are my ec's good enough?

[estradiol9]

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I am currently finishing my sophomore year so I still have some time to get involved in more activities before applying.

I have:

- approx 1000 hours volunteering as an EMT on a first aid squad
- was part of an auxiliary committee at my first aid squad (helped organize fundraisers, events, etc to raise money)
- was part of a hall committee at my first aid squad (showed our hall to interested individuals, collected payments/deposits, helped clean/maintain our hall, etc)
- worked part time as an administrative assistant
- then worked part time as an EMT for a private medical transport/ambulance company
- shadowed several physicians & plan to continue shadowing
- participated in various school clubs/organizations (pre-health, biology, emergency medical services, student activities council, etc)

Currently I'm applying to become a biology tutor at my school and I am also in the process of becoming a volunteer cpr instructor for the Red Cross. (I would probably also become a cpr instructor at my first aid squad as well after finishing the classes to become an instructor and such.)

The other thing I have been thinking of doing is approaching professors at my school about getting involved with some of their research.

Do you think there is something else I should be doing? Somebody told me that I should do something non-medical. I've wanted to volunteer at a local animal shelter, but I'm not sure if I will have enough time. Also, I've created a blog/guide to donating eggs for future potential egg donors. (I had a difficult time finding first hand/testimonial advice and experience about the process so I decided to create a blog and give the information to the clinic I donated through so they can pass it on to their future donors.) I'm not sure if I would list this as on my activities though.

 

[Yaphet]

No.

 

[estradiol9]

No.

...Why?

 

[Yaphet]

It sounds like only ~95% of your life and activities are devoted to getting into medical school. You should step it up if you want any chance.

 

[ceasefire]

I would recommend diversity...as in, something not EMT/physiology related so that you'll have loads to talk about in an interview.

 

[estradiol9]

I have been contemplating doing a peace corps/community health corps/teach for america program after graduating. Hmm..

 

[RokKidA]

I think that your extra curriculars are fine if you can express to med schools that you are enjoying what you are doing and not so obsessed about "what looks good on my application". I don't see anything wrong with your list.

 

[mastermix]

Do you think there is something else I should be doing?

Xanax.

 

[ZeusonRoids]

Are my ECs good enough?

1. Did 1000 hrs of shadowing a ENT doc
2. Volunteered with homeless shelters for over 250hrs including Christmas day and Thanksgiving evening
3. Brought in (housed and fed) a family that survived the earthquake in Haiti
4. Started and was the president of a club on campus that focuses on getting students to become organ donors
5. Was in the ROTC (4 years)
6. 1st author on a research paper for molecular receptors on Klebsiella (and 2nd author on 3 other papers)
7. 30hr per week job while in school and 50hrs per week in the summer and on breaks (Supermarket checker)
8. Volunteer at the orphanage that I was adopted from in Romania
9. Tutored underprivileged high school and junior high students in math and science through a local program
10. Secretary of student body (2008)
11. Full time caretaker of my mother who had a massive stroke and has been left paralyzed on her right side (since 2009)
12. Volunteer with disabled children in our community working on teaching them how to swim
13. VP of pre-med club here on campus (2009)
14. Spent last summer in Indonesia building homes for people who are still displaced by the massive tsunami.
15. _________I have nothing else?!?! AHHHHH help

Will I have a good shot at getting in?!? I am worried because I don't have 15 ECs to discuss

 

[slatermd]

Are my ECs good enough?

1. Did 1000 hrs of shadowing a ENT doc
2. Volunteered with homeless shelters for over 250hrs including Christmas day and Thanksgiving evening
3. Brought in (housed and fed) a family that survived the earthquake in Haiti
4. Started and was the president of a club on campus that focuses on getting students to become organ donors
5. Was in the ROTC (4 years)
6. 1st author on a research paper for molecular receptors on Klebsiella (and 2nd author on 3 other papers)
7. 30hr per week job while in school and 50hrs per week in the summer and on breaks (Supermarket checker)
8. Volunteer at the orphanage that I was adopted from in Romania
9. Tutored underprivileged high school and junior high students in math and science through a local program
10. Secretary of student body (2008)
11. Full time caretaker of my mother who had a massive stroke and has been left paralyzed on her right side (since 2009)
12. Volunteer with disabled children in our community working on teaching them how to swim
13. VP of pre-med club here on campus (2009)
14. Spent last summer in Indonesia building homes for people who are still displaced by the massive tsunami.
15. _________I have nothing else?!?! AHHHHH help

Will I have a good shot at getting in?!? I am worried because I don't have 15 ECs to discuss

This is pretty funny.

 

[apumic]

Are my ECs good enough?

