Environmental and conservation work as extracurriculars

[Shrimp_Chips]

Hi!

I'm a first-year undergrad interested in med school. I am really involved in extracurriculars that relate to conservation and ecology -- for example I volunteer with a club to take care of plants at a greenhouse that a lab does for plant conservation research & I'm also a research intern who does with field work and data collection for a larger researcg project.

I have an oppurtunity to get more involved in a ecology research lab as a lab assistant next semester but I'm not sure if I should do it cause I don't know how med schools view this type of work on applications. Do my conservation based activities count as quality extracurriculars? Should I shift my focus into doing more clinical or service volunteering?

For reference I am mostly doing these out of passion and I do involve myself in clinical and service-based activities. I just don't know if this type of experience will be beneficial for applications.

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[Goro]

Yes, they're ECs.

However, you still need to be of service to others less fortunate than yourself.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

They are extracurriculars as long as they aren't part of courses where you do the same thing.

You mention "lab assistant" so that's research. Your activities sound more like research or academic investigation/hobby than service to others. Like being an amateur astronomer with a telescope and a camera.

Service orientation activities: food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, legal support, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation.