Extracurriculars

[TigerLilies]

What were your best extracurriculars and how much did you think they helped you in the process?

Thanks.

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[smsansoucie]

What were your best extracurriculars and how much did you think they helped you in the process?

Thanks.

Thus far, my best experience by far has come from volunteering at my local hospital. Through this volunteer position, I have made contacts that have resulted in shadowing experiences. In addition, I have gained a great deal of patient contact by providing patient transport. Further, I have gained exposure to a surgical environment through my work in the OR. I cannot express enough how this overall experience has contributed to my desire to work as a physician. In think that this experience will also be helpful as I go on to write my personal statement and secondaries.

Interestingly enough, I have also found that volunteering in a veterinary clinic has also been good exposure to medical technique itself. I guess this would not be useful and may even hinder a med school app, but in the vet clinic I was able to perform many techniques that are similar to those performed by medical professionals. Examples of this might include assisting in surgical procedures (similar tools/anesthetic agents/aseptic technique), suturing, taking x-rays, giving shots, and drawing blood. Sure, these techniques were done on animals as opposed to people. However, at the core, the technique itself is very similar.

Stephanie

 

[disheveled_dave]

...Interestingly enough, I have also found that volunteering in a veterinary clinic has also been good exposure to medical technique itself. I guess this would not be useful and may even hinder a med school app, but in the vet clinic I was able to perform many techniques that are similar to those performed by medical professionals...

On the contrary, I think this would be a very strong boost for your application, and very useful to your career decisions. Adcoms probably won't think you belong in vet school over med school, they would probably look at that as a very unique influence on your reasons for becoming a doctor.

To the OP, volunteering + shadowing, etc, but 4 years in a Carribean steel drum band also help too! It has been a great balance to all the premed coursework, letting me use the other side of my brain while bashing out my frustrations. I'm actually hoping to get a rec letter from my director for my "non-science" LOR.