So obviously you need a good set of extra curriculars to get into med school. My question is what? Also how much? One other thing, how important are recommendation letters to medical schools?
Extracurriculars needed for medical school
- Thread starter hs2013
- Start date
Why do recommendation letters matter so much? Also if you ask for a recommendation letter from a teacher and they say yes, but you are applying to more than one med school would you have to tell them to make more than one copy? Also are you allowed to view it or do they have to send it by themselves?
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 0
This also depends where you live. I heard that in Canada, they don't look at your extracurricular that much. I've heard some say that it's mostly used as a tie breaker. The grades count more in Canada than the US.
Can anyone confirm this?
Can anyone confirm this?
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2010
- Messages
- 383
- Reaction score
- 20
You are not allowed to view them. Usually the professor or mentor you ask to write your letter will send it directly to the admissions service (AMCAS/TMDSAS) or your pre-med counselor and they will distribute them for you. The letters remain confidential through out this process.
Rec letters are not more important than any other aspect of your application, but they are important nonetheless. Just like anything else, they may not get you in, but they can keep you out.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 7,471
- Reaction score
- 2,424
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Doesn't matter what you do, but you should enjoy it (because you will be asked about it), and it doesn't matter how much you do, but you should always be doing something.
And LORs won't get you in, but a bad one looks really bad on the application.
Do some shadowing (a few different specialties), something clinical, something non-clinical, and maybe throw in some research if possible for good measure. How much doesn't matter as much as how long. I think the avg clinical is like 1.5 years, but longer would be better. Same goes for other activities. Research doesn't need to be that long (maybe a year), unless you enjoy it. Then I recommend you go nuts and try to get some pubs or presentations out of it.
In terms of letters, I've heard varying things about importance. Mostly I've heard they have the potential to really hurt you if they are negative, so always be thinking of good people to ask throughout your undergrad.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 0
I just realized that hs2013 probably stands for: high school, graduating in 2013....
Or, Harvard Student in 2013?
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2010
- Messages
- 383
- Reaction score
- 20
Or, Harvard Student in 2013?
Either way....
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2008
- Messages
- 769
- Reaction score
- 3
The following is my opinon, no sufficent data was collected (n=1)
I) Quality > Quantity (Longer commitment (over 1 year > a single summer)
II) 100 hrs is good
III) Types of Volunteering:
1) Clinical Volunteering: Hospital, Nursing Home, ect (being able to see/smell pts)
2) non-Clinical: Food Shelter, Sunday School teacher, Community involment programs, the list goes on.
IV)As for L.O.R.'s- Very Important, you need/ recommended (varies by school)
1) you need 3 prof. letters or a School commitee letter
2) MD (or D.O. letter if applying to D.O. schools)
I) Quality > Quantity (Longer commitment (over 1 year > a single summer)
II) 100 hrs is good
III) Types of Volunteering:
1) Clinical Volunteering: Hospital, Nursing Home, ect (being able to see/smell pts)
2) non-Clinical: Food Shelter, Sunday School teacher, Community involment programs, the list goes on.
IV)As for L.O.R.'s- Very Important, you need/ recommended (varies by school)
1) you need 3 prof. letters or a School commitee letter
2) MD (or D.O. letter if applying to D.O. schools)
Last edited:
Based on my interview experiences so far, ECs are only as important as the amount of passion you put into them. If you can spend a whole interview talking about one EC (doesn't have to be clinically-related - drumming, singing, sewing, mountain climbing - anything), that's when it matters, especially at schools like Columbia.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 0
You don't need an MD letter lol. Not a single medical school requires this.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2010
- Messages
- 29
- Reaction score
- 0
Yea im pretty sure an MD letter isn't something standardized lol. OP just do what your passionate about and that will show. Go to mdapplicant.com people with some very unique ECs got into some great med schools - and those EC's weren't necessarily medicine related.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2008
- Messages
- 769
- Reaction score
- 3
Touché, but it doesn't hurt to have one.
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2010
- Messages
- 6,907
- Reaction score
- 82
You can do anything for your EC's, it's what makes you stand out as a student.
But some EC's med schools particularly look for are:
*Volunteering in a clinic/hospital 100+ hrs no need for more. (Make sure it is patient contact.)
*Shadowing approx. 2-3+ docs 60-80+ hrs (Include primary care physician.)
*Depending on the type of med school, research med schools might expect some research work 1+ yr worth and some publications/posters etc.
*Volunteer/community service in something non-related to medicine. (Ex: Children Advocacy Center.)
*Great LOR's from 1 physician 2 science faculty
And a lot more. EC's can range from anything you like to do or something you participate in.
If you list in clubs/honor societies, it is recommended to hold a leadership position.
Any sports etc
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2010
- Messages
- 6,907
- Reaction score
- 82
I think he is talking about depending on the type of med school, it is good to get a LOR from a certain type of physician such as applying to D.O. it is recommended to get an LOR from a D.O. rather than M.D.
So that could be all just personal preference, but sounds right.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 7,471
- Reaction score
- 2,424
You need a letter from a DO if you're applying DO, but you never need a letter from an MD. And frankly, if you're getting a letter from an MD you shadowed, they probably aren't going to add anything to your application anyway. If you worked with them in some other capacity, they may be able to.
Wait so if you get a LoR from someone how does it get sent to multiple schools?
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2007
- Messages
- 715
- Reaction score
- 2
You use AMCAS to send in your letters and transcript. You tell AMCAS what schools you want to apply to and they'll send the required information to them.
Wait so the person sends the letter to AMCAS, and then they can send that one to multiple schools? Also what is this secondary people receive from med schools?
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2010
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 0
Aren't you in high school currently? Why are you even thinking about such specifics right now? At any rate, to answer your question, you should realize that many colleges have a pre-med advising committee. At my university, you just ask the LOR writers to directly send the letters to the pre-med advising committtee. They'll collect them, send them off to AMCAS. That way you don't ever actually see the LORs. If you don't have a pre-med advising committee at your school, just have your recommenders send the letters to AMCAS, and AMCAS will forward them to every med school you choose. The AMCAS application (contact info, grades, personal statement, EC list, LORs) is the primary application. Once med schools receive that, the schools will send you a school specific application, sometimes with some short essays to write for that school. That's the secondary application. You can think of the primary like the Common App and the secondary like the school specific supplemental application for college apps. Seriously if I were you, I'd just focus on getting into a good college right now instead of all this med school worries (like your previous posts about so and so not getting into MCW and your chances for med school. Dude, relax.)
