EC's and residency

[saphenous]

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Hello,
I was wondering how significant extra curricular activities (like working in the NIH) are to getting a residency. Can they make the difference between getting a mediocre residency vs. a good residency?

Thanks for your input.
Cheers,
Saphenous

 

[njbmd]

Hello,
I was wondering how significant extra curricular activities (like working in the NIH) are to getting a residency. Can they make the difference between getting a mediocre residency vs. a good residency?

Thanks for your input.
Cheers,
Saphenous

Hi there,
Extracurricular activities do not generally make much of a difference in getting into a residency. If you know someone at NIH who has a national reputation and is able to make some phone calls for you, this might make a difference but you have to have the academics and performance to get the interview in the first place. Academics/board scores are the biggest hurdle. After that, letters of recommendation from faculty who know you well can make a difference.

njbmd 🙂

 

[GoPistons]

ECs were much more important for medical school admissions... remember that residency is a job and at the end of the day, they want to make sure you're qualified and can do the work... your benevolence or whatever is secondary to how good you are at your job...