What are good ECs?

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1d1real

1d1real

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I'm planning to volunteer at a hospital and homeless shelter. Also I'm a CNA right now. What other ECs would be good to have for a application for DO school? I already know the requirements for MCAT and GPA. Thank you!
 
Those are good. Join a club or organization at school and try to become an officer.
 
You're headed in the right direction.

Do extracurriculars that interest you. Do not do extracurriculars that you think would impress adcoms. They see enough zombie pre-meds already. Individuality is highly favored, and this is great for us because we get to do what we want, rather than have someone else pick what we have to do.

Good luck.
 
Basic requirements:
1 year clinical hours : 100-150 hours total
10-25 hours of shadowing 1+ doctor ( And getting a LOR)
1 year non clinical hours: 100hours+
1 semester of research+
Leadership: being an office of a club, managing a team, etc.
 
Last edited:
serenade said:
Basic requirements:
1 year clinical volunteering : 100-150 hours total
10-25 hours of shadowing 1+ doctor ( And getting a LOR)
1 year non clinical volunteering: 100hours+
1 semester of research+
Leadership: being an office of a club, managing a team, etc.
Click to expand...

Source, or is this your opinion?
 
serenade said:
Basic requirements:
1 year clinical volunteering : 100-150 hours total
10-25 hours of shadowing 1+ doctor ( And getting a LOR)
1 year non clinical volunteering: 100hours+
1 semester of research+
Leadership: being an office of a club, managing a team, etc.
Click to expand...

I didn't follow this but will agree with it. This shows that you are well-rounded. I personally found something I loved doing and stuck with it as long as I could. It made it easier because I truly loved it vs. just doing it to get into medical school. I feel like I do so many things to "just get in" and I tried to do ECs that truly interested me.
Good luck to you.
 
psychgirrrl said:
I didn't follow this but will agree with it. This shows that you are well-rounded. I personally found something I loved doing and stuck with it as long as I could. It made it easier because I truly loved it vs. just doing it to get into medical school. I feel like I do so many things to "just get in" and I tried to do ECs that truly interested me.
Good luck to you.
Click to expand...

I've been wondering about this. I'm currently not in any health/medicine related clubs at my university, but I'm planning on joining one this fall. I was just wondering if that would set me back at all? I have plenty of other ECs that are things I'm passionate about:
rock climbing clubs, student veteran assistance related clubs, being a note taker for the disabled student center on campus, and other random and general volunteering that isn't directly related to medicine.
 
serenade said:
Basic requirements:
1 year clinical volunteering : 100-150 hours total
10-25 hours of shadowing 1+ doctor ( And getting a LOR)
1 year non clinical volunteering: 100hours+
1 semester of research+
Leadership: being an office of a club, managing a team, etc.
Click to expand...

+1. Covers all the bases.
 
docfelt said:
you're headed in the right direction.

Do extracurriculars that interest you. Do not do extracurriculars that you think would impress adcoms. They see enough zombie pre-meds already. Individuality is highly favored, and this is great for us because we get to do what we want, rather than have someone else pick what we have to do.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

+1000
 
CurlsandPearls said:
I've been wondering about this. I'm currently not in any health/medicine related clubs at my university, but I'm planning on joining one this fall. I was just wondering if that would set me back at all? I have plenty of other ECs that are things I'm passionate about:
rock climbing clubs, student veteran assistance related clubs, being a note taker for the disabled student center on campus, and other random and general volunteering that isn't directly related to medicine.
Click to expand...

It's not really necessary, not being part of a health club is completely fine. However you want to make sure you've volunteered in a clinical setting for at least 100 hours over the course of a year, this is really the only thing that is in any shape or form required for getting into medical schools in terms of ECs.
 
Do they still expect you to volunteer in a clinical setting even if you have experience working in a hospital like the OP and myself?
I haven't volunteered in a hospital but I did do a year with the Red Cross on their first aid service team. If I also have to volunteer in a hospital, I need to get moving on it...

