Extra-curricular advice

[cclpaftw]

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[LizzyM]

I see:
Research
Teaching/Tutoring
Employment Clinical
Volunteer, non-clinical (you could call it clinical but if you were doing stuff on the phone with people who were not talking to you in their role as patient but just as a vulnerable resident of your area I'd call it non-clinical)

If you aren't already doing something fun (performing arts/studio arts/athletics/hobby), start or resume something "fun" at least a couple hours per week.

More service to those in need would be good and if you put in a year or so you might be ready about 12 months from now to assume a leadership position within a group of volunteers. This would give you an item for "leadership". Take something that interests you (cooking, coaching, tutoring, visiting old folks, mentoring teens, women's reproductive rights, etc) and find a volunteer activity that builds on that natural interest.

Keep on with the research, particularly if you are hoping for a spot at a top school and, ultimately, a career in academic medicine (teaching, patient care, research and sometimes advocacy are the three or four legs of the academic medicine stool). Things should evolve over time in research such that you may get a publication, an abstract published as part of a presentation at a meeting, funding for a research project in summer 2023 and so forth.

With any luck there is a office worker who can serve as the contact person on your application so that the paid clinical work doesn't reek of nepotism.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Looks pretty good to me but do you have any hobbies and or non medical extracurriculars? In almost every interview, I’ve been asked what I do for fun outside of the classroom. This is despite me having a bunch of non medical ECs listed on the amcas

 

[LizzyM]

How do you want to spend your summer?

Do you feel stoked about the opportunity to to a SURP? really want to get into a longitudinal service project over the summer? Go where your heart leads you.

In the work/activities section of the AMCAS you'll have 15 slots to classify and describe your activities. It is good to have at least one that is non-clinical/non-academic/non-service. Athletics/arts (performing or studio)/hobby, or something like that. Show me that you are not all work and no play by adding something (or two things) to your application: improv group, ultimate frisbee, ethnic dancing, running 5Ks, etc.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

I see:
Research
Teaching/Tutoring
Employment Clinical
Volunteer, non-clinical (you could call it clinical but if you were doing stuff on the phone with people who were not talking to you in their role as patient but just as a vulnerable resident of your area I'd call it non-clinical)

If you aren't already doing something fun (performing arts/studio arts/athletics/hobby), start or resume something "fun" at least a couple hours per week.

More service to those in need would be good and if you put in a year or so you might be ready about 12 months from now to assume a leadership position within a group of volunteers. This would give you an item for "leadership". Take something that interests you (cooking, coaching, tutoring, visiting old folks, mentoring teens, women's reproductive rights, etc) and find a volunteer activity that builds on that natural interest.

Keep on with the research, particularly if you are hoping for a spot at a top school and, ultimately, a career in academic medicine (teaching, patient care, research and sometimes advocacy are the three or four legs of the academic medicine stool). Things should evolve over time in research such that you may get a publication, an abstract published as part of a presentation at a meeting, funding for a research project in summer 2023 and so forth.

With any luck there is a office worker who can serve as the contact person on your application so that the paid clinical work doesn't reek of nepotism.

As far as research goes, how does getting awarded summer grant for research look like? It didn't get any publications but if that and an honors thesis were done in undergrad, does that demonstrate evolvement over time?

 

[LizzyM]

As far as research goes, how does getting awarded summer grant for research look like? It didn't get any publications but if that and an honors thesis were done in undergrad, does that demonstrate evolvement over time?

That is impressive in some circles. Anyone who can get funding gets major props from some adcoms.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

That is impressive in some circles. Anyone who can get funding gets major props from some adcoms.

Oh dang that's interesting. So I was awarded a fellowship research grant last summer and I used to carry out research that unfortunately wasn't finished or lead to any publications because I had to leave the lab since it was incredibly toxic. Does it look bad to adcoms that nothing came out of it?

 

[LizzyM]

Oh dang that's interesting. So I was awarded a fellowship research grant last summer and I used to carry out research that unfortunately wasn't finished or lead to any publications because I had to leave the lab since it was incredibly toxic. Does it look bad to adcoms that nothing came out of it?

Hmmm.... you can list the time spent and describe the work and list the funding as an award or fold it into the description of the research. Not all research comes to fruition in a single summer.... did you get a LOR from someone in the lab? We had quite discussion on that topic elsewhere in the forum today.

 

[HuckleberryEven]

Hmmm.... you can list the time spent and describe the work and list the funding as an award or fold it into the description of the research. Not all research comes to fruition in a single summer.... did you get a LOR from someone in the lab? We had quite discussion on that topic elsewhere in the forum today.

Yeah... so I found out that the PI of the lab talked bad stuff about me behind my back, like I said toxic environment. I was going to ask them for an LOR since everyone else working in the lab is an undergrad student. I was very close to getting a publication out of it which frustrates me.