Extracurriculars

[ttwil117]

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Hey guys, as someone who will be applying to medical school in a couple years, would you mind reading over my ECs and giving me feedback or suggestions? I obviously plan to be involved longterm in all of them. Thanks!

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A

Any and all feedback is more than appreciated, and I am open to any suggestions that would improve my ECs. Thanks again!

 

[Mr Avante]

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A Pizza Hutt

 

[ttwil117]

Mr Avante ?

 

[Mr Avante]

Mr Avante ?

Yes

Shh

 

[ttwil117]

What do the and mean?

 

[mvenus929]

They look fine.

 

[BlueLabel]

Hey guys, as someone who will be applying to medical school in a couple years, would you mind reading over my ECs and giving me feedback or suggestions? I obviously plan to be involved longterm in all of them. Thanks!

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A

Any and all feedback is more than appreciated, and I am open to any suggestions that would improve my ECs. Thanks again!

Hear that everybody? Spicy Chicken Sandwiches all around!

List looks good, get that research in. Keep your grades up. Good luck man.

 

[Mr Avante]

What do the and mean?

I had faith in you ;_;

Just do the hospital volunteering, internship, and research if you can.

 

[ttwil117]

Thanks, I'd recommend staying away from the spicy chicken sandwiches though, they tend to go right through you

 

[BlueLabel]

"My pleasure"

 

[487806]

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A Pizza Hutt

Fancy. Too bad you're wrong (except you're right about avoiding premed club)

OP, ignore Avante. Your ECs are fine.

 

[Lya]

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A Pizza Hutt

+1

You can do tutor if that's what you really enjoy, but the ECs look incredibly ordinary to me.

What are you interests? Whatever they are, pursue them hard.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

What med schools, especially top schools (if you're aiming for those), want to see is achievement in your ECs. While it's important to have a variety of ECs that you've put significant time into for the sake of being well-rounded, you don't need very many for that. All you really need is research, 50-150 hours of total shadowing in a few specialties, a community service gig, and a hobby or sport you're involved in. Have noteworthy achievements in those four areas (save for shadowing obviously) with at least one leadership role somewhere in the mix, combined with good GPA and MCAT, and hello top 10. I'd add you need good LORs and essays, but if you have those four things covered then LORs and essays won't be a problem.

Right now I'd say you have too much going on, and would suggest dropping most of those activities save for your favorites. Quality > quantity. A lot of pre-meds make the mistake of trying to be involved in 9000 different things and end up spreading themselves so thin that none of their many activities end up being impressive, leaving them with a mediocre cookie-cutter application. If it helps you narrow things down, stick to activities that say something about your values, interests, and personality. Ideally all aspects of your application should weave together to tell a story.

 

[487806]

+1

You can do tutor if that's what you really enjoy, but the ECs look incredibly ordinary to me.

What are you interests? Whatever they are, pursue them hard.

Volunteering at hospital is ordinary but necessary. What's wrong with tutoring? It's an EC that can be pursued with passion and has beneficial consequences.

Volunteering at crisis pregnancy center is also good. ECs will be ordinary. The idea is to see how they shape you up as an applicant. Though premed clubs have a counterproductive effect. And working at a fastfood isn't helping the case.

I agree with OCDOCDOCD. He summed it up well.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Volunteering at hospital is ordinary but necessary. What's wrong with tutoring? It's an EC that can be pursued with passion and has beneficial consequences.

Volunteering at crisis pregnancy center is also good. ECs will be ordinary. The idea is to see how they shape you up as an applicant. Though premed clubs have a counterproductive effect. And working at a fastfood isn't helping the case.

I agree with OCDOCDOCD. He summed it up well.

I don't think working at fast food will harm his application (if you need money, you need money); if anything having a job while in college will give him a boost, as long as the rest of his application is up to snuff. However, I 100% agree about the pre-med club. I can't imagine they're looked upon favorably in the admissions process. Be a part of one if you wish, but I wouldn't list it on my app if it were me.

 

[Granny Watkins]

you're right about avoiding premed club

Why? I remember reading in another thread somewhere that a ridiculous/frivolous number of leaderships positions are created. I would also assume that its not the best way to stand out considering most applicants will be in a pre-med club. But why are so many others against pre-med clubs?

 

[487806]

Why? I remember reading in another thread somewhere that a ridiculous/frivolous number of leaderships positions are created. I would also assume that its not the best way to stand out considering most applicants will be in a pre-med club. But why are so many others against pre-med clubs?

Because a premed club is a filler EC. Adcoms will see through them.

 

[Mr Avante]

Because a premed club is a filler EC. Adcoms will see through them.

Yep

 

[Deadlifts]

I don't think working at fast food will harm his application (if you need money, you need money); if anything having a job while in college will give him a boost, as long as the rest of his application is up to snuff. However, I 100% agree about the pre-med club. I can't imagine they're looked upon favorably in the admissions process. Be a part of one if you wish, but I wouldn't list it on my app if it were me.

I specifically didn't list pre-med club on my application because it would be a complete conversation dead-end at an interview.

"Pre-med club, what was that about?"

'Well, we listened to a couple guest speakers tell us how to get into medical school and uh, ate pizza...but it was a very meaningful experience!'

 

[ttwil117]

I forgot to mention also that I am a worship leader at my church and play guitar, so I'd like to get involved in something like that. School hasn't started yet, so I'm not sure what campus will have to offer though

 

[mvenus929]

Volunteering at hospital is ordinary but necessary.

Disagree. You need volunteering, not volunteering at a hospital. Most people don't get anything out of volunteering at a hospital. If you do, great.

What you need is clinical experience, and that can be had by working or shadowing, rather than volunteering. Having volunteered in a hospital myself, I can tell you that most people won't be getting much 'clinical' experience while volunteering.

