Dal07 Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Hey, I just received my rejection letter from Dal 2 days ago It was my first time applying and I'm very young so I'm starting to feel ok about it, but I was surprised that I didn't score higher on the "supplemental form" section (volunteering, medically related experiences, ec's, essay) because I volunteer ~10 hrs/wk with two not for profit health related organizations. I've also had the opportunity to shadow 3 physicians (general surgeon, neurologist and cardiovascular surgeon) and I've served on my departments student gov. for the past 2 years, so I'm at a loss as to where I went wrong. Here's my question to those who are currently in Dal Med or just got accepted: What kinds of volunteering/medically related experiences did you use in your application? I'm going to take this year to improve on those things for when I re-apply next year, so I would appreciate any advice you have to offer! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewelLeigh Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Dal07 - I'm sorry to hear about your rejection Keep your chin up though...reapplicants to Dal have a high success rate (or so I've heard). I volunteer ~10 hrs/wk with two not for profit health related organizations. I've also had the opportunity to shadow 3 physicians (general surgeon, neurologist and cardiovascular surgeon) and I've served on my departments student gov. for the past 2 years, so I'm at a loss as to where I went wrong. The length of time that you have been doing these volunteer activities makes a big difference. If you have only been working/volunteering with an organization for a few months, it stands out like a sore thumb (i.e. I spent all my time trying to get good grades +/- partying until a couple of months before application time when I realized I had better hurry up and get some volunteer work to add to application). Personally, I think the committee is more likely to reward people with longer-term commitments. The same goes with the physician/surgeon shadowing...if you shadowed them a couple of times only, it's more a benefit to you personally, than to your application (i.e. it helps you to decide whether medicine is for you, but chances are it won't make you that much better of an applicant.) So....those are a couple of things to consider with respect to your activities. When it comes to your essays, I think a lot of applicants focus on themselves...why medicine would be good for them. It's surprising how many people forget that they don't need to sell medicine to themselves anymore, they need to sell themselves to the committee! Discussing how you will contribute to the field of medicine, why you will be a fantastic medical student and physician and finally, that you have a commitment to serve other people, are all better topics than "medicine is a great fit for me because..." Anyway - that's my two cents on some areas that I would guess people often fall short for the supplemental section of the application. Much luck on future applications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal07 Posted March 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thanks for your advice! I should have mentioned that I have been with the 2 volunteer orgs for 3 years ... I noticed on the Dal site that they prefer "personal care work", basically one-on-one with "sick people" ... I steered away from volunteering in a hospital because I had heard that the Ad Com didn't want this, but maybe I was wrong. Did most of you volunteer in a hospital? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewelLeigh Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thanks for your advice! I should have mentioned that I have been with the 2 volunteer orgs for 3 years ... I noticed on the Dal site that they prefer "personal care work", basically one-on-one with "sick people" ... I steered away from volunteering in a hospital because I had heard that the Ad Com didn't want this, but maybe I was wrong. Did most of you volunteer in a hospital? Why would the AdCom not want hospital volunteering? The majority of medical training takes place in a hospital, so having applicants show an interest and comfort level in that environment could only be a plus in my opinion. Don't blindly listen to rumours regarding the admissions process...do what feels right for you! Dal considers every application individually and considers each person's individual interests and motivations! If you are interested in helping others in a medical sense, do activities that will allow you to do so in a way that suits your personality and experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madz25 Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thanks for your advice! I should have mentioned that I have been with the 2 volunteer orgs for 3 years ... I noticed on the Dal site that they prefer "personal care work", basically one-on-one with "sick people" ... I steered away from volunteering in a hospital because I had heard that the Ad Com didn't want this, but maybe I was wrong. Did most of you volunteer in a hospital? I applied as a 3rd year and didn't get in and I asked what I could improve on my application. One thing they told me was more health care related experience (ie patient contact). I started volunteering in a nursing home. I did one-on-one visits, helped them write letters or make phone calls to pharmacies and also ran weekly events (bingo games etc.). I would run into doctors occasionally as many came for regular visits to check on the patients. I wasn't volunteering in a hospital but I still got the chance to be involved in patient care. I don't know if this is something you'd be interested in but it's different that hospital volunteering. I also agree with what Jewelleigh said about the essay. You should SHOW (not just tell) that you have the qualities for being a physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooter Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 Hey, Sorry to here, but A LOT of us don't get in the first time a round, i think reapplying shows committment to the adcom. After not being accepted first year i talked to MUN about why and they said that they would like to see more hospital specific and what not... which i found strange since i had a fair amount. But then rereading my essay i realized that I didn't really focus on it. So when I rewrote my essay (which i think is A HUGE deal) then i really highlighted the experience that i had. Another thing... i can gaurantee that a lot of the letters start to sound very similar.... I've really wanted to be a physcian... through my volunteering with X... i have great leadership and communication skills.... ect Make your letter stand out and show your personality as well... but i've never been on an adcom committee but i'm thinking that it couldn't help to distinguish yourself. Cheers, Scooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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