Finding the right ECs/continuing your passion- How am I doing?

[Surferboy]

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Hey guys. I know there are "volunteer/EC" threads popping up left and right every second...just hoping to get a quick response/opinion on my world outside school. Obviously everyone and there mom will have volunteer/research experience by the time they are applying for med school. From what I've read, those applying for the top research schools will have important roles in exciting research publications or presentations. I just don't know what exactly the adcoms are looking for in outside activities. I also hope I create the right image (the true image) of myself that also can be (hopefully) interesting to the committee.

I'm a sophomore. I work 12 hours a week through volunteering at the university hospital. Yet, while it is credit for volunteering, I'm really doing clinical research with the anesthesia department in the OR. When people look for ECs, they think of either doing research or volunteering. My work seems to kind of blur both together. I could get a paid position, but I would probably do more busy working typing in data. Basically, I'm asking if it is ok just to throw all my eggs in one basket and do this for my clinical/volunteering/research category because I really do get a lot of responsibility and enjoy the research. Do schools want to see me spread out my time between different projects? Should I drop some hours in this project and pick up some volunteering hours somewhere like in a free clinic?

So that's my clinical stuff. Other than that, I'm in a frat (social, not a pre-professional). I'm the alumni relations chair and am aiming at throwing a few huge alumni events (such as a golf tournament). Do they wanna see these kind of things? I don't want the stigma of a typical frat boy. I don't mind defending frats because they develop leadership and speech skills.

Also, I love tennis and have spent summers teaching kids as well as adults. Haha, and also I'm a ball boy at the US OPEN, and I really enjoy it, but it takes up a good 3 week period of my time that I could be spending somewhere else.

And I surf...but I'm quite sure that isn't appropriate to put down on EC lists haha. It's my passion and my hobby (I wrote about it on my college essays and I got accepted so I guess they didn't think I was bum then).

Basically, am I portraying a potential med school student? I think I'm balancing fun and work pretty well...I just don't if I should sacrifice some fun or am I doing ok?

 

[8744]

Hey guys. I know there are "volunteer/EC" threads popping up left and right every second...just hoping to get a quick response/opinion on my world outside school. Obviously everyone and there mom will have volunteer/research experience by the time they are applying for med school. From what I've read, those applying for the top research schools will have important roles in exciting research publications or presentations. I just don't know what exactly the adcoms are looking for in outside activities. I also hope I create the right image (the true image) of myself that also can be (hopefully) interesting to the committee.

I'm a sophomore. I work 12 hours a week through volunteering at the university hospital. Yet, while it is credit for volunteering, I'm really doing clinical research with the anesthesia department in the OR. When people look for ECs, they think of either doing research or volunteering. My work seems to kind of blur both together. I could get a paid position, but I would probably do more busy working typing in data. Basically, I'm asking if it is ok just to throw all my eggs in one basket and do this for my clinical/volunteering/research category because I really do get a lot of responsibility and enjoy the research. Do schools want to see me spread out my time between different projects? Should I drop some hours in this project and pick up some volunteering hours somewhere like in a free clinic?

So that's my clinical stuff. Other than that, I'm in a frat (social, not a pre-professional). I'm the alumni relations chair and am aiming at throwing a few huge alumni events (such as a golf tournament). Do they wanna see these kind of things? I don't want the stigma of a typical frat boy. I don't mind defending frats because they develop leadership and speech skills.

Also, I love tennis and have spent summers teaching kids as well as adults. Haha, and also I'm a ball boy at the US OPEN, and I really enjoy it, but it takes up a good 3 week period of my time that I could be spending somewhere else.

And I surf...but I'm quite sure that isn't appropriate to put down on EC lists haha. It's my passion and my hobby (I wrote about it on my college essays and I got accepted so I guess they didn't think I was bum then).

Basically, am I portraying a potential med school student? I think I'm balancing fun and work pretty well...I just don't if I should sacrifice some fun or am I doing ok?

Are you aplying to Junior College or Medical school because if it's the latter, well, your ECs don't even come close to cutting it.

Sorry. You need to really buff up your resume. The good news is that there is no limit to the number of times you can apply to medical school and many people get in after their third or even fourth attempt.

