AED or AMSA pre-health chapter?

[Medigal]

I am an incoming freshman at Arizona State University and want to join a premed club but am confused between the two. Which one of the two is more active and valuable, particularly at ASU?

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[gyngyn]

What is AED?
There is nothing about joining alone that will help. If they provide avenues for shadowing or clinical experience it could be useful.

 

[Medigal]

What is AED?
There is nothing about joining alone that will help. If they provide avenues for shadowing or clinical experience it could be useful.

AED is an acronym for Alpha Epsilon Delta, it's a premed honor society. Most of the time, they do volunteer work and provide information about local clinical experience opportunities. I will know more about it once I actually start going to ASU this fall.

 

[Medigal]

Neither are that valuable and won't help your competitiveness

So I shouldn't join any premed club?

 

[ciestar]

What is AED?
There is nothing about joining alone that will help. If they provide avenues for shadowing or clinical experience it could be useful.

AED is an acronym for Alpha Epsilon Delta, it's a premed honor society. Most of the time, they do volunteer work and provide information about local clinical experience opportunities. I will know more about it once I actually start going to ASU this fall.

I joined AED late in my college career but the chapter at my school did do this. Numerous volunteering opportunities organized from within as well.

The club advisor also wrote my committee letter.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I am an incoming freshman at Arizona State University and want to join a premed club but am confused between the two. Which one of the two is more active and valuable, particularly at ASU?

Pre-health clubs are overrated. And frankly, the advice you recieve there will likely be **** advice. It’s better to join AED and get meaningful continuous volunteering experiences, than to join a highly misinformed group of neurotic individuals. If your school has a Newman Catholic Center, I would honestly pick that over AED (provided that you don’t mind the praying and stuff). Their homeless ministry is absolutely amazing <3

 

[Medigal]

I joined AED late in my college career but the chapter at my school did do this. Numerous volunteering opportunities organized from within as well.

The club advisor also wrote my committee letter.

That's nice! Well, I am having a hard time finding volunteer opportunities as I lived in a different country till high school, and just moved back in the US recently. So, I think joining AED or AMSA will help me find those opportunities.

 

[Jasmine2022]

I personally enjoyed my time in AED. My undergrad chapter would bring in physicians to discuss their specialties and answer questions about going into medicine. I got the opportunity to shadow a neurosurgeon and EM doc through this experience, as well as multiple volunteer activities. The faculty sponsor was also the head of the pre-health committee and writes all of the committee letters. I got to know other pre-med students and both receive and provide student mentorship. There are also opportunities for leadership by becoming an officer.

I'd say check it out. If you like the activities hosted by the chapter, you have nothing to lose by joining. If you already have shadowing/volunteer/networking/leadership activities set up, your time may better well be spent focusing on what you already have going. By itself, joining will not make you overly competitive, but it may lead you to specific activities which can enhance your application.

 

[Medigal]

Pre-health clubs are overrated. And frankly, the advice you recieve there will likely be **** advice. It’s better to join AED and get meaningful continuous volunteering experiences, than to join a highly misinformed group of neurotic individuals. If your school has a Newman Catholic Center, I would honestly pick that over AED (provided that you don’t mind the praying and stuff). Their homeless ministry is absolutely amazing <3

I agree! Just joining an organization won't help; I need to be an active member and contribute in order to succeed. I don't know if there's a Catholic Center at my school but I found a free clinic in my state called "Mission of Mercy", I went there and just loved what they were doing. I will volunteer there soon.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I agree! Just joining an organization won't help; I need to be an active member and contribute in order to succeed. I don't know if there's a Catholic Center at my school but I found a free clinic in my state called "Mission of Mercy", I went there and just loved what they were doing. I will volunteer there soon.

Love this!!! Rooting heavy for you Medigal

 

[Medigal]

I personally enjoyed my time in AED. My undergrad chapter would bring in physicians to discuss their specialties and answer questions about going into medicine. I got the opportunity to shadow a neurosurgeon and EM doc through this experience, as well as multiple volunteer activities. The faculty sponsor was also the head of the pre-health committee and writes all of the committee letters. I got to know other pre-med students and both receive and provide student mentorship. There are also opportunities for leadership by becoming an officer.

I'd say check it out. If you like the activities hosted by the chapter, you have nothing to lose by joining. If you already have shadowing/volunteer/networking/leadership activities set up, your time may better well be spent focusing on what you already have going. By itself, joining will not make you overly competitive, but it may lead you to specific activities which can enhance your application.

It's great that AED helped you and congratulations on your acceptance to med school! For now, I don't have any activities set up but am planning on volunteering at a free clinic. I will definitely think about joining AED.

 

[Medigal]

Love this!!! Rooting heavy for you Medigal

Thank you for the kind words MedicineN'Jazz! Good luck!

 

[trobinsonmd]

Does not matter what you join... it matters what you do as a member. Simply putting AMSA or AED member on your AMCAS will not do anything for you. You will need to be active in these orgs to get some sort of credit... I would say go to both of their meetings and see which has more volunteer and networking opportunities. AMSA may be better since its pre-med only

 

[Medigal]

You definitely don't need to. Being in a club won't do much to help you by itself. If you can become a leader or if the club provides you with easy opportunities to volunteer and shadow then it can be helpful.

Being in a club would help me find the volunteer and shadowing opportunities that are otherwise difficult to get.

 

[Medigal]

Does not matter what you join... it matters what you do as a member. Simply putting AMSA or AED member on your AMCAS will not do anything for you. You will need to be active in these orgs to get some sort of credit... I would say go to both of their meetings and see which has more volunteer and networking opportunities. AMSA may be better since its pre-med only

Yes, I understand that simply joining a club won't help and that's why I'm looking for one that will actually put my time to a good use. I will go to both of their meetings and see which one is more helpful. Thanks trobinsonmd!