Applying to EM in the future - best way to spend my summer?

[millepora]

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I am first year medical student, looking to plan my upcoming summer. It is unclear to me what an EM director would like to see on my application, in regards to summer extracurriculars. With surgery it is pretty straightforward...research. With medicine though, I am not so sure. I would prefer to get involved in an opportunity that would be a great application builder. Ideas?

Btw, I don't wan't to do any mission trips that take me out of the country.

 

[in1Q84]

Hey, there. I did not do anything after M1 year. It is probably your last really free summer, so just ENJOY it. Do whatever you want to do get you charged up for M2 year.

Doing research or volunteering etc... would definitely help your CV no matter what you are going into. So, it's hard to go wrong there. More unconventional things that might help your application for EM:
- learn a new language (Spanish if you don't know it already) at the local community college
- anything dangerous and cool-sounding (rock-climbing, back-packing through Yosemites, budge-jumping)
- work as counselor at camp for kids with medical conditions/special needs (e.g. diabetes camp)

 

[pseudoknot]

Don't worry about it. The big things for your app will be your Step 1 score and third year grades. Nothing else matters that much and certainly not what you do with your last summer off.

 

[Birdstrike]

Enjoy your summer. Being a normal well rounded person who enjoys life will help your application more than you think.

 

[bongobingo]

Is ER the only specialty where it will not hurt your application to do nothing all summer? I know there are programs such as this one: http://www.yorkhospital.edu/default.aspx?program=2&type=text&content=109 I suspect there are several programs of this kind and they are all competitive to get? Doesn't it at least show your commitment to ER if you do something like this as opposed to just chilling all summer? I know that there are similar programs for other specialties such as Anesthesiology and PM&R also. I don't know if I would be able to get into that program. But I don't like to do anything unless I have to. I am a lazy person but sometimes I make things more difficult for myself by being lazy!

 

[bongobingo]

Enjoy your summer. Being a normal well rounded person who enjoys life will help your application more than you think.

So if you are a normal person to begin with, how will 1 summer change this? And if you are abnormal how will 1 summer change this?

 

[Birdstrike]

So if you are a normal person to begin with, how will 1 summer change this? And if you are abnormal how will 1 summer change this?

"Normal person" may have been a poor choice of words. Let me explain. After my first year of med school, I needed the break. Don't beat yourself up if you just need the break. It's a marathon. Also, doing something non-medical that's interesting and fun, sometimes plays better in interviews, anyway, ie rock climbing trip, Europe trip, learned guitar, whatever.

 

[deleted109597]

My suggestion to you is to start drinking...heavily.

 

[supa76]

travel. anything else would be boring and useless.