boost up resume

[bumblebee20]

I'm a sophomore undergrad majoring in Nutrition and minoring in biology. I feel like my resume is lacking....can you give me some tips on how I can make it more competitive?
Here is a snapshot:
Hospital Volunteering- 160 hours
Non-clinical volunteering- food bank (20hours), pet shelter (10hours) planning to volunteer more hours this summer, also what other places are qualified as non-clinical?
shadowing- have not shadowed yet but planning to this summer. How many hours would you recommend?
Study abroad- volunteering in Honduras
Organizations- AAMP, GMB, and dance team (been a member for a year)
Scholarships- from hospital, university, and a company

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[Lifeblood_20]

Research and leadership experiences?

 

[bumblebee20]

I had a volunteer position for a lab for about half a year and no I only have leadership experience from high school

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You need a lot more going on. You need to get some leadership experience. There are multiple ways to do this. You can start a volunteer org or a non-profit (former is much easier and can be done through your school) or take a leadership position in an org already running (honestly I think this is pretty bland).

As for research, it's nice to have some experience, but it's not really necessary unless you plan on applying to research powerhouses. A research for credit course will give you a nice taste, but don't go nuts looking for research unless you genuinely like it.

As for volunteering, anything where you aren't directly involved with patients can be considered non-clinical. Meals on Wheels. Habitat for Humanity. Special Olympics coaching. Stuff like that is fun and is easy to rack up hours because it is easy to set up a weekly commitment.

Get more clinical hours. You aren't limited to the hospital. Hospice is another great way to get great experience.

You need some stuff that will make you stand out. Just having the standard boxes checked is not enough.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

You need a lot more going on. You need to get some leadership experience. There are multiple ways to do this. You can start a volunteer org or a non-profit (former is much easier and can be done through your school) or take a leadership position in an org already running (honestly I think this is pretty bland).

As for research, it's nice to have some experience, but it's not really necessary unless you plan on applying to research powerhouses. A research for credit course will give you a nice taste, but don't go nuts looking for research unless you genuinely like it.

As for volunteering, anything where you aren't directly involved with patients can be considered non-clinical. Meals on Wheels. Habitat for Humanity. Special Olympics coaching. Stuff like that is fun and is easy to rack up hours because it is easy to set up a weekly commitment.

Get more clinical hours. You aren't limited to the hospital. Hospice is another great way to get great experience.

You need some stuff that will make you stand out. Just having the standard boxes checked is not enough.

You summed it up pretty well! I think that all these things don't have to be done at once; keeping the grades up is pretty important too. I think doing 3-4 ECs at a time is plenty.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You summed it up pretty well! I think that all these things don't have to be done at once; keeping the grades up is pretty important too. I think doing 3-4 ECs at a time is plenty.

Yes. Excellent point. You don't have to do everything right away or all at once, and do not sacrifice your GPA by doing too much.

 

[bumblebee20]

Thank you for your feedback!
I'm planning to start an organization... does it matter if it is not med related or helping the community?

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Yes. Excellent point. You don't have to do everything right away or all at once, and do not sacrifice your GPA by doing too much.

Yes, there's the old saying that if you try to do everything at once you get nothing done.

Thank you for your feedback!
I'm planning to start an organization... does it matter if it is not med related or helping the community?

I'm pre-med as well so my insights are obviously limited but I think that's still great if it's something you are passionate about, but it would be nice to get some med/service related leadership too.

 

[Domepiece]

Thank you for your feedback!
I'm planning to start an organization... does it matter if it is not med related or helping the community?

It can be in whatever you want. The point is to display you have the capability to be a leader. Be a trailblazer and start an underwater basket-weaving club.

Also, in regards to the research thing, taking research as a course in the sciences as an upperclassman also can give you an easy A to boost that sGPA. Two birds, one stone.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Thank you for your feedback!
I'm planning to start an organization... does it matter if it is not med related or helping the community?

Just because the group isn't focused on service doesn't mean you can't incorporate it. I am the VP of the E-5 association at my command. Our main focus is on supporting the crew, but I set up an adopt-a-route with Meals on Wheels and coordinate over 30 people in volunteering. You can always look for opportunities.

 

[bumblebee20]

okay thank you
Also I'm not sure if my hospital volunteering counts as clinical volunteering. I escort patients to their appointments, look up patients and escort their family, and converse with them. Would it still count?

 

[hubbsbubbs]

okay thank you
Also I'm not sure if my hospital volunteering counts as clinical volunteering. I escort patients to their appointments, look up patients and escort their family, and converse with them. Would it still count?

yes it counts. though I would encourage you to engage in activities that you're truly passionate about. A lot of people will recommend you do activity A or activity B to boost your application, but what really makes an application look good is passion that bleeds through your experiences and personal statement.