Concerned about my ECs

[Dreamstoo]

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Hi people! I am going into my junior year and had a few concerns about my ECs.

So far I've accumulated about 300+ clinical hours for the past three summers. 40 the first summer before college started, 40 the second summer, and about 250 this summer (I plan on hitting at least 400 hours).
I do have about 30 hours of non clinical volunteering my first two years of college (tutoring struggling students at a near by rec center after school- did this for a semester, I volunteered at a children's science fair by help presenting an experiment for about 6 hours on a Saturday, I do plan on doing this my last two years)- I plan to have about 50 hours of non clinical.

I shadowed for 60 hours the summer before freshman year. 40 hours last summer. I plan on doing 30 hours this summer in the time I have left. So all together I will have 130 hours so far (but I do plan to stop around 150-200)

My main problem is during the school year, I have not continued volunteering because of other prior engagements. I'm involved with research and go to meetings each week. Completing little projects for my PI here and there (no publications yet but the project I am doing now can result in a few according to my PI). I am involved with a club. I go to its events and help with their volunteering program.

I was wondering if I should add on volunteering for the past two years and find a close by clinic/hospital at school and volunteer 3-4 hours a week. I was also contemplating becoming a tutor again for the program I participated in my freshman year.

Is it a big issue that I do my shadowing/clinical volunteering during the summers. And I do my non-clinical volunteering/club involvements/research during the school year. I've been reading most places want a whole year commitment of volunteering.

The last thing I'm curious about is I have 120 hours at a hospital this summer of volunteering within one month. I used to volunteer there in high school for my freshman, sophomore year, and the summer before my junior year. Can I count those hours and say I've volunteered at the hospital since my freshman year of high school?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[coolingglasses]

I was wondering if I should add on volunteering for the past two years and find a close by clinic/hospital at school and volunteer 3-4 hours a week. I was also contemplating becoming a tutor again for the program I participated in my freshman year.

Is it a big issue that I do my shadowing/clinical volunteering during the summers. And I do my non-clinical volunteering/club involvements/research during the school year. I've been reading most places want a whole year commitment of volunteering.

The last thing I'm curious about is I have 120 hours at a hospital this summer of volunteering within one month. I used to volunteer there in high school for my freshman, sophomore year, and the summer before my junior year. Can I count those hours and say I've volunteered at the hospital since my freshman year of high school?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

1. In the grand scheme of things, you have little to worry about. I wouldn't say you "should" tack on more time, but more never hurts. You seem to have enough hours that your concern should be less with numbers and more with relevant experiences from those hours.

2. I haven't heard this concern before, and regardless I'm sure you're fine. You at least show a steady stream of voluntary commitments.

3. It's okay to extend the timeline back that far, but I'd be leery about counting those hours, especially if they'd end up contributing the bulk.

Moral of the story: feel free to do more, but worry less about the numbers and more about the actual experiences.

 

[Dreamstoo]

1. In the grand scheme of things, you have little to worry about. I wouldn't say you "should" tack on more time, but more never hurts. You seem to have enough hours that your concern should be less with numbers and more with relevant experiences from those hours.

2. I haven't heard this concern before, and regardless I'm sure you're fine. You at least show a steady stream of voluntary commitments.

3. It's okay to extend the timeline back that far, but I'd be leery about counting those hours, especially if they'd end up contributing the bulk.

Moral of the story: feel free to do more, but worry less about the numbers and more about the actual experiences.

It is 60% of the bulk of hours from high school. Other 40% the one month I volunteered this summer (28 hours a week, few more some weeks adding up to about 125). At one point I was volunteering 36 hours a week. Was helping at a doctor's office with filing for about 10 hours a week. Kaplan courses for 12 hours a week along with the assignments. For about a month, I was running on caffeine and motivation. 😛

I have a publication as a fourth or fifth author in a medical journal for a clinical research internship I did the summer before senior year of high school. Can I count that as an EC?

