How important are ECs/student groups in med school?

[Irish Football]

How important are ECs in med school for residency application purposes?

Should opportunities to join clubs/student interest groups/organizations factor into my decision of which school to attend? (i.e. if a smaller regional campus of a large state school has fewer opportunities for student interest groups/leadership positions, should that be a reason to consider going to a larger school with more opportunities?

Thanks in advance.

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[music2doc]

Not important. However, is it ALL about residency? If you are that boring, please don't go to medical school. Nobody wants to have that kind of loser in their class nor that kind of physician treating them.

Outside programs, interest groups, etc. are extracurricular/cocurricular for a reason. Do them because they offer opportunities, not to boost a residency app.

 

[nychila]

Based on what I have heard from medical students and residents, extracurriculars are not important at all during the residency application process. It is good to show that you are involved in one or two things with your classmates, however, such as cross-country skiing and free clinic volunteering, but the extent of these activities completely depends on each individual's preferences.

 

[Nymphicus]

Clubs, student interest groups, and such in medical school are for your own personal benefit.

 

[Irish Football]

Not important. However, is it ALL about residency? If you are that boring, please don't go to medical school. Nobody wants to have that kind of loser in their class nor that kind of physician treating them.

Outside programs, interest groups, etc. are extracurricular/cocurricular for a reason. Do them because they offer opportunities, not to boost a residency app.

No it would not be ALL about residency for me. But can't say that residency app relevance wouldn't cross my mind when stretching my time thin in medical school to be involved with an EC.

 

[KnuxNole]

Med student clubs are there so that hungry med students can eat pizza.

 

[nychila]

No it would not be ALL about residency for me. But can't say that residency app relevance wouldn't cross my mind when stretching my time thin in medical school to be involved with an EC.

Student activities in medical school are only supposed to help lift your grades up by giving you a chance to relax and talk to friends. If it harms your ability to learn the material in any way, then based on my knowledge, the student should really limit his or her time spent on those activities (but still keep friends and remain sane, of course).

 

[alpinism]

Med student clubs are there so that hungry med students can eat pizza.

Free Food!

Interest Groups > Step 1 > Clinical grades > LORs > Research

In order of the most free pizza

 

[WhizoMD]

How important are ECs in med school for residency application purposes?

Should opportunities to join clubs/student interest groups/organizations factor into my decision of which school to attend? (i.e. if a smaller regional campus of a large state school has fewer opportunities for student interest groups/leadership positions, should that be a reason to consider going to a larger school with more opportunities?

Thanks in advance.

Clubs shouldn't be a factor, PDs won't care about how you convinced your e-board to order tacos instead of pizza for your biannual lunch meeting. Personally, I'd choose the main campus for the presumably broader scope of networking/shadowing opportunities there. Also, research would likely be easier to come by at the larger campus.

I didn't consider myself a big networking person before med school (still don't), but from what I've seen so far even showing your face a few times goes a long way.

 

[yehhhboiii]

Med student clubs are there so that hungry med students can eat pizza.

I love it when they splurge a little and get some awesome food from a local restaurant.

 

[Doctor246853]

Not important. However, is it ALL about residency? If you are that boring, please don't go to medical school. Nobody wants to have that kind of loser in their class nor that kind of physician treating them.Outside programs, interest groups, etc. are extracurricular/cocurricular for a reason. Do them because they offer opportunities, not to boost a residency app.

Just shut up. The OP asked a simple question, no need for name calling...

 

[Lys Ile Glu Leu]

Just shut up. The OP asked a simple question, no need for name calling...

Concur. Music's response revealed some colors..

 

[Irish Football]

Just shut up. The OP asked a simple question, no need for name calling...

Concur. Music's response revealed some colors..

Thanks guys, glad to see someone else realized how overblown Music's post was.

 

[Ismet]

For the most part, no, residencies won't care what clubs you were in during med school. However, holding a substantial leadership position, like coordinator/cofounder of a student clinic, founder of a service group, etc would be looked upon favorably, according to my faculty advisor who reviews applicants for ENT residency. Of course this is nowhere near the importance of boards, evaluations, research, etc, but it's not nothing. This does not really include things like coordinating most student groups, because that just involves finding people to speak and ordering food. Especially if you're interested in academic medicine, leadership and possibly some teaching experience (teaching high schoolers or undergrads) would not be ignored.

 

[Geebeejay]

Med student clubs are there so that hungry med students can eat pizza.

Reminds me of most undergrad student clubs

 

[Planes2Doc]

Thankfully not. Step 1 is first and foremost the most important thing. Unlike with medical school admissions, the ECs in medical school won't come anywhere near fixing poor board scores. Plus your time will indeed be stretched incredibly thin. You can't and are not expected to devote your life to a huge facade like you are as an SDN pre-med.

Your time this time is far better spent doing things you are genuinely passionate about (you time, family time, and friends time) because you will be spending waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much time doing things you will probably hate. Attempting to follow a pre-med approach to application padding in medical school will lead to extreme burnout faster than you can say [FILL-IN-THE-BLANK].

 

[wind0angel]

Pizza... YUM!!!

 

[music2doc]

Just shut up. The OP asked a simple question, no need for name calling...

I do agree with everything that was said afterward. And there was no "name-calling." I am simply saying that if ALL the OP asks about programs for is because s/he wants to use them as a leg up for residency, s/he sounds like a very boring person (like many -- probably most -- pre-meds out there).

Join a student organization in medical school because you are passionate about whatever that organization does. Go to lunch lectures and eat free food because it's there and you have some inkling of interest in the topic presented. If you're going to choose a school based on its programs, I would hope you are interested in those programs for their own sake, not simply for some (false) notion that they might get you into a residency program.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

I do agree with everything that was said afterward. And there was no "name-calling." I am simply saying that if ALL the OP asks about programs for is because s/he wants to use them as a leg up for residency, s/he sounds like a very boring person (like many -- probably most -- pre-meds out there).

Join a student organization in medical school because you are passionate about whatever that organization does. Go to lunch lectures and eat free food because it's there and you have some inkling of interest in the topic presented. If you're going to choose a school based on its programs, I would hope you are interested in those programs for their own sake, not simply for some (false) notion that they might get you into a residency program.

I don't disagree, but as OP is likely in the midst of ranking pre-clinical sites, he was more interested in whether the relative lack of opportunities at the main campus will matter. The short answer seems to be no.

 

[music2doc]

I don't disagree, but as OP is likely in the midst of ranking pre-clinical sites, he was more interested in whether the relative lack of opportunities at the main campus will matter. The short answer seems to be no.

It's no EXCEPT insofar as research opportunities are likely to be more numerous at the main campus as are opportunities to make connections that may be of value later. The ECs themselves...meh, not unless you're interested in something in particular (e.g., one thing I liked about my school was that it had funded MPH, MD/PHD, and year-off research/MS options that other schools to which I'd been accepted lacked; while I may not choose to pursue any of these, I like having the option in case I decide to do so).

 

[ucsfstudents]

It depends on your residency choice. Opportunities to do research are important if you plan to go into a competitive residency. Participating in student groups related to your residency choice is also helpful as it puts in your touch with people in that field and is a good opportunity to network.

 

[serendipity513]

It depends on what the group actually does. A group that just holds lunch meetings might not be all that helpful, but groups that arrange networking events or special projects might be. Just putting down that you were in XYZ club won't help your residency application, but taking advantage of the opportunities that XYZ club offers you might. It can help you network within your field(s) of interest, find research opportunities, find mentors, get your name out there, etc.