 

[Surferboy]

Yes, I'm applying to medical school in my senior year in order to get more experience and hopefully have a very large role in research. I'm currently a "Sophomore" so I have a great amount of time before that day comes.

So, when you say my ECs are weak...are you implying that my research is weak? I'm working on 3 projects with the anesthesia department dealing with cardiac and liver transplant surgery. Is 12 hours a week not enough? Should it be near 20? This will be continued throughout my college career including summers and winter break because my PI wants me to have a large consistent role in hope to get an authorship on the manuscript.

Should I try to gain a volunteer spot in the OR or ICU?

 

[MirrorTodd]

I'd say you need to decide if the anesthesia stuff is "research" or if it's "volunteering." Personally, I'd say it's research. If you are contributing to a know research project, then it's research. You can easily get another volunteering position somewhere else and I can almost guarantee that you can find several doctors to shadow through the hospital connections.

 

[Surferboy]

Yea, I guess the anesthesia work is research. I just did it through UCLA volunteering at the hospital so I am getting clocked in for my hours. Basically I'm taking hemodynamic values continuously throughout the surgery and working with the anesthesiologist to grade his use of tools and such. It's cool cuz I have to be in the OR for around 6 straight hours and thus I get to know the anethesiologists, nurses, and surgeons. So you think I should shadow also? I'm basically there the whole time and they are more than happy to explain what they are doing in the operation.

Also, with the new medical center being created, I could have a larger opportunity in the simulation center. I've already learned how to intubate which is pretty awesome! I feel like putting a lot of time in this and the research will give me some interesting medical experience to bring up in the interview.

I guess I should keep the 12 hours of this and maybe pick up like 8 hours a week of volunteering in some other sector? 20 hours a week total- is that pretty solid if I kept that up for this year, junior, and senior year?

Would it be bad to put most of my time to this? And thus take away my opportunity for non-medical volunteering or leadership programs.

 

[riceman04]

you do realize that Panda is known for being very sarcastic!

What you are asking has been addressed on numerous occasions....

Lizzy M (an adcomm on this website) has said that one should not focus so much on trying to attain a 15 EC status for the sake of their AMCAS app...especially if there is no prolonged participation. She has individually expressed that students should focus on building relationships and gaining a significant amount of experience at a few places over several years rather than focusing on many ephemeral (read meaningless) experiences.

I think you are good to go...and continue doing what you enjoy.

That US OPEN deal is cool! Great experience!

 

[Nubcake]

I've already learned how to intubate which is pretty awesome! I feel like putting a lot of time in this and the research will give me some interesting medical experience to bring up in the interview.

Do you do this on actualy patients? What legal processes did you have to go through to be able to operate on patients like that?

Also, how did you find such a good shadow/research/volunteering opportunity such as this one?

BTW US OPEN ball boy is awesome...I wish i could do that.

And what the guy above me said is very true....

 

[NN11]

I'd recommend that you develop a good relationship with the physicians you work with and ask if you could shadow them on the side. Also, remember you're doing this for the experience and not for the hours. And you could get one of these physicians to write you a letter of rec as proof that you did the work. What I'm saying is that your volunteer work doesn't have to be through the volunteer department, it's what you make out of the relationships you already have. I've found that once physicians get to know you, they're usually more than happy to teach you and let you shadow them. Learn to network and you'll see many doors open to you.

 

[Surferboy]

Do you do this on actualy patients? What legal processes did you have to go through to be able to operate on patients like that?

Also, how did you find such a good shadow/research/volunteering opportunity such as this one?

BTW US OPEN ball boy is awesome...I wish i could do that.

And what the guy above me said is very true....

No no...i don't work on real patients haha. It's a simulator. It's a full body mannequin that prepares med students for real life surgery and anesthesia procedures. You can give it an IV, intubate it, and perform surgery on it.

I lucked out with the research opportunity. I have a history of anesthesiologists in my family and showed my interest to the department of anesthesia at my university. Just happened that they have amazing PIs and research coordinators. I couldn't ask for anything more. Definitely challenging and interesting enough for me.

And the US OPEN is awesome! Pretty exhilirating to be the ball boy at the net for big matches on TV. You make a small mistake and it slows down everything and gets you attention lol. Awesome experience, although I'm mad I can't do it this year because I have to take the last Organic chem in the summer so I can enter my major.

