Extracurriculars/volunteer experiences for residency app?

[docren004]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How important are extracurriculars/volunteer experiences on a residency app, particularly for a DO student applying to neuro after Step 1 becomes P/F? Is it important to have several things, or is it enough to have one or two things you've done for a long time? Would being a board member for a small nonprofit be a good one? Do you need to track your hours and report the hours on your application like for med school?

 

[s5260205]

Focus on doing well in school and study for boards. All extracurriculars including research should be secondary to your academics. I would not worry about "building your CV" if you are just starting out in medical school. You should go into medical school with the mindset of excelling in all your classes, laying the foundation on which you can expand on your medical knowledge, i.e., "be a good doctor". As you become more acquainted with the rigour of medical school, you can then gradually start extracurriculars. And remember most extracurriculars are just fluff. You should only do things that you enjoy. If you have a particular interest outside of medicine, be it a hobby like snowboarding or cooking, this is what will shine through on your residency interview trail, and not a CV paver like being a president of a school club without any actual substance.