Session 19 Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan and Rich again dive into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. This is a common question for non traditional students who have to juggle time taking care of family, test prep, classes, and so many other things that some of them might even get left out. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Finished undergrad with a double major in English Literature and Spanish Language; decent GPA; struggled in the Science prerequisites; not getting a lot of volunteering and shadowing done. Should you apply with such little experience? Or should you take some time and get the experience you need under your belt before applying? Here are the insights from Ryan & Rich: A common assumption that the more you do as an undergrad in terms of academia, the better candidate you are - that's not always the case. All your grades for allopathic medical schools will count whether you retake them or not. Medical school want to see: Motivation Commitment Achievement Commitment must be shown through extracurriculars that you've committed to for some time You want to be the strongest applicant on your first application you can be. Not having sufficient volunteering, shadowing, extracurriculars will make you a weaker candidate. Consider taking time until you have those experiences under the belt to become a stronger, more competitive candidate. Shadowing vs. volunteering: Volunteering is when you're doing something for others (clinic, nursing home, geriatric care, etc.) Shadowing is something you do for yourself (following a doctor around) Links and Other Resources: The Premed Years podcast session 171 - Reapplying to Med School - What You Need to Know to Improve The Premed Years podcast session 75 - What Are My Chances of Getting into Med School? If you have questions you want answered here on the OldPremeds Podcast, go to oldpremeds.org and register for an account. Go into the forums and ask a question. Listen to our first episode at OPMPodcast.com/1 to find out more about who we are. Also check out the Premed Years Podcast at www.medicalschoolhq.net. Find us on iTunes and go to opmpodcast.com/itunes and leave us a rating and review. Check out MedEdMedia.com for all the shows that we produce including The Premed Years and the OldPreMeds Podcast. We will soon be launching a medical school podcast as well so stay tuned! Email Dr. Ryan Gray at ryan@medicalschoolhq.net or connect with him on Twitter @medicalschoolhq.