- Joined
- Jan 29, 2014
- Messages
- 336
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Hello! I just wanted some advice on how to improve my extracurriculars. I'm applying in about two years and I am a rising sophomore. So this is about the time when I can still get started on an activity and maintain a 2-year+ longevity before I apply.
I currently have...
- 150 hours of hospital volunteering
- 50 hours of physician shadowing (only primary care)
- 400 hours of volunteering tutoring low-achieving mathematics students and low-income/underpriveleged students
- 100 hours of hospice volunteering
- Random volunteering on campus: Move-in crew, student mentor
Research:
- I did a semester of research on a syndrome that was proposed for DSM-V. I pretty much just looked up diffrent articles on the topic and wrote about the topic in a format similar to an expository essay. It was somewhat like a systematic review, is this worth including?
- Working on getting a lab position
Activities I do for fun:
- Editor on undergraduate philosophy journal ---- Is this a leadership position?
- Olympic weightlifting club
- wrestling club
1. Okay here's where I get somewhat confused. I recently became an ordained minister at a non-denominational church. Is this a leadership activity? Would it be unwise to mention this activity on my medical school application? My duties are basically while volunteering at a hospice I read religious texts to patients that cannot read themselves and attend vigil services. Just wondering whether or not mentioning religious activities is unwise. If it is okay to mention I am a minister, would it be wise to expand upon my duties and become more involved in the church? I was thinking about providing premarital and marital counseling, or to counsel members who are battling problems such as depression or substance abuse - and also visiting the sick and ministering the homeless. I just don't want medical schools thinking I ground all of my thinking in religious arguments, which I absolutely do not.
2. Should I include some other non-clinical community service such as volunteering in a soup kitchen/nursing home? Any other recommendations?
3. At the hospital I have what could possibly be a leadership position. I am given the title "trainer", I train new volunteers and oversee other volunteers while they work, basically managing the patient transport volunteers. Is this a legitimate leadership position? Would my leadership experience in the hospital take away from the "clinical" aspect of it? If I manage the team, does that make it seem as though I interact with patients any less? In reality I interact with patients the same amount.
4. Should I group all of my random on-campus volunteering together? Is it even worth mentioning on my application, before I apply I will have ~ 100 hours.
5. The sport clubs I do recreationally, would medical schools want to see me competing in them as well?
6. 300 of my 400 volunteer tutoring hours are from high school, and 100 of these hours are from college. The activity continued, but I had to switch organizations even though I tutor similar students... should I still count the high school hours?
All of the activities that I listed are ongoing. I really enjoy all of my activities and I feel like most of my bases are covered, but I would greatly appreciate a second opinion. Any advice?
I currently have...
- 150 hours of hospital volunteering
- 50 hours of physician shadowing (only primary care)
- 400 hours of volunteering tutoring low-achieving mathematics students and low-income/underpriveleged students
- 100 hours of hospice volunteering
- Random volunteering on campus: Move-in crew, student mentor
Research:
- I did a semester of research on a syndrome that was proposed for DSM-V. I pretty much just looked up diffrent articles on the topic and wrote about the topic in a format similar to an expository essay. It was somewhat like a systematic review, is this worth including?
- Working on getting a lab position
Activities I do for fun:
- Editor on undergraduate philosophy journal ---- Is this a leadership position?
- Olympic weightlifting club
- wrestling club
1. Okay here's where I get somewhat confused. I recently became an ordained minister at a non-denominational church. Is this a leadership activity? Would it be unwise to mention this activity on my medical school application? My duties are basically while volunteering at a hospice I read religious texts to patients that cannot read themselves and attend vigil services. Just wondering whether or not mentioning religious activities is unwise. If it is okay to mention I am a minister, would it be wise to expand upon my duties and become more involved in the church? I was thinking about providing premarital and marital counseling, or to counsel members who are battling problems such as depression or substance abuse - and also visiting the sick and ministering the homeless. I just don't want medical schools thinking I ground all of my thinking in religious arguments, which I absolutely do not.
2. Should I include some other non-clinical community service such as volunteering in a soup kitchen/nursing home? Any other recommendations?
3. At the hospital I have what could possibly be a leadership position. I am given the title "trainer", I train new volunteers and oversee other volunteers while they work, basically managing the patient transport volunteers. Is this a legitimate leadership position? Would my leadership experience in the hospital take away from the "clinical" aspect of it? If I manage the team, does that make it seem as though I interact with patients any less? In reality I interact with patients the same amount.
4. Should I group all of my random on-campus volunteering together? Is it even worth mentioning on my application, before I apply I will have ~ 100 hours.
5. The sport clubs I do recreationally, would medical schools want to see me competing in them as well?
6. 300 of my 400 volunteer tutoring hours are from high school, and 100 of these hours are from college. The activity continued, but I had to switch organizations even though I tutor similar students... should I still count the high school hours?
All of the activities that I listed are ongoing. I really enjoy all of my activities and I feel like most of my bases are covered, but I would greatly appreciate a second opinion. Any advice?
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