This older premed has work, travel, family, school, and MCAT. Does she really need clinical experience?
Questions answered here on the podcast are taken directly from premedhangout.com. Go ask your questions there and use #OPMquestion.
Also, please be sure to check out all our other podcasts on Meded Media as we try to bring you as many resources as you need on this journey.
Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.
The MCAT Minute is brought to you by Blueprint MCAT.
The MCAT is one of the most important parts of the medical school application process. To get a good MCAT score, you have to plan and prep as well as plan your prep. To do that very easily, go to Blueprint MCAT. Sign up for a free account and get access to their free study planner tool all for free.
“How important is the clinical experience for folks who have a nonmedical career? In between full-time work with significant travel family obligations, a postbac, and MCAT setting, there’s little extra time to commit to clinical experience, especially when they mostly require weekdays and I work all day.
Is their weight given to career experience instead of clinical experience, if it’s not really feasible? Or examples of people who get in? I have 60 hours from one organization. I could do that in the mornings but I moved for a new work assignment.”
When you don’t have clinical experience to prove to yourself that you like being around patients, how are you going to show medical schools that you understand what you’re getting yourself into? Especially if you’re coming from a nonclinical career. How are you going to write a cohesive personal statement?
Your personal statement talks about why you want to be a doctor and that usually involves talking about your experiences being around patients. No matter how great your grades are, it’s not going to work if you haven’t tested that out.
The checkboxes that you think you have to mark off, are mostly for you. Start to think about it in that light to confirm in your mind that this is what you want.
You have to have clinical experience if this is truly what you want. Maybe that would mean taking some time off of work or spending more time outside of the house. You could do hospice volunteering or some emergency room volunteering. Look for opportunities that can give you that flexibility. Maybe take one day off of work every couple of weeks.
If you are making this decision to change careers to go to medical school, then you have to sacrifice. That doesn’t mean you have to quit your job. That doesn’t mean you have to move out and, and go sleep on your parent’s couch or something. Rather, be sure that this is what you want, above and beyond some abstract idea that you’ve always wanted to be a physician.
“Get some consistent clinical experience, not just check off a box for the medical schools, but to get experience to prove to yourself that this is what you want.”Click To TweetApplying to medical school is much more than having good grades or being hardworking. You have to show it. Show you want to be a doctor and prove to yourself that you want to be a doctor.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
I just received my admission to XXXXX! This is unreal and almost feels like I am dreaming. I want to thank you for all of your help with my application. I cannot overstate how influential your guidance and insight have been with this result and I am eternally grateful for your support!
IM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP, IM INDEBTED TO YOU! Truly, thank you so much for all your help. Thank you doesnt do enough.
I want to take a few moments and thank you for all of your very instructive, kind and consistent feedback and support through my applications and it is your wishes, feedback, and most importantly your blessings that have landed me the acceptance!
I got into XXXXX this morning!!!! It still has not hit me that I will be a doctor now!! Thank you for all your help, your words and motivation have brought me to this point.
I wanted to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your help in providing feedback during my secondary applications. Your guidance has been instrumental in my journey.
Just wanted to share my wonderful news! I received my first medical school acceptance! Thank you for all that you do for us Application Academy!!!
I am excited to tell you that I just got my third interview invite from XXXXX today! I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know if I was good enough to get one, let alone three – by mid-September. Thank you so much for all of your help and support up to this point; I would not be in this position without it!!
I wanted to thank you for helping me prepare for my XXXXX interview. Even in a 30-minute advising session, I learned so much from you. Thank you for believing in me, and here’s to another potential success story from one of your advisees!
I just received an acceptance with XXXXX! This is so exciting and such a huge relief and so nice to have one of our top choice schools! I also received an interview with XXXXX which brings the total up to 20 interviews! Thank so much, none of this would have been possible without you!
Join our newsletter to stay up to date
* By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.
Resources
Advising Services
Podcasts & Youtube
Books
About
