ECs in med school

[uclakid]

Hi, I'm a third year in undergrad, and am wondering what med students do for extracurriculars. In other words, undergrads do things that, basically, help them get into med schools!--like research, volunteer in the hospital, tutor, etc.

Do you need ECs for a good/competitive residency program?
And what do you do in your summers? I guess you can't take classes....how do you find research?

Thanks!

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[uclakid]

no one wanna share?

 

[edmadison]

I can't speak for every school, but at University of Rochester, extracurriculars and community service are a big factor in AOA consideration. AOA is a pretty big thing to have on your residency application.

Ed

 

[Asher]

It really varies from school to school as to the number and type of extracurricular activities. I remember from interviewing that some schools had a large number of extracurriculars that weren't necessarily medical related. Most schools will have a variety of interest groups for various specialities, chapters of AMSA and/or AMA, etc. There can also be intramurals and class officer/student government type things to be involved in.

At my school there is a good number of students who are married and/or children so much of their free time is spent doing family things. Other people spend free time keeping up hobbies and interests they pursued before med school.

The only real summer break in medical school is between the first two years. Some people use this time to travel, get married, or just hang out. There also may be research or clinical experiences that are organized by the school. It is also a time that can be used to retake any courses failed in the first year. Probably the worst use of the summer would be to study ahead for the m2 year -- you really should enjoy your last summer break!