 

[deleted407021]

OP, it is great that you are into music. Look and see what opportunities are available through your school's music department and get involved. It is most important that you put time into your ECs, not how many you can juggle. Good luck!

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Why? I remember reading in another thread somewhere that a ridiculous/frivolous number of leaderships positions are created. I would also assume that its not the best way to stand out considering most applicants will be in a pre-med club. But why are so many others against pre-med clubs?

- It says nothing about you that isn't already obvious (by applying to med school it's already assumed you're pre-med and interested in medicine)
- It's unproductive. Even a leadership role would be unimpressive in such a club since the club doesn't do anything other than talk about medicine and how to get into med school.
- Spending a lot of time in a pre-med club suggests you're a gunner who's main concern is simply getting into med school. That's the kind of person med schools are try to avoid.

With any activity you put on your application, you'll probably be asked at some point to explain what it says about you. For most activities this is a positive. Working at a volunteer clinic shows you care about the underserved and access-to-care. Tutoring inner city kids shows you want to help reduce educational and economic disparity. Participating in varsity sports or playing an instrument shows you have constructive interests and activities outside of academics and medicine. Being an involved member of your college's chapter of Human Rights Watch shows you're concerned about humanitarian issues. But what does being a member of a pre-med club show? That you really, really want to get into med school?

 

[487806]

Disagree. You need volunteering, not volunteering at a hospital. Most people don't get anything out of volunteering at a hospital. If you do, great.

What you need is clinical experience, and that can be had by working or shadowing, rather than volunteering. Having volunteered in a hospital myself, I can tell you that most people won't be getting much 'clinical' experience while volunteering.

Darn it! I fell for the misconception. Thanks for the correction

 

[deleted407021]

Disagree. You need volunteering, not volunteering at a hospital. Most people don't get anything out of volunteering at a hospital. If you do, great.

What you need is clinical experience, and that can be had by working or shadowing, rather than volunteering. Having volunteered in a hospital myself, I can tell you that most people won't be getting much 'clinical' experience while volunteering.

I agree but the venue is critical. It would be ideal to find something like a small, need based clinic where you are given a variety of tasks around dealing with patients. Where I work I file charts, answer phones, perform eye exams, handle medications and help patients with all sorts of problems. I hope there is something like that available for you, OP. It is textbook perfect for clinical volunteering.

 

[ttwil117]

BrainsIsCool, what kind of clinic do you volunteer at?

 

[GoPelicans]

perform eye exams

wut? Isn't that kind of dangerous to have an untrained person providing health care?

 

[deleted407021]

BrainsIsCool, what kind of clinic do you volunteer at?

A free, volunteer run, need based clinic where a whole bunch of doctors, dentists and nurses see patients who can't afford any care, otherwise.

 

[deleted407021]

wut? Isn't that kind of dangerous to have an untrained person providing health care?

Just near and far vision using a Snellen chart. Not a big deal, but it's fun and it's necessary when we fill out applications. We just want to know what their uncorrected visual acuity so we can prioritize them for vision services. I am also learning how to triage patients before clinic (take BP, weight, family history, etc), obviously no procedures or anything.

 

[Granny Watkins]

Because a premed club is a filler EC. Adcoms will see through them.

Its just that my uni makes it seem like its a big deal to join. They charge a ridiculous fee which is one of the reasons why I haven't joined. Although they do occasionally offer worthwhile opportunities that will strengthen your app...only if you're a member. I suppose those are important, but not necessarily actually putting down that you were part of this club(?)

 

[ttwil117]

Its just that my uni makes it seem like its a big deal to join. They charge a ridiculous fee which is one of the reasons why I haven't joined. Although they do occasionally offer worthwhile opportunities that will strengthen your app...only if you're a member. I suppose those are important, but not necessarily actually putting down that you were part of this club(?)

Granny Watkins, mine is the same way. After hearing some of the points others have made, I think I'd still maybe be involved in it, just not as much, and maybe only list it on my app if I had a really leadership position like president or VP

 

[Yoseph101]

Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center

I would leave this out. CPC's have been known to be quite controversial .

 

[amichel]

^ agreed. The connotation that comes to my mind when I hear that term is quite negative. Not to say that the one you volunteer at is bad, but there's a good possibility that an adcom member might feel the same way I do.

 

[deleted550985]

AZHOSA (premed club)
Volunteer at crisis pregnancy center
Volunteer at hospital
Tutor
Christian Challenge (Christian club)
Dissection Internship (hopefully, i have to wait until my junior year to apply)
Planning on doing research
Currently employed at Chick Fil A

Conservative/religiously affiliated ADCOMs might eat this up, but other more liberal ADCOMs will most likely stereotype you as an anti-abortion, anti-gay rights bible thumper.

Just be aware that ADCOMs are people too, with their own biases.

 

[ttwil117]

Thank you all so much for your input! As far as my activities with religious tie-ins, I live in Arizona and plan on applying mostly to southwest schools in conservative regions (university of Arizona [Phoenix and Tucson], AZCOM, ATSU SOMA, some Texas schools, etc.) Please keep the input coming, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[eelgg123]

I love chic fil a! kinda overpriced tho!

 

[eelgg123]

Yeayeaa! I also live in AZ! too hot!

 

[BlueLabel]

I love chic fil a! kinda overpriced tho!

I can't even tell you how excited I am for lunch today. So ready for a spicy chicken sandwich. On a related note, every time I go I order a #3 with a lemonade, and it always comes out to $6.66. Very creepy.

 

[sector9]

Moving to "What are my chances"

 

[ttwil117]

Is it looked upon differently is you tutor at school versus tutor underprivileged kids?