<p>I am a full time student in my sophomore year of college. I guess I would consider myself nontraditional because I took a break between high school and college. I am 23. I have worked as a Behavioral Health Technician for over two years now, and I work directly with therapists and a psychiatrist as a part of my job. I work directly with mental health patients. Do you think that this gives me an advantage when applying to med schools? I know that GPA, MCAT scores, volunteering, research experience, etc. are most important, but I am just curious whether or not working in the behavioral health field will give me much of an advantage. Thanks for your help, guys!</p>
<p>Why are you looking for some advantages? Just get GPA=3.6+, decent MCAT, ECs and apply.<br>
Most students work and do all other things in college. I do not know about specifics of what Med. School adcom might think about your experiences. I know that it is better not to be counting on any “specail” treatments. There are applicants with advanced degrees (including PhD, MS, lawyers), there are people from military,…etc. </p>
<p>I think your job might enable you to speak more persuasively about why you want to go into medicine, but I don’t think your job will give an advantage any more than all those applicants who work as CNAs, EMTs, hospital scribes or clinical research assistants before applying.</p>
<p>In regard to the question “why”, D. never mentioned that it came up during interviews. Most common topic was her Music Minor, then her unususal for a pre-med volunteering, not much of other things. She mentioned that during “group” interview, person from CA was asked how she will manage to drive in snow without much experience. It looks like interviewers were looking for some out of box, disconnected from medicine topic to discuss. I believe that they are mostly interested in personality, they know other facts from the application, they want to hear something else…and they are also human being who get bored listenning to the samo, samo. Music was discussed widely, from pop bands to classical and D. fully enjoyed these discussions and had ton of background as the one who palyed classical music since she was 6 (and a Music minor at college) and the one who is very interested in contemporary pop bands.<br>
She was dissapointed that all her preparations for discussing of her 3 years of Research experience and poster presentation and getting grants for it based on her own proposals, all was practically wasted as she was alsmost never asked about it. </p>
<p>Thanks guys. The main reason I’m asking is because I have an opportunity to gain employment in a field where I would not have direct interaction with patients like I do now. Based on your feedback, I’m not going to worry too much about it.</p>
<p>@MiamiDap that is so interesting about your D’s interview topics. My S did get asked why med but after that it was about his languages and his music because he too has been playing since a very young age. Nothing about his research either. Very interesting.</p>
<p>Research is only interesting to someone who has experience/knowledge in that area. You can’t count on a random interviewer being knowledgeable about your specialty field so you really shouldn’t expect to have a research discussion form a large portion of the interview. (Of course, if you can’t talk intelligently and enthusiastically about your research, then that’s a red flag.)</p>
<p>Part of the interview process is the “lunch conversation test”. This means the interviewer is assessing whether she’d be happy to eat lunch with applicant for everyday a week when the student is working on the interviewer’s service [clinical rotation]. </p>
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As I’ve said in another thread (and as wow mom says here) just because it wasn’t talked about doesn’t mean it was a waste. In depth discussion of scientific research in which you have no interest is really, really boring unless the person is an absolutely phenomenal speaker. I’ve done interviews for my MD/PhD program, and it’s really not fun to talk about research I’m not interested in - and I’m interested in research. Many clinicians are not. AMCAS requires you write a bit about your activities - that will be enough unless the person has personal interest in the topic.</p>
<p>I meant that D’s preparation was wasted, I did not mean that research time was wasted, not at all. She got tons of experience, great connections and nomination to Phi Beta Kappa all thru her long term research. Well, as I have mentioned, she had more fun discussing music, whole range from classical to pop bands (she is up to a very obscure ones). One thing I was a bit dissapointed about that she has never mentioned her 3 foreign languages. I bet they would also discuss them if she put them in application somewhere. And guess what, one of them she has been using a lot, received great comments as one of the docs (who actually teaching Medical Spanish) asked her if she had a Spanish background. D. was surprized as she is much further from Spanish background than most others, which brought up discussion about her other foreign language…but all of that was during her rotation and not during interviews.<br>
I would say that if one is fluent or close to be in foreign language, please, mention it and especially Spanish.</p>
<p>I agree about the languages - my S did put it on his applications and during his med interview he was asked about them.
(Hmmmm I wonder how much music and languages influence med applications.)</p>
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Fair point. Of course though it would have been bad if someone did happen to ask about the research and she wasn’t prepared to talk about it.</p>
<p>^No worries about not able to talk, not at all, she CAN talk in any capapacity, in any situation, in front of anybody in any numbers. That is one of her personal advantages, the skill that she crafted ever so carefully, taking all chances for sharpannnig it. This and the wiriting skills have served her very well so far…but. yes, she (girls in general, comparing S. to D. and grandS to grandD) ikes to prepare for everything.
“I wonder how much music and languages influence med applications” - Looks like a lot with the positive results!! Also, keep in mind that with the disproportionate ORM (mostly Chinese) in Med. Schools, most are palying at least one musical instrument and/or dancing and definitely having at least one more language…but maybe not Spanish. At least, that is how D’s class look. Her Chinese friends gave her 'honorary Chinese" title because she is “good academically and because she is playing an instrument”, something to smile about…Anyway, Spanish has been great, bigger advantage than we thought before, might be more important class than some science classes in UG. </p>