ECs Focused on Different Area

[Kthehornplayer]

Hey everyone,

I recently noticed a trend in my ECs/work experience that has got me worried.

So I don't have what I consider a lot of exceptional ECs-

-Played music for the school in many groups during all years of school
-Worked as a dishwasher in a lab for 15 hours a week for 6 months during school
-Worked fast food 35 hours a week the summer after my freshman year
-Got EMT certified
-Research assistant in a lab on-campus for about a year (no publications or posters yet or maybe at all)
-Interned with an optometrist for a summer
-Worked at a pretty top tier vet hospital for a year and a half
-Secretary of an organization which pairs up students with dementia patients
-Volunteer at the county SPCA (working with dogs) for just a couple months now but plan on continuing until I apply to school (next cycle most likely)

Now most of these are all over the place. Lab, Optometry, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, and now I see that the only trend is working with animals.

Is this lack of cohesion to any one area of medicine seen as a negative? Or would it be good to weave a story about finding my passion and in the meantime working with animals since I love doing that as well?

Also for the "leadership" category, can I list training people at work in that? If so can I not list the Vet hospital job anywhere else on my app?

I am just scared about looking like I am filling in all of the blanks kind of thing, and so overall I look pretty weak. Any advice on what I should do/should I be worried would be appreciated!

Thank you all!

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[Crayola227]

YOU NEED PHYSICIAN SHADOWING HOURS!

also, we don't know your hard stats which makes it hard for me to say much more

I would say don't stress the EC of animals the whole time, that was on mine too

For interviews, I've always explained it with something like I love animals but I like working with people, and couldn't see myself as a vet.
Animals are something I enjoy as my "not job".

You'll need a compelling statement for why medicine

 

[Kthehornplayer]

Yes I realize that is a huge area I need to work on. Fingers crossed, but I have something big in the works to cover that area. Any advice on if the seemingly randomness of the other ECs is an issue?

 

[Crayola227]

were you going for animals?

or just health?

or science all over the place?

 

[Kthehornplayer]

I think the focus on animals may be a concern. A lot of classmates mention things like "so you're doing this to become a vet, right?" and so I fear the adcoms may think that I just recently thought about medicine. Also my science stuff isn't too impressive. Some short shadowing, menial lab work, and menial lab assistant work. Nothing that will really make me stand out.

 

[Crayola227]

honestly what's funny is the spread makes it better, as long as you check all the boxes well

dishwashing & fastfood? of course that should be there and reflects well on you
music? great normal human activity that implies yay things about you
research? gotta show that you like science, thought about being a scientist, but the bench is too lonely (don't have to get pubs or posters if you get a SOLID letter)
checked out optometry? more customer service, wants to know more, looked at different type of "doc"
dementia patients? altruism & leadership
dog volunteering? more altruism
the vet hospital gig? that's tougher. you show commitment with that. I wonder if you can weave some story of the "moment I knew I was fascinated by medical science, but could never be a vet."
google hard I bet you're not the first to do it

I forgot! EMT!! How many hours?? I would hope you'd be OK if total human hours > animal hours for commitment, but I'm not adcom. That is just my thought.

 

[Crayola227]

The issue isn't what you've done, which is all good, it's just more what you haven't done

 

[Kthehornplayer]

Just finished up the cert for EMT. Only about 30 patient hours for the EMT process. Instead of working as one this summer I am looking into another job, but that one is much less certain and training seems to be difficult (ER scribe), so it is a gamble whether or not I should have just gotten an easy transport gig :/

Also I plan on getting two solid letters from research. PI and the professor who runs the lab (he offered before I even asked so I think that bodes well).

So far animal hours >>> human hours because the vet job is my main source of income currently (well my last day is in a couple of weeks).

Thank you for your reflection on my other activities. You make them sound wayyy better than I thought of in my mind!!

 

[Kthehornplayer]

So if the ER scribe job works out well (I have to pass training and things still), and I get patient hours that way, does that also count as "shadowing" hours? Since I am working with a physician?

 

[Crayola227]

that's a tougher question

scribing adds something unique, but you still need some physician shadowing outside the ED

EDIT: OR replaced with ED

 

[Kthehornplayer]

that's a tougher question

scribing adds something unique, but you still need some physician shadowing outside the OR

Oh shoot really? I have no idea where to start with physician shadowing outside of the job. I don't know any physicians personally and none of my family is in the profession. Do people literally just call up physicians they look up online if they don't know anyone personally?

 

[Crayola227]

definitely spend some time with the search function on SDN, there's threads and tips on that

 

[Kthehornplayer]

Okay, will do. Thank you so much for all of your help! I feel a little bit better and realizing what I need to focus on. You rock!

 

[Crayola227]

Okay, will do. Thank you so much for all of your help! I feel a little bit better and realizing what I need to focus on. You rock!

are you trying to apply this cycle??

 

[Kthehornplayer]

Nope. Trying to apply June of 2017 (that is next cycle, right?)

 

[Crayola227]

great!! work hard this year on those human clinical/shadow hours!!! and the MCAT if you haven't yet