t have to be a leader at anything and everything. It’s more showing interest and active participation, and that’s not always necessarily synonymous with being an officer of a club/organization or captain of a sports team, etc.
When they look at your transcript(s), they will probably be able to tell clearly that you moved thru 4 different high schools, so they will probably take that into consideration. In your case, I would definitely aim to have a completed application (with LORs, transcripts, test scores, score reports etc.) by that October 15th date (next Thursday) for Early Notification.
@Roentgen
Thanks, I do have a lot of health experiences and even go to an elementary school every week to teach about human body systems if that might help too. I’m aiming to have teacher lors in, but besides that I’m basically done. But why do you say by Oct. 15? Isn’t it just supposed to be about when (or if) you get Interview notification?
@AtticusFinchh, those are definitely fine, and with the elementary school thing, that is definitely taking a leadership role, also.
This is different, at least lately, in that there is now an Early Notification Deadline (October 15) and a Regular Deadline (November 1). It used to be just one regular deadline in November for all applications (usually the November 1st date). I don’t know why a measly 2 weeks makes a magical difference to the Council on Selection for processing, but it helps to get it in by October 15 so that your application is looked at and processed early on whether you get an interview or not, vs. being in a separate stack for the regular deadline to be processed (when some or many of the applicant interview spots have already been disbursed), based on what they’ve stated:
http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/timeline/
“October 15: Early Notification Deadline
Students who submit all applications and application materials by this deadline will be notified of their interview status in December. All supporting documents, including transcripts, test scores and reference forms, must be submitted by this deadline in order to be considered for the early notification deadline.”
“November 1: Application Deadline
The General Application for Admission to UMKC and the School of Medicine Online Supplemental Application are due by this date. All supporting documents must also be submitted by this date (this includes reference forms, high school transcripts, and test scores). Applications created but not complete by the November 1 deadline have until December 15 to complete and submit all application materials as a late applicant. Late applications will be reviewed with other late applicants and only if space is available. Applications that remain incomplete will not be considered for admission.”
Especially if you feel your application might be a little weak or on the borderline, you want your application in that first stack (the Early Notification one) to be looked at thoroughly and processed. It doesn’t say when the regular deadline people hear back, but based on the timeline on the website, it will probably be in January.
How many people do they accept from out of state?
@lyfe33, see here under the UMKC BA/MD FAQs: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/faqs/. It’s under the 2nd question, “How many students will enter the B.A./M.D. program each year? How many students are from Missouri?”
What do you guys think are the biggest factors they look? SAT/ACT scores and essay?
@lyfe33
Its part of it. I think decent scores will get you considered but they really do care about the whole application.
I think important things to pay attention to and that your application should probably address:
- Why you want to do medicine? Find a reason that is unique to you. What about you and your life circumstance makes you so sure that medicine is right for you?
- What makes you ready to be ready for the adversity that you will face during the six year program
Make sure your long term commitment to medicine is apparent on your application.
I’m sorry if this was already addressed earlier, but I didn’t get a chance to read all the posts in the last few days? Are you in state or out of state?
Honestly, if you are in state, you have a really good chance at coming here even if average numbers and applications. I have friends who are instate who scored 29-30 range for ACT, no medical background or experience, had no problem getting interviews and being accepted.
It becomes slightly more competitive for regional pool.
The out of state pool is honestly the hardest.
To add further to what @blugrn6 said, UMKC’s medical school does not heavily emphasize standardized test scores (never has), even with being a combined degree medical program, the way the much more competitive programs like Brown PLME, Northwestern HPME, Rice-Baylor Med Scholars, Penn State/Jefferson Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program, UPitt GAP, etc. (all of whose medical schools are much more highly ranked and have a strong research infrastructure available on site) to even be considered.
The Council on Selection is not the type to salivate at getting all the 34-36s ACT scoring students to matriculate. I think part of this has to do with the fact, that UMKC’s med school’s main mission is to give a very solid grounding in primary care (Family Med, IM, Pediatrics) and to put out medical graduates who are mainly clinicians, who treat patients in the community. So they want more well-rounded type people (at least on paper, lol), who aren’t just good test-takers and/or aren’t too highly research-focused (as there are some medical schools that like that attribute also). I think the BA/MD website explains this really well actually in terms of what they’re looking at in the application: http://med.umkc.edu/bamd/council/
They’re a lot more holistic in terms of application review: reading your essay answers, seeing what healthcare volunteering and opportunities you’ve participated in (keeping in mind that you guys are high school students so your opportunities may not be as huge as that available to a college student) to give you good insight that 1) becoming a physician (vs. another alternative career in the great world of healthcare or even in non-healthcare) is the right career for you and 2) that you really know what you’re doing when you commit early on as an 18 year old to entering a year-round combined BA/MD program that’s 6 years in duration (vs. the traditional 4 + 4).
Once you get offered the interview at UMKC based on how you are on paper, from a practical standpoint, it pretty much then starts all over again, so you don’t have to worry about your application anymore, and instead focus more of your efforts on your interview day, which has an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) component.
@Blugrn6 Sadly I am part of the out-of-state pool, but I appreciate your advice!
@Roentgen Thank you so much for you detailed response! Very helpful 
@lyfe33, since you are out-of-state (I’m assuming not classified as “regional” either), you probably already know this, but also look closely at combined BA/MD or BS/MD programs in your own home state as well. There are a lot more of these programs now offered than there used to be, some of them with much much better financial aid packages than UMKC offers, at least at the undergraduate level.
I would also find out the current status of things, regarding being able to get in-state tuition after a certain number of years, or meeting certain criteria. This can change a lot from year to year, on what is allowed and what isn’t, so try to get the latest info. on this from the UMKC Office of Admissions on the main university campus who determine residency (http://www.umkc.edu/admissions/contact_us.cfm), as well as current out-of-state BA/MD students.
@Roentgen Thanks so much for the prompt reply. I will try my hardest to get it submitted before Thursday.