NN11- Thanks for the advice. Yea I am not just counting up the hours. It's just standard policy to go through the volunteer office at the hospital in order to do such work. I feel like I'm building some bonds with many physicians because I have to interact with them so much. They all seem to be very kind. My PI is a great doctor that is always explaining every step of his work. So many terms and different physiological responses. Anesthesia is such an amazing field because you really need to have a great knowledge of physiology. You learn one thing and it leads to 10000 different other processes. Definitely humbling.

 

[NN11]

You learn one thing and it leads to 10000 different other processes. Definitely humbling.

Surferboy, just by that sentence alone, I know you're on the right path. In my experience, most physicians love to teach, they like to see you as their protege, and they love to help you succeed. In other words, your success becomes an extension of their success. IMO, stay with the physicians you work with right now and just move up the ladder and branch out (i.e. shadow them in the clinic). They'll definitely give you more responsibilities as you invest more time. For instance, my brother started out doing clerical work for the dermatology department, after awhile they let him do entire proceedures 😱

As far as your passions and hobbies go, on some secondaries they specifically ask about these. In fact, Johns Hopkins gave a lot of room to write about hobbies. So save that type of information for the secondaries and interviews, that's where they want to see that you're a well-rounded individual.

Best of luck to you.

 

[8744]

Yes, I'm applying to medical school in my senior year in order to get more experience and hopefully have a very large role in research. I'm currently a "Sophomore" so I have a great amount of time before that day comes.

So, when you say my ECs are weak...are you implying that my research is weak? I'm working on 3 projects with the anesthesia department dealing with cardiac and liver transplant surgery. Is 12 hours a week not enough? Should it be near 20? This will be continued throughout my college career including summers and winter break because my PI wants me to have a large consistent role in hope to get an authorship on the manuscript.

Should I try to gain a volunteer spot in the OR or ICU?

Well, it's OK, I guess. Nothing really impressive. I notice your DAB numbers are low...hell, you don't even have any.

 

[Funky]

Well, it's OK, I guess. Nothing really impressive. I notice your DAB numbers are low...hell, you don't even have any.

he's new to SDN. I doubt he'll know what DABS are.

 

[kimiij]

i'm new here...what are dabs?

 

[DropkickMurphy]

i'm new here...what are dabs?

Dead African Babies. It's part of the equation you will find here: http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=378616

 

[gujuDoc]

Are you aplying to Junior College or Medical school because if it's the latter, well, your ECs don't even come close to cutting it.

Sorry. You need to really buff up your resume. The good news is that there is no limit to the number of times you can apply to medical school and many people get in after their third or even fourth attempt.

You gotta love Panda Bear Humor.

I recommend the original poster to read his blog cuz its kick ass!!

Ok that said, well here's the deal......

If I'm correct and LizzyM can come out here and post on this issue, but my take is that I've often read that she would say volunteering and clinical research are two different things.

I'm going to say getting experience in the free clinic will be a good idea because adcoms see that as a willingness to serve others more then doing clinical research. I'd also say that adcoms like to see some non medical volunteering as well like habitat for humanity, working in soup kitchens, etc.

Oh and adcoms like diversity so things you have a passion for are good to mention like tennis and surfing. Social Frats, well I don't know their take on that. Some say its not a good idea, others say they got in just fine even with doing one. So its all up to you.

 

[gujuDoc]

you do realize that Panda is known for being very sarcastic!

What you are asking has been addressed on numerous occasions....

Lizzy M (an adcomm on this website) has said that one should not focus so much on trying to attain a 15 EC status for the sake of their AMCAS app...especially if there is no prolonged participation. She has individually expressed that students should focus on building relationships and gaining a significant amount of experience at a few places over several years rather than focusing on many ephemeral (read meaningless) experiences.

I think you are good to go...and continue doing what you enjoy.

That US OPEN deal is cool! Great experience!

Good point!!!

Also, the DAB comment to any newbies is a long time joke started by Panda bear MD, a resident in Emergency Medicine. See his blog and his fake personal statement which was actually a parody on all the cliches or typical things that you see in a personal statement. Long ago, he created a thread about that and that's where people often make this joke. Sorry to spoil the fun DKM and Panda but some of these posters are new and trying to be serious so I thought it better we put that disclaimer in.

Again sorry dudes!! 🙂