Hoop-jumping, and what not...

[Ellipsis1104]

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What can/should I add to my EC list?
I'm applying next cycle, so by that time I will have:
-4 years (400+) hours volunteering at a homeless shelter (mostly, as a GED tutor)
-1 year as member of a BACCHUS chapter on campus (community health awareness)
-1 1/2 years (250+) hours volunteering in a free clinic
-community educator for a compulsive gambling organization
-3 day clinical/shadowing experience at a residential substance-abuse facility

And, I've signed up for a class in the fall that concludes with a 9 day trip to a Latin American country. I've also signed up with my university's undergrad research program, but there's no guarantee I'll be matched with a professor.

 

[n3xa]

Show a genuine interest in everything that you decide to take on and learn from whatever you do.

Perhaps I'm just saying that because I was just commenting to my advisor/boss yesterday about people coming up to her asking if they can do research with her "because adcoms told me they like seeing that on applications."

I'm no adcom, but I'm decent at smelling BS.

Good luck to you.

 

[curt656]

So, here lately I've been thinking about EC's, and how mine are balancing the necessary hoop-jumping without appearing fake to adcoms. I've noticed that a lot of non-trads are making career changes to pursue medicine, and they often have unique (or at least interesting) experiences from their past jobs that can fill up all those little AAMCAs boxes without looking like box-fillers.

I have what I could call a past career, but it wasn't "skilled" in the sense that it required traditional training, or a degree; I was a store manager for a small retail outlet for nearly six years. This would seem to satisfy the leadership role often looked for, but it was five years ago that I resigned to stay home with my kids, so I'm not sure it still counts. (And nobody gets credit for being homeroom mom, or SAC members or PTA supporters )

Anyway, the rest of my college experience reads more like a trad college kid: first-time-in-college 3 years ago, continuous semesters, full time course loads,... ~kinda lackluster, all-in-all.

So, having said all that, what can/should I add to my EC list?
I'm applying next cycle, so by that time I will have:
-4 years (400+) hours volunteering at a homeless shelter (mostly, as a GED tutor)
-1 year as member of a BACCHUS chapter on campus (community health awareness)
-1 1/2 years (250+) hours volunteering in a free clinic
-community educator for a compulsive gambling organization
-3 day clinical/shadowing experience at a residential substance-abuse facility

And, I've signed up for a class in the fall that concludes with a 9 day medical mission trip to a Latin American country. I've also signed up with my university's undergrad research program, but there's no guarantee I'll be matched with a professor.

I don't see why it wouldn't count. Just because it was 5 years ago does not mean that the experience and what you learned from it are no longer relevant. We nontrads are the sum of our life experiences. I am not the same person I was when I was 20 years old, and the person I am today is the result of my life evolution. Every experience from then until now has contributed to who I am.

7 years ago, I was the manager of a multi-million dollar wholesale branch facility with full P&L responsibility. You'd better believe that is going on my application even if it was 20 years ago I would still put it, lol.

 

[Northwesterly]

(And nobody gets credit for being homeroom mom, or SAC members or PTA supporters )

Actually, I think some schools will absolutely give you credit for this kind of community involvement. If you're going to meetings, organizing events, etc. without being paid, then it's volunteering. Not only that, but it's volunteering outside the context of an impending AMCAS app--ie, not just box-filling.

Someone like Q can probably give you a more accurate assessment, but assuming a decent MCAT score and grades you look to be in great shape next year. Good luck!

 

[DrMidlife]

I predict that all this variety is going to be fun to review on an app, and that people will look forward to interviewing you.

One of the "dynamics" that came out in my interviews, that I would expect you'll run into as well, is this:
1. interviewer A says "tell me about experience X"
2. I'd light up like a xmas tree and give up the goods
3. interviewer B starts to nod and asks "how do you think that will help you in medicine?" even though he knows the answer
4. I connect the dots, interviewer B and I are like twins separated at birth, and interviewer A is completely baffled

Interviewer B and I, typically, both waited tables and did retail. Interviewer A never worked before med school. The bafflement of interviewer A isn't a problem, because the juju with interviewer B confirms that the person matches the app.

