Can you ever seem too interested in a single topic or cause?

[Psyched*Out]

I ask this because I plan to continue with some long term activities I've been doing since HS and getting approval to start an organization at my university, but I'm realizing that basically every activity of mine relates to either my religion, or my interest in neuroscience.

For instance, I started an advocacy club for dementia patients at my uni, am doing research with a PI that is on treatment for movement disorders, and plan to begin a job where I help with rehab for patients with neurologic disoders. As if that weren't enough, through a link I found in one of the threads here, I'm applying to be an ambassador for health equity at the Vestibular Disorders Association.

Similar story with my religious affiliation. I have a leadership role with my MSA chapter and long story short do activities through the organization which are more focused on the DEI of Muslims in my area.

My concern is, every single one of those activities is related to the same thing/s and I'm not sure if I should go out there and diversify my experiences or continue with the things I enjoy doing even if it is just two "topics". I have another interest that focuses more on mental health in my religious community, but again, that is just the same thing as the aforementioned interests.

I can feel the neuroticism oozing through this post, but I'd rather know sooner rather than later if I need to refocus.

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[Psyched*Out]

I just realized I accidentally posted this in WAMC instead of the general pre med forum, is there a way it can be moved, or can I delete and repost it?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, but you gotta be you.

 

[Psyched*Out]

Yes, but you gotta be you.

Erm. I guess that is true. It just nudges me the wrong way that I could be perceived in a bad light for doing what I enjoy and sticking to that.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Erm. I guess that is true. It just nudges me the wrong way that I could be perceived in a bad light for doing what I enjoy and sticking to that.

You have to navigate this yourself, but I am not someone who thinks that suppressing your passions just to conform with others' expectations is necessarily a good thing to do without some context. If you aren't flexible to carry yourself when the conversation shifts to something out of your comfort zone... well, you'll learn.

 

[Psyched*Out]

You have to navigate this yourself, but I am not someone who thinks that suppressing your passions just to conform with others' expectations is necessarily a good thing to do without some context. If you aren't flexible to carry yourself when the conversation shifts to something out of your comfort zone... well, you'll learn.

I get what you're saying in regards to the last point and I'm comfortable talking about other topics whether in medicine or not, though there is always room for improvement. What I don't understand however, is how applicants are expected to have a cohesive application where each activity leads into the next/paints a greater picture about your vision as a physician, when you'd also be looked down at for doing the things that pertain to that 'vision'? If you then decide to diversify, I feel like that makes your application more random because there's just a lot of different activities with no common theme thus looking like you're just checking boxes.

 

[LunaOri]

I would like to see some non-clinical volunteering outside your own religious community. Do you do anything to help others who are unlike yourself?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I get what you're saying in regards to the last point and I'm comfortable talking about other topics whether in medicine or not, though there is always room for improvement. What I don't understand however, is how applicants are expected to have a cohesive application where each activity leads into the next/paints a greater picture about your vision as a physician, when you'd also be looked down at for doing the things that pertain to that 'vision'? If you then decide to diversify, I feel like that makes your application more random because there's just a lot of different activities with no common theme thus looking like you're just checking boxes.

This is where "Tell Me About Yourself" practice is important. And the story of the elephant and the blind sages.

In a world where you have many more applications than seats, expectations can be set as reasonable or unreasonable. But I and all other admissions folks will tell you, just be yourself. You can't worry yourself sick trying to meet our expectations or vision, but you must make your vision clear. If you don't know your own theme, you can't expect the rest of us to try to thread the needle for you (though some of us can try here ).

At some point in your life, you will no longer really care what others think about you, and that will be liberating. Until then, you have to play the game in order to get through the admissions gate or find a lifelong partner...

 

[Goro]

I ask this because I plan to continue with some long term activities I've been doing since HS and getting approval to start an organization at my university, but I'm realizing that basically every activity of mine relates to either my religion, or my interest in neuroscience.

For instance, I started an advocacy club for dementia patients at my uni, am doing research with a PI that is on treatment for movement disorders, and plan to begin a job where I help with rehab for patients with neurologic disoders. As if that weren't enough, through a link I found in one of the threads here, I'm applying to be an ambassador for health equity at the Vestibular Disorders Association.

