Does anything you do before med school count for residency?

[choker]

okay, before we think of slacking off after getting into med school, i was wondering if, when applying for residency, your undergrad work/activities/research counts at all.

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[katiep]

I'm sure, for one, anything you've published will be valuable.

 

[oldman]

i think it works like what you have done in high school. right now you are applying to med schools and all they care about are your four years of undergrad. they don't look at your high school GPA. it is assumed you did well enough to get into college. with residency you will have to do well in medical school and they assume you did well in college. when i was at duke, i asked a student (4th year) what they had to do to apply to residency. it's the same stuff as getting into med school: job experience, volunteer work, grades, standardized test scores, essays. in 4 years it's getting into med school all over again! there will be interviews and there is a web-based application!!!!

 

[coop]

i'm heard that some competetive residencies ask for your mcat scores... though that is similiar too because at least one or 2 schools I applied to asked for my SAT scores

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

While interviewing for residency, I had one program director ask about my grades in undergrad. I had several ask about my research in undergrad. Three interviewers actually asked about the fraternity I founded as an undergrad.

So I geuss the answer is yes. All of this information, if at all relevent should be included in your residency application. Grades aren't on there for most specialties, but I have heard the early match (neurology, neurosurgery, ENT, integrated plastics, and a couple others) asks for college transcripts and MCATs.

There is of course less emphasis placed on this stuff than your med school accomplishments, but it is there and will be in your app.