Best of luck to you.

 

[n3xa]

I predict that all this variety is going to be fun to review on an app, and that people will look forward to interviewing you.

One of the "dynamics" that came out in my interviews, that I would expect you'll run into as well, is this:
1. interviewer A says "tell me about experience X"
2. I'd light up like a xmas tree and give up the goods
3. interviewer B starts to nod and asks "how do you think that will help you in medicine?" even though he knows the answer
4. I connect the dots, interviewer B and I are like twins separated at birth, and interviewer A is completely baffled

Interviewer B and I, typically, both waited tables and did retail. Interviewer A never worked before med school. The bafflement of interviewer A isn't a problem, because the juju with interviewer B confirms that the person matches the app.

Best of luck to you.

Eugh now I have that Lady Gaga song in my head.

 

[DrMidlife]

Eugh now I have that Lady Gaga song in my head.

link please - I don't follow

 

[NightGod]

link please - I don't follow

[youtube]gAa1Csf695U[/youtube] I would assume

 

[Ellipsis1104]

Thanks for all the answers and encouragement. When I began to think of my experiences into experiences, it all felt so discrete and scattered, rather than varied and interesting. ~momentary lapse in confidence 😳

 

[DrMidlife]

[YOUTUBE]gAa1Csf695U[/YOUTUBE] I would assume

I didn't know about that song - I stole the line from somebody maybe a decade ago. Probably read it in a book. Which means...Gaga reads books...or knows people who read books...wow.

 

[QofQuimica]

I have what I could call a past career, but it wasn't "skilled" in the sense that it required traditional training, or a degree; I was a store manager for a small retail outlet for nearly six years. This would seem to satisfy the leadership role often looked for, but it was five years ago that I resigned to stay home with my kids, so I'm not sure it still counts. (And nobody gets credit for being homeroom mom, or SAC members or PTA supporters )

On the contrary. It all counts. Anything that you have done since graduating high school counts. So, sure, list the job as store manager. List the volunteering with your kid's school.

So, having said all that, what can/should I add to my EC list?
I'm applying next cycle, so by that time I will have:
-4 years (400+) hours volunteering at a homeless shelter (mostly, as a GED tutor)
-1 year as member of a BACCHUS chapter on campus (community health awareness)
-1 1/2 years (250+) hours volunteering in a free clinic
-community educator for a compulsive gambling organization
-3 day clinical/shadowing experience at a residential substance-abuse facility

This looks like a pretty solid list to me, especially when you combine it with the job and volunteering experience that you described previously. You could do a bit more shadowing if you want, but since you have so much time in the free clinic, I don't think it's strictly necessary. Another thing you might add is a significant hobby or two that you have. It's nice to do that just because it gives the interviewer something to use as an icebreaker if s/he wants to, and every so often, you interview with someone who has the same hobby that you do. When I was applying for residency, I had mentioned reading as a hobby on my app, and I ended up discussing books I had read recently with several interviewers. Some of those had pretty hilarious results, including a discussion of whether I would want to be friends with Reginald Lewis. (I wouldn't, although I greatly admire what he accomplished.)

Also, just for the record, it's absolutely *not* necessary to fill up all fifteen boxes. If you have ten significant ECs, then just fill in ten boxes. No one is going to penalize you for leaving some blank. 😉

 

[n3xa]

I didn't know about that song - I stole the line from somebody maybe a decade ago. Probably read it in a book. Which means...Gaga reads books...or knows people who read books...wow.

Them undergradlings keep me fresh on the latest trends. 😛

 

[NightGod]

Them undergradlings keep me fresh on the latest trends. 😛

LOL FWIW, I'm 37. I just have teenagers and listen to more music than they do~