Entering Sophmore year Undergrad, what should I focus on?

[Mcdreamy102]

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[Catalystik]

I am an aspiring pre-med student entering the sophmore year of undergrad. I need help deciding where I should focus my extra time and how I should go about these next couple of years till I have to apply to med school. This is my resume

Major: Psychology

cGPA: 3.60
sGPA: 3.45 (but only because i took Chem 1 & 2, I have a lot more time to bring it up)

Freshmen Fall: 3.42
Freshmen Spring: 3.75

Did my first semester at Loyola and transferred to UIC because the commute was too long

EC:

Shadowing: 60+ hours (Family Medicine)

Research: I luckily reached out to a Research Doctor at Rush to be a research assistant and am going to be published this Fall, she also asked me to stay till I graduate which is pretty awesome

Volunteering:
Wings Donation Center 20+ hours
Alexian Brothers Medical Center 350+ hours
Sunday School Teacher 2 years

Work:
Dunkin Donuts Customer Service - 1 Summer
Walgreens Sales Rep - 1 Summer however I am moving into pharmacy and becoming a Pharmacy Technician soon

Is there anything besides my science GPA that I need to focus on in terms of extra curriculars? Any help would be appreciated.

I think you're doing great. Eventually (no rush), you might take on a peer leadership role. Don't take on too much and emperil your GPA, though. You need good stats or your ECs will never be noticed.

 

[Mednight]

I think you're doing great. Eventually (no rush), you might take on a peer leadership role. Don't take on too much and emperil your GPA, though. You need good stats or your ECs will never be noticed.

May I ask what are some leadership roles besides starting a club on campus or being the president of one. Leading clubs isn't my type of thing. Can owning your own business count as leadership experience?

 

[Catalystik]

May I ask what are some leadership roles besides starting a club on campus or being the president of one. Leading clubs isn't my type of thing. Can owning your own business count as leadership experience?

Yes, as long as you're coordinating other people and not doing all the work yourself. You might also rise to a training role at a lab, with a volunteer position, or take on a chair position for a Habitat for Humanity build. You might organize others to meet a need at a site where you volunteer, eg, for a food drive, personal items donation, school supplies for kids in a poor district, or even a vacant lot cleanup effort.

 

[Mcdreamy102]

I think you're doing great. Eventually (no rush), you might take on a peer leadership role. Don't take on too much and emperil your GPA, though. You need good stats or your ECs will never be noticed.

Thank you for replying. Also, would being a teacher at a local Sunday school count towards a leadership role?

 

[Catalystik]

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Thank you for replying. Also, would being a teacher at a local Sunday school count towards a leadership role?

No. Adcomms are looking for peer leadership. If you were in charge of the Sunday School program, recruiting and training teachers, scheduling and monitoring them, and responsible for outcomes, then that would be Leadership, for med school application purposes. So would it be were you the chair of a committee, like for planning a summer gala, recruiting and organizing other members for elder property cleanup and painting, or somesuch.

 

[Mednight]

Yes, as long as you're coordinating other people and not doing all the work yourself. You might also rise to a training role at a lab, with a volunteer position, or take on a chair position for a Habitat for Humanity build. You might organize others to meet a need at a site where you volunteer, eg, for a food drive, personal items donation, school supplies for kids in a poor district, or even a vacant lot cleanup effort.

Okay, perfect. I volunteer right now and hopefully I could coordinate or train other volunteers one day and right now I’m riding solo in my business. Maybe I should stop doing my own marketing and sales and hire a team of people.


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[Catalystik]

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right now I’m riding solo in my business. Maybe I should stop doing my own marketing and sales and hire a team of people.