Are extracurriculars really that important?

[JeffB82]

Hey folks, I was just wondering how important extracurricular activities are in order to get a good residency? I mean, will it affect me because I am not the President of SOMA, Sports Med, or the Golf CLub? Or because I don't volunteer at every clinic for the homeless?
I know many of my classmates and I are married and have children and would prefer to spend the time with our families.
I hope residency coordinators don't misconstrue this as being undevoted to my profession.
Any comments would be nice.

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[VentdependenT]

those things just show you have a personality and aren't just a book humper

 

[Kalel]

It depends on what specialty you are talking about and what your extracurricular you are doing. Leadership activities, such as being class president, and research of course is very useful for most specialties. The only specialty that I have encountered where a PD said that they like to see community service is FP, which isn't a competetive specialty anyways. For most other specialties, it's all about your clinical grades, board scores, and LOR's. Don't expect your extracurriculars to compensate for any deficiency you may have on your app too, because it won't. It's nice to have something written in your extracurricular section on ERAS so that you don't have any blank spots, but I wouldn't put too much time into doing anything that you weren't really interested in doing.

 

[dobonedoc]

Don't care how many "Clubs" you join,

Nothing can make up for so-so grades and blah board scores if you want something competitive.

Add something that makes you more than a book-nerd and you will have a strong application. Instead of joining a golf club, learn to play golf well. Then, when the opportunity to go golfing with residents, attendings, or the PD presents itself, you will have something to offer.

 

[texdrake]

When I interview they can be. Being an officer in a small club really doesn't impress me. In a large club, yes. But really I want to see that you are active, you have social involvement and medical experience other than as a transporter.

Medical experience and desire are more important to me than a ton of clubs. Also, if you worked a lot in college I won't care much about your extracurricular involvement.

However, if you didn't work and you weren't involved in anything....well then I would care about that.....