Starting New Club or Volunteering Abroad?

[elsenor]

Hi everyone! I am in a dilemma that I hope you all on SDN can help me through. I would like to start a charitable club at the college next year OR join a new club that fundraiser to volunteer abroad. Please note that I am equally interested in doing both of these things. However, I only have time to do one.

If I start the charitable club I will have to put in time for "officer duties" and for fundraising. If I join the club that volunteers abroad for two weeks I will have to spend time fundraising to go on the trip. I think I will have to spend more time if I start a new club. But will it look bad to adcoms if I only go abroad with the club once? (I am a freshman right now) Or should I go abroad my sophomore and junior year summers?

I'm just confused as to what I should do! I am already in another service organization, so should I even start the new club? I mean, it would look good on my app. Or should I volunteer abroad? Please provide some input! I can only do one thing!

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[Sarah_Sonny25]

doing something to "look good for your app" is not ideal....do what you're more passionate about!

 

[Hospitalized]

Stop worrying about things like this, it's neurotic and unnecessary. Stop thinking about checking boxes and what will look best. Just do what you want to do, either one is fine. Personally, I would take the opportunity to travel. Gaining cultural experience is always fun and easy to talk about.

 

[elsenor]

I completely understand I should be doing what I enjoy. But I am passionate about both these things! However, I just want to understand what an adcom would see if I do one of the aforementioned activities.

 

[Finches]

I completely understand I should be doing what I enjoy. But I am passionate about both these things! However, I just want to understand what an adcom would see if I do one of the aforementioned activities.

There is nothing to understand about what an adcom would see, because neither of these choices will help nor hurt your chances for admission.

 

[elsenor]

Which will be more enriching from a medical perspective?

 

[Hospitalized]

Which will be more enriching from a medical perspective?

Diverse cultural experience is good. You will have patients from all walks of life at some point or another.

 

[gapyearguppy]

I personally would take any chance to travel. You can start a club when you come back?
But it seems like if you manage your time well you could do both.

 

[gyngyn]

Those two week mission trips are for you, we don't much care.

 

[elsenor]

I would most definitely love to do both next year, but I am already involved in other clubs which take up time.

 

[Sarah_Sonny25]

is the charitable club for a cause that you are passionate about--i.e. do you have ideas for what charity you would focus on? Or do you want to start any kind to impress Adcoms?

 

[caffeinemia]

What if I am passionate about self aggrandizement?

 

[Planes2Doc]

Sorry, volunteering abroad doesn't look good anymore. Not sure how much of an effect starting a "charitable club" would have unless you have a lot of people, raise lots of money, and grab some media attention or something. Plus, the latter requires something which you don't have a lot of... TIME. If you're striving for what "looks best" on your application, then you should volunteer once a week at a hospital, and focus on the highest grades and MCAT score possible. This is what will get you into medical school. If you end up destroying your stats and end up with a club that went pretty much nowhere, well then, say bye bye to medical school.

 

[elsenor]

Yes, I know what this charitable club will focus on. I don't have everything planned out, but I have most of it planned out if I were to start the club.

 

[Quinoline]

I'd recommend starting the service related club. I think it is more likely for you to have a tangible impact working in your community than in an area of the world you most likely won't understand the culture and have to skills to understand and solve the problems people face there.
Your situation may be different, but I am speaking generally.

 

[elsenor]

I am interested in working in underprivileged areas after med school. How does that affect what I should do?

 

[Planes2Doc]

I started a volunteer program and it didn't get a lot of attention at my interviews. It was really cool though and I'm very glad that I did it.

See, that's what's missing from so many pre-meds these days!!! You did something, you enjoyed it, and you're glad you did it. Somewhere along the way, the meaning of ECs has been lost for so many.

 

[habigangs]

It's only fair the M4 would need to be tuned as well then.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

Everyone wants to start a club, but then at the activities fair you realize there are already 4 with that concept...