How does everyone feel about NOT trying to grab random leadership positions, "co-chair of the volleyball committee", etc. in med school?

[thumbwarwounded]

Tbh my priority is to learn as much as I can so that I'm prepared for residency--which probably won't be a competitive one. FM or IM, maybe EM (I've been looking hard at community medicine for a long time). I'm not interested in beefing up the resume except with things I really care about: clinic and community involvement, research that I enjoy, getting solid LORs. Is that foolish?

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[Pinocytosis]

As with most extracurricular things in medical school: Do it if you actually enjoy doing it.

Very rarely will you "need" to do things to make yourself competitive outside the norm (USMLE scores, AOA, ?class ranking, etc). While, yes, these opportunities may open doors in terms of LORs, internal awards/scholarships, etc., it is not worth doing simply to check a box. Even just being the President/Vice President of a club can be time consuming and you will regret it if you are there just to add a line or two on your CV.

Since you enjoy research and being involved, that is certainly enough to convey aptitude.

 

[slowthai]

I feel amazing. Those activities are what I call "non-value add"

 

[drducky.]

People that go for these positions are mostly misinformed by the school and are still drinking their koolaid. Some other classic examples are:

“Studying for class is studying for boards”
“Attending lectures in person is the best way to learn”
“Pbl helps you work as a team and better understand the material”

 

[Goro]

People that go for these positions are mostly misinformed by the school and are still drinking their koolaid. Some other classic examples are:

“Studying for class is studying for boards”
“Attending lectures in person is the best way to learn”
“Pbl helps you work as a team and better understand the material”

You forgot to add:
"The way I learn is applicable to everyone else!"

I agree 100% that attendance only works for a small percentage of students.

Honestly, the OP's title did make me think "How pre-med"

 

[radsisrad]

Nobody really cares. The main purpose of extracurrics is to function as ERAS and interview filler. Throw a few hours into a few activities so you know enough about them to throw some paragraphs into ERAS and chat during interviews about what an impact you made bumbling around in your short white coat at the "student clinic" and pretending to be a doctor. "Leadership positions" (read: asking for pizza money from the Dean's office) are even more useless.

 

[Neopolymath]

I can either build a butcher block cutting board, restore a car, sail offshore, master the husbandry of a delicate invertebrate or be the vice douche of the IM club.

One of these is not like the other. I'll let you know how it goes this season aggressively ignoring this garbage ever since undergrad lol.

 

[Fatalis]

People that go for these positions are mostly misinformed by the school and are still drinking their koolaid. Some other classic examples are:

“Studying for class is studying for boards”
“Attending lectures in person is the best way to learn”
“Pbl helps you work as a team and better understand the material”

And let’s not forget dropping “professionalism” or “colleagues “ for good measure

 

[slowthai]

People that go for these positions are mostly misinformed by the school and are still drinking their koolaid. Some other classic examples are:

“Studying for class is studying for boards”
“Attending lectures in person is the best way to learn”
“Pbl helps you work as a team and better understand the material”

I'm sorry to derail, but the bolded causes me to rage with the intensity of a thousand suns. Just makes me wanna kick some kid's ball over a fence.

 

[slowthai]

And let’s not forget dropping “professionalism” or “colleagues “ for good measure

That first word is like a gun to our heads to make us do whatever idiotic BS they want. I hate so much that this doesn't end in med school. So much.

 

[readmypostsMD]

Nobody really cares. The main purpose of extracurrics is to function as ERAS and interview filler. Throw a few hours into a few activities so you know enough about them to throw some paragraphs into ERAS and chat during interviews about what an impact you made bumbling around in your short white coat at the "student clinic" and pretending to be a doctor. "Leadership positions" (read: asking for pizza money from the Dean's office) are even more useless.

pizza money lmaooooo

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

People that go for these positions are mostly misinformed by the school and are still drinking their koolaid. Some other classic examples are:

“Studying for class is studying for boards”
“Attending lectures in person is the best way to learn”
“Pbl helps you work as a team and better understand the material”

Or we just like the positions. Not everyone who does it is trying to get something for their CV.

 

[Oso]

Or we just like the positions. Not everyone who does it is trying to get something for their CV.

Agree with this.

Do these things if they bring you happiness and seem worthwhile.

Don’t do them for the CV. They definitely won’t mean anything in terms of competitiveness if your grades/scores/letters suck.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

If people can pack their CVs with pointless research and have it count. I’d like my pointless leadership/volunteering positions to count for something also (and at least I got to help a few people while doing so).