Does club involvement matter for residency?

[deleted1181738]

I am a current M1 at a US MD school. I would like to go into ENT.

I see all my peers joining SIGs (special interest groups) and lots of advertisements for leadership positions. However, I am wondering if my time would be better spent studying harder or doing more research. I also don't really have any interest in these clubs, but I have a fear of missing out.

Will it hurt me in any way if I avoid these clubs and just focus on research and studying?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AnonymousDoctorGuyPerson]

If you're not interested, don't join.

If you're trying to go into a small specialty like ENT, though, it can be beneficial if your club is run well as it can help inform you of meetings with ENT faculty and alum, help with research opportunities, etc. but actually being a member of the club has zero impact on where you'll go for residency.

 

[PathNeuroIMorFM]

Keep in mind we get 10 activities to put on ERAS. Not a single one more.Think about how you want to fill out those 10 (with one or two for hobbies).

Some people applying came up short this year with way under 10. A select few had to cut down. If you feel it will be beneficial for your app, maybe apply for the ENT position. I wouldn't recommend doing it for other specialties though.

Med school brought me some crazy opportunities that let me fill out the 10 pretty quickly across the board. As long as you keep an open mind and jump on opportunities that seem interesting, don't sweat it too much. I had to throw out my leadership opportunity for FM because Im not applying it, so also keep that in mind as your specialty choice may change.

 

[EmbryonalCarcinoma]

Keep in mind we get 10 activities to put on ERAS. Not a single one more.Think about how you want to fill out those 10 (with one or two for hobbies).

Some people applying came up short this year with way under 10. A select few had to cut down. If you feel it will be beneficial for your app, maybe apply for the ENT position. I wouldn't recommend doing it for other specialties though.

Med school brought me some crazy opportunities that let me fill out the 10 pretty quickly across the board. As long as you keep an open mind and jump on opportunities that seem interesting, don't sweat it too much. I had to throw out my leadership opportunity for FM because Im not applying it, so also keep that in mind as your specialty choice may change.

You can also group activities together. For example, if you're part of two student groups, put them both under one entry. While being a member of student group is likely not super beneficial for a residency application, having a leadership position could be beneficial.

 

[mistafab]

No

 

[operaman]

No it doesn’t. Not one little bit.

That said, if you have an ent interest group, probably worth joining. Ours had periodic dinners with faculty and residents and was a nice way to meet people early in school before you get to the wards. Also a nice way to chat with upperclassmen about research and mentors and getting involved in the department.

It also usually came with free pizza. So win win.

 

[Styrene]

From a current chief resident who has reviewed many applications, no, not from that viewpoint. But it may help in other ways, such as getting connected with opportunities that do "matter."

 

[mrbreakfast]

Agree with everyone else that the main purpose is networking, and little beyond that.

Some people here might disagree, but I am also pretty unimpressed by being president of an interest group (or treasurer, or whatever) on an application.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I want to do FM, and really all that matter is that you pass your boards and show interest. Being the co-leader of my school's FMIG is one way to show interest.

But for you surgery/derm competitive research people, I imagine it's inconsequential as long as the rest of your app is good. But what do I know

 

[GoSpursGo]

Simply showing up and being a member won't do anything for you. However, as others have said, these SIGs are often the gatekeeper to get introduced to potential mentors and getting plugged into research projects. From that perspective, it may save you time in the long run since otherwise you might need to reinvent the wheel to create those contacts.

 

[aldol16]

No it won't hurt you. Join the clubs that interest you and where you will put in the work. You get out what you put in. It'll show on interviews. It'll be obvious if you joined a bunch of clubs just to be in them.