1. Did 1000 hrs of shadowing a ENT doc
2. Volunteered with homeless shelters for over 250hrs including Christmas day and Thanksgiving evening
3. Brought in (housed and fed) a family that survived the earthquake in Haiti
4. Started and was the president of a club on campus that focuses on getting students to become organ donors
5. Was in the ROTC (4 years)
6. 1st author on a research paper for molecular receptors on Klebsiella (and 2nd author on 3 other papers)
7. 30hr per week job while in school and 50hrs per week in the summer and on breaks (Supermarket checker)
8. Volunteer at the orphanage that I was adopted from in Romania
9. Tutored underprivileged high school and junior high students in math and science through a local program
10. Secretary of student body (2008)
11. Full time caretaker of my mother who had a massive stroke and has been left paralyzed on her right side (since 2009)
12. Volunteer with disabled children in our community working on teaching them how to swim
13. VP of pre-med club here on campus (2009)
14. Spent last summer in Indonesia building homes for people who are still displaced by the massive tsunami.
15. _________I have nothing else?!?! AHHHHH help

Will I have a good shot at getting in?!? I am worried because I don't have 15 ECs to discuss

Probably not, but since you're already in, they'll probably just kick you out whenever they realize you didn't have a legit 15th activity. It's ok, though, I heard Ross accepts transfers from US MD schools even if you were let go for administrative reasons. I'd recommend them. I even heard they have like a 95% acceptance rate to US residency programs.

 

[estradiol9]

Are my ECs good enough?

1. Did 1000 hrs of shadowing a ENT doc
2. Volunteered with homeless shelters for over 250hrs including Christmas day and Thanksgiving evening
3. Brought in (housed and fed) a family that survived the earthquake in Haiti
4. Started and was the president of a club on campus that focuses on getting students to become organ donors
5. Was in the ROTC (4 years)
6. 1st author on a research paper for molecular receptors on Klebsiella (and 2nd author on 3 other papers)
7. 30hr per week job while in school and 50hrs per week in the summer and on breaks (Supermarket checker)
8. Volunteer at the orphanage that I was adopted from in Romania
9. Tutored underprivileged high school and junior high students in math and science through a local program
10. Secretary of student body (2008)
11. Full time caretaker of my mother who had a massive stroke and has been left paralyzed on her right side (since 2009)
12. Volunteer with disabled children in our community working on teaching them how to swim
13. VP of pre-med club here on campus (2009)
14. Spent last summer in Indonesia building homes for people who are still displaced by the massive tsunami.
15. _________I have nothing else?!?! AHHHHH help

Will I have a good shot at getting in?!? I am worried because I don't have 15 ECs to discuss

If you actually did those things then total props to you. I'm not trying to get 15 ECs though. I am just trying to cover general recommendations such as volunteering, clinical experience, research, and leadership.

 

[Cypher321]

If you actually did those things then total props to you. I'm not trying to get 15 ECs though. I am just trying to cover general recommendations such as volunteering, clinical experience, research, and leadership.

And it's up and over.

 

[estradiol9]

And it's up and over.

I only read the last few of the list. 😕

 

[ovenmitts]

If you actually did those things then total props to you. I'm not trying to get 15 ECs though. I am just trying to cover general recommendations such as volunteering, clinical experience, research, and leadership.

whoosh!

 

[Cypher321]

I only read the last few of the list. 😕

Nothing. Just keep doing your thing.

Also try to expand into non-medical EC's so 1) you look like a well rounded person and 2) you don't miss out on life

 

[estradiol9]

Nothing. Just keep doing your thing.

Also try to expand into non-medical EC's so 1) you look like a well rounded person and 2) you don't miss out on life

Life? What's that?

 

[Cypher321]

Life? What's that?

You'll understand when you're older.

Yea I went there.

 

[Yaphet]

Life? What's that?

You're joking but the impression I got from your list was that you don't have a life and are obsessed with activities that look good on an application. 😴

 

[estradiol9]

You're joking but the impression I got from your list was that you don't have a life and are obsessed with activities that look good on an application. 😴

I take offense that you think I'm just obsessed with activities to make my application look good. Why would I waste time taking an EMT class just to make my application look good? For God's sake, I have approx. 1000 hours of volunteer EMT hours. Who donates that much of their time doing something just to make an application look good? And two of the other activities I listed were paid jobs. I didn't work "to make my application look good". I worked because I needed to support myself.

 

[StudyShy]

I think that you are doing a wonderful job! 🙂

Add a non-medical volunteer activity if you can even if it is something small and you'll be golden! Good luck.

 

[apumic]

I take offense that you think I'm just obsessed with activities to make my application look good. Why would I waste time taking an EMT class just to make my application look good? For God's sake, I have approx. 1000 hours of volunteer EMT hours. Who donates that much of their time doing something just to make an application look good? And two of the other activities I listed were paid jobs. I didn't work "to make my application look good". I worked because I needed to support myself.

I think you might be surprised. I'd estimate a good 20-50% of SDN pre-meds have done things similar to this "just for their app." Just look around and you'll see threads daily from people asking for ways to cheat the system.