Thank you for that advice. I'm really enjoying my time on the EMS trucks, BLS and ALS. I've had many interesting experiences and just the rush of dealing with emergencies is just awesome. 😍 By far my favorite volunteering experience so far. It has really motivated me to do the EMT-B course spring semester this year and volunteer for the program at my school. I might even continue it during my gap year (which I do intend on taking even if I get a killer MCAT is this year). I also enjoyed tutoring underprivileged kids freshman year for about 20 hours. I think I might do that 4 hours a week because I felt some of those kids really did need help. I always felt guilty about not going back. I've heard from a friend her experience at a clinic has been great. I will check out local clinics at my university and see if it fits with my schedule.

Thanks man 🙂.

 

[Goro]

Quit fussing; you're fine!

Hi people! I am going into my junior year and had a few concerns about my ECs.

So far I've accumulated about 300+ clinical hours for the past three summers. 40 the first summer before college started, 40 the second summer, and about 250 this summer (I plan on hitting at least 400 hours).
I do have about 30 hours of non clinical volunteering my first two years of college (tutoring struggling students at a near by rec center after school- did this for a semester, I volunteered at a children's science fair by help presenting an experiment for about 6 hours on a Saturday, I do plan on doing this my last two years)- I plan to have about 50 hours of non clinical.

I shadowed for 60 hours the summer before freshman year. 40 hours last summer. I plan on doing 30 hours this summer in the time I have left. So all together I will have 130 hours so far (but I do plan to stop around 150-200)

My main problem is during the school year, I have not continued volunteering because of other prior engagements. I'm involved with research and go to meetings each week. Completing little projects for my PI here and there (no publications yet but the project I am doing now can result in a few according to my PI). I am involved with a club. I go to its events and help with their volunteering program.

I was wondering if I should add on volunteering for the past two years and find a close by clinic/hospital at school and volunteer 3-4 hours a week. I was also contemplating becoming a tutor again for the program I participated in my freshman year.

Is it a big issue that I do my shadowing/clinical volunteering during the summers. And I do my non-clinical volunteering/club involvements/research during the school year. I've been reading most places want a whole year commitment of volunteering.

The last thing I'm curious about is I have 120 hours at a hospital this summer of volunteering within one month. I used to volunteer there in high school for my freshman, sophomore year, and the summer before my junior year. Can I count those hours and say I've volunteered at the hospital since my freshman year of high school?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Quit fussing; you're fine!

The Great Goro has spoken 🙂. Thanks! That's a relief to come from an adcom

 

[csx]

.

 

[coolingglasses]

It is 60% of the bulk of hours from high school. Other 40% the one month I volunteered this summer (28 hours a week, few more some weeks adding up to about 125). At one point I was volunteering 36 hours a week. Was helping at a doctor's office with filing for about 10 hours a week. Kaplan courses for 12 hours a week along with the assignments. For about a month, I was running on caffeine and motivation. 😛

I have a publication as a fourth or fifth author in a medical journal for a clinical research internship I did the summer before senior year of high school. Can I count that as an EC?
.

I mean... I wouldn't because it was entirely during high school and the process is reasonably explicit about not including stuff from high school. But if you think you're hurting for research I guess you could try it.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I mean... I wouldn't because it was entirely during high school and the process is reasonably explicit about not including stuff from high school. But if you think you're hurting for research I guess you could try it.

I read somewhere that if it's a special EC that shows your interest in medicine, you can include it. Otherwise it is fine. I do plan on working a clinical based lab next summer or reapply to this shadowing program at a local hospital that offers 300+ hours of shadowing. Got past the primary part of the application but the phone interview did not go well, my roommates were loud.... it was a Saturday afternoon/night.

Otherwise that's fine, I've done 1.5 years of research in college (no publications yet). The research I'm doing has to do with drug screening with nanotech applications and it's all non - clinical.