Similar story with my religious affiliation. I have a leadership role with my MSA chapter and long story short do activities through the organization which are more focused on the DEI of Muslims in my area.

My concern is, every single one of those activities is related to the same thing/s and I'm not sure if I should go out there and diversify my experiences or continue with the things I enjoy doing even if it is just two "topics". I have another interest that focuses more on mental health in my religious community, but again, that is just the same thing as the aforementioned interests.

I can feel the neuroticism oozing through this post, but I'd rather know sooner rather than later if I need to refocus.

Sometimes applicants can have a "[specialty] or bust", or "I wanna treat only this population of patients or bust" mindset, and that can be harmful, especially in the case of the former, where the specialty is one of the lucrative ones. Fortunately neurology doesn't give off that vibe.

 

[Psyched*Out]

I would like to see some non-clinical volunteering outside your own religious community. Do you do anything to help others who are unlike yourself?

Yes I’ve been working with a food pantry since 8th grade that serves the homeless and less fortunate including people of any race or religion. I plan to continue this through college.

 

[Psyched*Out]

This is where "Tell Me About Yourself" practice is important. And the story of the elephant and the blind sages.

In a world where you have many more applications than seats, expectations can be set as reasonable or unreasonable. But I and all other admissions folks will tell you, just be yourself. You can't worry yourself sick trying to meet our expectations or vision, but you must make your vision clear. If you don't know your own theme, you can't expect the rest of us to try to thread the needle for you (though some of us can try here ).

At some point in your life, you will no longer really care what others think about you, and that will be liberating. Until then, you have to play the game in order to get through the admissions gate or find a lifelong partner...

What I'm getting from this is that having a passion you focus on primarily is good, but you should also have diverse experiences that build awareness of perspectives outside of that passion. Essentially you need to show you've dabbled in various activities/populations and show a particular emphasis on one of those populations? Is this true, or am I misinterpreting?

When you talk about making my own vision clear and knowing my theme, I thought that's what I was doing by focusing my ECs on the things I enjoy most and want to make a difference in as a physician? Is that not so?

 

[Psyched*Out]

Sometimes applicants can have a "[specialty] or bust", or "I wanna treat only this population of patients or bust" mindset, and that can be harmful, especially in the case of the former, where the specialty is one of the lucrative ones. Fortunately neurology doesn't give off that vibe.

I absolutely don't intend to display either of those mindsets, and I certainly understand specialties of interest are tentative, but I'm not sure how to show that open mindedness when my activities convey quite the opposite.

 

[Goro]

I absolutely don't intend to display either of those mindsets, and I certainly understand specialties of interest are tentative, but I'm not sure how to show that open mindedness when my activities convey quite the opposite.

Shadow some Primary Care docs, that should do it

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What I'm getting from this is that having a passion you focus on primarily is good, but you should also have diverse experiences that build awareness of perspectives outside of that passion. Essentially you need to show you've dabbled in various activities/populations and show a particular emphasis on one of those populations? Is this true, or am I misinterpreting?

When you talk about making my own vision clear and knowing my theme, I thought that's what I was doing by focusing my ECs on the things I enjoy most and want to make a difference in as a physician? Is that not so?

Yes, being "well rounded" is a conundrum wrapped in a paradox. If you are pursuing a job, you have to focus on what you want to do, your vision, etc., but you also have to show you're someone people want to see every day and relate to.

Again, I don't have your actual application, so I don't know if you're doing anything "wrong". You aren't wrong to focus your EC's on things you enjoy doing, but you have to be a little strategic.

 

[LizzyM]

Do keep in mind that when it comes to work & activities, you have 15 slots. You can prune your list to make it more varied (leave out some of the Muslim and neuroscience stuff but include a greater proportion of your activities that aren't in those two categories) and you aren't obligated to even fill all 15 slots. So, if you want to omit a couple things that are strictly related to your religious identity, you could do that and no one would fault you.

Your food pantry work sounds good and, of course, you'll have some primary care shadowing.