Sent from my LG-E739 using SDN Mobile
 
surgeryDO said:
Do they still expect you to volunteer in a clinical setting even if you have experience working in a hospital like the OP and myself?
I haven't volunteered in a hospital but I did do a year with the Red Cross on their first aid service team. If I also have to volunteer in a hospital, I need to get moving on it...

Sent from my LG-E739 using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

Would like to know this too. I Have no clinical Volunteering but have thousands of clinical work experience hours....
 
It should probably be changed from volunteer hours to patient contact hours. The whole reason for volunteering in a clinical/hospital setting is to see patients and interact with them (if you can.) For you guys who have work experience in a clinical setting, volunteer in non-clinical ways like working at a food clinic for the homeless, etc.
 
CurlsandPearls said:
I've been wondering about this. I'm currently not in any health/medicine related clubs at my university, but I'm planning on joining one this fall. I was just wondering if that would set me back at all? I have plenty of other ECs that are things I'm passionate about:
rock climbing clubs, student veteran assistance related clubs, being a note taker for the disabled student center on campus, and other random and general volunteering that isn't directly related to medicine.
Click to expand...

I personally never joined a health club, I felt my time was better spent tutoring and shadowing docs. It depends, you don't HAVE to do anything and you already have hours in a hospital which is awesome. I would recommend shadowing for sure, it is very informative plus it shows commitment to the profession.
 
serenade said:
Basic requirements:
1 year clinical volunteering : 100-150 hours total
10-25 hours of shadowing 1+ doctor ( And getting a LOR)
1 year non clinical volunteering: 100hours+
1 semester of research+
Leadership: being an office of a club, managing a team, etc.
Click to expand...

Does this include scientific research, or only clinical research?
 
2ndthoughts said:
Does this include scientific research, or only clinical research?
Click to expand...

Any research really, hell go with an art professor and examine things to come up with ideas of the systematic changes in artistic movements or etc., that's also research.
 
serenade said:
It's not really necessary, not being part of a health club is completely fine. However you want to make sure you've volunteered in a clinical setting for at least 100 hours over the course of a year, this is really the only thing that is in any shape or form required for getting into medical schools in terms of ECs.
Click to expand...

Do you really think it matters that is over the course of a full year? I applied June 5th with about 75 hours since the end of March. I've received two interviews so far out of the 3 schools I completed secondaries for. Granted I have still been volunteering and now have about 180 hours. But this is pretty much over a 5 month period.
 
i seem to remember someone saying they want specific types of ECs, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they are:
Patient Contact
Leadership
Research
Teaching
Volunteering
Teamwork?
 
Icy Snow said:
Do you really think it matters that is over the course of a full year? I applied June 5th with about 75 hours since the end of March. I've received two interviews so far out of the 3 schools I completed secondaries for. Granted I have still been volunteering and now have about 180 hours. But this is pretty much over a 5 month period.
Click to expand...

It's better I suppose if it isn't hastened, but rather extended over a course of time. But obviously 5 months with 100 hours isn't bad either. Just not ideal.
 
serenade said:
It's better I suppose if it isn't hastened, but rather extended over a course of time. But obviously 5 months with 100 hours isn't bad either. Just not ideal.
Click to expand...

I was just wondering because I always see on SDN that they say the average is ~150 hours over a year stretch. I volunteer 8 hours a week and would easily surpass 150 in the course of one year. But who knows, maybe I got both my interviews on pure stats alone.
 
Icy Snow said:
I was just wondering because I always see on SDN that they say the average is ~150 hours over a year stretch. I volunteer 8 hours a week and would easily surpass 150 in the course of one year. But who knows, maybe I got both my interviews on pure stats alone.
Click to expand...

Mcat and gpa are, by far, more important selection factors than ECs. Athletics, military, research, employment, and direct patient contact ECs, like being an EMT, are noteworthy. Most other ECs, like being the president of some club, are fluff and everyone knows it. I would not worry about having 50hrs vs 100hrs vs 150hrs of volunteering.
 
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