Current MSTP student: Importance of volunteering?

[vitalamine]

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I am a current MSTP student in the research years.

I have done little volunteering so far because I have plenty to do with school, hobbies, and a relationship.

How important is volunteer experience when it comes time for residency applications? (I will likely do ABIM research track, so I am guessing it is not a major consideration).

If I do volunteer, I would like to do it consistently with an organization or for a cause that I am truly interested in. At this point in my life I want to do things because of genuine interest rather than trying to make myself look good on paper....just wondering if I don't end up doing anything if I will regret it in 4th year of med school. It hasn't been a priority, but wondering if it should be?

 

[gbwillner]

I am a current MSTP student in the research years.

I have done little volunteering so far because I have plenty to do with school, hobbies, and a relationship.

How important is volunteer experience when it comes time for residency applications? (I will likely do ABIM research track, so I am guessing it is not a major consideration).

If I do volunteer, I would like to do it consistently with an organization or for a cause that I am truly interested in. At this point in my life I want to do things because of genuine interest rather than trying to make myself look good on paper....just wondering if I don't end up doing anything if I will regret it in 4th year of med school. It hasn't been a priority, but wondering if it should be?

Complete waste of time, IMHO.

 

[Neuronix]

Complete waste of time, IMHO.

Second this. I have done no official volunteering in medical school. Ok, so I donated a bazillion hours to helping pre-meds on SDN, but I'm not going to put I AM NEURONIX ON SDN on my ERAS .

Nobody expects volunteering from MD/PhDs. They expect a lot of research (specialty dependent), which is essentially all the extracurricular you need, and a strong performance in medical school (depending on how competitive the specialty is).