Do I have enough extracurriculars?

[RLeenm]

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[To be MD]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently a Junior in high school. I want to go to University of Illinois at Chicago. The main reason is that they have the gppa program and I would love to get into that. The only thing is that I feel like I do not have enough extracurriculars. I am currently volunteering at the hospital, I am an assistant teacher at my Sunday school, and I am in this home schooling club like thing. I was thinking of doing some research type summer program if I can find any this summer. Any advice on what I can do? Thanks in advance.

Medical schools don't care what you did in high school, for the most part.

That being said, if you're trying to get into a linkage program with a med school, then volunteering at a hospital, helping at your Sunday school, and running a homeschoolers' club are great ECs.

If you're just trying to go the regular route of 4 year undergrad -> 4 year MD, then you just need to get into college, do well in your classes, and participate in ECs/research as an undergrad.

Good luck!

 

[Catalystik]

I'm currently a Junior in high school. I want to go to University of Illinois at Chicago. The main reason is that they have the gppa program and I would love to get into that. The only thing is that I feel like I do not have enough extracurriculars. I am currently volunteering at the hospital, I am an assistant teacher at my Sunday school, and I am in this home schooling club like thing. I was thinking of doing some research type summer program if I can find any this summer. Any advice on what I can do? Thanks in advance.

I happen to know a person who got into that program many years ago.

To apply to the program, you need to have had sufficient experiences to have a good answer to the bolded question below. Volunteering at a hospital where you have frequent patient interaction is a good start, but does that alone allow you to give a sufficient answer? Perhaps you can arrange some physician shadowing, in addition, to give you a view of what docs do all day. You might also consider getting involved in some community service that helps those in need, as medicine is a service profession.

GPPA Statement: By applying to the GPPA programs, you are applying for a guaranteed seat in one of UIC’s graduate and professional programs earlier than students who apply in a traditional manner. The GPPA program seeks to understand why you have chosen your intended profession and a guaranteed path into it. What makes you an ideal candidate for guaranteed admission rather than following a traditional path to your intended profession? How would a guaranteed seat contribute to your goals as an undergraduate?

Additionally, you will need 2 letters of recommendation, not from family members, that will address qualities felt to be desirable in a future physician. Can you provide these? If you are home schooled, you may have to strategize to provide these.

• Letters should address the following criteria for a candidate: “Please provide, using specific examples where possible, evidence of this student’s particular intellectual strengths and weaknesses. What distinguishes this student?”
• The selection committees prefer that recommenders address the student’s experience in the following areas as observed: academic ability, motivation, intellectual curiosity, maturity, responsibility, written expression of ideas, and research aptitude.

Italicized quotes from: https://gppa.uic.edu/prospective-students/application-guide/

 

[wholeheartedly]

Moving to hSDN