Anonymous asked 3 years ago
I just recently saw that the average med school applicant has ~1300 hours when applying. I only have ~500 and am wondering how big of a disadvantage I am out when applying in May. Also in terms of service and volunteering I have around half of AAMC reports. The rest of my stats are fairly average with what the AAMC reports. Should I be worried and delay to the next cycle?
Judy answered 3 years ago
Hi!
Thank you for your question. I believe the 1300 hour is the average for matriculates, not applicants. The average is skewed due to people who have 10,000+ hours so I would not stress too much about it. There are people out there who do not have any research hours and that is okay. At the end of the day, you should be doing the activities that you are passionate about and aligns with the schools you want to go to. It is important to look at the mission statements of the schools you want to apply to and see if they are more of a research/innovation school or patient care/public health school. Depending on what the school emphasizes could help you figure out what you want to spend more time getting hours. I hope this helps! Feel free to ask us more questions in our chatbox during advising hours.
Good Luck!
-Judy (PMH advisor)