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Hey everyone,
I'm applying this year to all Canadian medical schools. The only thing is, I'm worried because I don't have any "traditional" leadership experiences (ex. leading a club, coordinating roles, etc.) among my extracurriculars/volunteer experiences. I was hoping that you guys, as strangers, could help put things into perspective for me - There isn't really anybody I know that I can talk to about this in real life. Please let me know whether I really am in a deficiency of leadership roles, because to me it seems the only thing lacking in my autobiographical sketch at the moment.
Preface: I am a heavy recreational swimmer and a lifetime guitarist + pianist.
Experiences:
-Lifeguard for 2 years from high school to beginning of sophomore (did typical lifeguard things, was part of a team)
-Swim instructor for 1 year as freshman (instructed swimming to various age groups [6 years - adult age]. Kinda came as a package deal with the lifeguard thing. Involved making lesson plans, deciding on progression, etc.)
-Guitar teacher from last two years of high school through to all 4 years of university, ~200-300 hours of that (I privately teach one on one at my home or the student's home, various age groups, also 6 years - adult. Also involved making lesson plans, deciding on what to teach next, homework assignments, etc.)
-Administrative volunteer at one hospital for ~60 hours (Spent 3 hours daily for a month organizing the doctor's files, was only good for making me realize this isn't something I want to do in my life)
-Clinical volunteer at another hospital for ~80 hours throughout junior year (did physio type exercises with post surgical patients, excellent clinical exposure if not so much a leadership role; I would also train groups of new volunteers from time to time)
-Volunteer teacher assistant at a daycare for ~100 hours throughout junior year (I was an assistant to the teacher in a toddler class, helping in activities and involvement with the children)
-Volunteer educational assistant at a summer camp for autistic children, ~120 hours during the summer leading into my senior year (Worked in a team of other educational assistants, doing various activities and lessons for the children)
-~500 hours of working in one biochemistry lab during the summer leading into my junior year, ~50 hours of volunteering in a different biochemistry lab in my junior year. No publications.
-I am currently in the process of organizing a position where I would shadow a doctor in the emergency room, which I am planning on getting ~50 hours out of.
Across all of these experiences I could only honestly interpret the swim instruction and guitar instruction as leadership roles. Potentially also the role I had in the school for autistic children but that was leading a group of children as a part of a team. The problem is that I'm a natural leader and there have been individual situations within these experiences in which I definitely acted as a leader, but I do not have any traditional "leadership roles" such as being president of a club or whatever. It worries me greatly because all of my friends who have already gotten into medical schools in Canada have had some kind of executive role in a club or organization.
If I could get some perspective on my situation, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone 🙂
I'm applying this year to all Canadian medical schools. The only thing is, I'm worried because I don't have any "traditional" leadership experiences (ex. leading a club, coordinating roles, etc.) among my extracurriculars/volunteer experiences. I was hoping that you guys, as strangers, could help put things into perspective for me - There isn't really anybody I know that I can talk to about this in real life. Please let me know whether I really am in a deficiency of leadership roles, because to me it seems the only thing lacking in my autobiographical sketch at the moment.
Preface: I am a heavy recreational swimmer and a lifetime guitarist + pianist.
Experiences:
-Lifeguard for 2 years from high school to beginning of sophomore (did typical lifeguard things, was part of a team)
-Swim instructor for 1 year as freshman (instructed swimming to various age groups [6 years - adult age]. Kinda came as a package deal with the lifeguard thing. Involved making lesson plans, deciding on progression, etc.)
-Guitar teacher from last two years of high school through to all 4 years of university, ~200-300 hours of that (I privately teach one on one at my home or the student's home, various age groups, also 6 years - adult. Also involved making lesson plans, deciding on what to teach next, homework assignments, etc.)
-Administrative volunteer at one hospital for ~60 hours (Spent 3 hours daily for a month organizing the doctor's files, was only good for making me realize this isn't something I want to do in my life)
-Clinical volunteer at another hospital for ~80 hours throughout junior year (did physio type exercises with post surgical patients, excellent clinical exposure if not so much a leadership role; I would also train groups of new volunteers from time to time)
-Volunteer teacher assistant at a daycare for ~100 hours throughout junior year (I was an assistant to the teacher in a toddler class, helping in activities and involvement with the children)
-Volunteer educational assistant at a summer camp for autistic children, ~120 hours during the summer leading into my senior year (Worked in a team of other educational assistants, doing various activities and lessons for the children)
-~500 hours of working in one biochemistry lab during the summer leading into my junior year, ~50 hours of volunteering in a different biochemistry lab in my junior year. No publications.
-I am currently in the process of organizing a position where I would shadow a doctor in the emergency room, which I am planning on getting ~50 hours out of.
Across all of these experiences I could only honestly interpret the swim instruction and guitar instruction as leadership roles. Potentially also the role I had in the school for autistic children but that was leading a group of children as a part of a team. The problem is that I'm a natural leader and there have been individual situations within these experiences in which I definitely acted as a leader, but I do not have any traditional "leadership roles" such as being president of a club or whatever. It worries me greatly because all of my friends who have already gotten into medical schools in Canada have had some kind of executive role in a club or organization.
If I could get some perspective on my situation, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone 🙂
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