im not "involved" in alot

[WWU_Viking]

So I will be in undergrad for a total of 5 years. I have three left.I'm waiting until the end of the last year to apply. First two, at a CC. I'm reading on here and on mdapplicants, people are doing so much: lots of research, ER volunteering, summer research, shadowing, and part of clubs. This is intimidating to me.

While at the CC i did nothing but work in a pharmacy part time and focused on my academics.

I don't plan to join any clubs much less assume any leadership position. Being a Catholic I will attend Mass at the campus ministry but thats pretty much it. I consider myself a pretty introverted person. I have a small circle of good friends that I enjoy occasionally partying/drinking/hanging out with them...so its not like I am anti-social.

My plans for the next three years are to excell academically, (not work anymore,except a bit during breaks), shadow a DO or MD for some time. I will also volunteer in a free clinic by reading books and playing the piano 3-4 hrs/week (mostly improvisation and I think leading people in song).

These "EC stats" just seem so little to me. But this is truly who I am. I have no interest in scientific research at all. I hated ochem lab with a passion. I am retaking it at the unversity because I have room (even though I got B's and B- level grades)- and will not take lab.

Research is part of my major (Biology/Anthropology BS). However, I will only perhaps do the minimum, and it will be social science research. I did long lab projects in ochem and biol that lasted two quarters and hated it so much. However, lecture was awesome!

Well, just had to vent this. My thoughts are kind of scattered. I know.

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[63768]

1) you have lots of time left, plenty of time to fill your app up with ECs on the side as you continue to excel in school.
2) research is in no way required or mandated for med school. plenty of people are not involved with research and are involved with the human side of medicine throughout their undergrad years. if you don't like research, don't do it. do what you love.
3) finally, keep in mind that mdapps and SDN are not representative of the applicant pool/accepted pool as a whole.

i think you're on a good track as long as you continue to do well in school and do well on your MCAT. those are the main points that will get you into med school. the ECs are icing on the cake and separate applicants that would otherwise look alike.

 

[SitraAchra]

i'm not trying to sound like a smartass but...is there a question you want to ask?

or is this an admission of guilt. sounds like there is some cool stuff you do.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

So I will be in undergrad for a total of 5 years. I have three left.I'm waiting until the end of the last year to apply. First two, at a CC. I'm reading on here and on mdapplicants, people are doing so much: lots of research, ER volunteering, summer research, shadowing, and part of clubs. This is intimidating to me.

While at the CC i did nothing but work in a pharmacy part time and focused on my academics.

I don't plan to join any clubs much less assume any leadership position. Being a Catholic I will attend Mass at the campus ministry but thats pretty much it. I consider myself a pretty introverted person. I have a small circle of good friends that I enjoy occasionally partying/drinking/hanging out with them...so its not like I am anti-social.

My plans for the next three years are to excell academically, (not work anymore,except a bit during breaks), shadow a DO or MD for some time. I will also volunteer in a free clinic by reading books and playing the piano 3-4 hrs/week (mostly improvisation and I think leading people in song).

These "EC stats" just seem so little to me. But this is truly who I am. I have no interest in scientific research at all. I hated ochem lab with a passion. I am retaking it at the unversity because I have room (even though I got B's and B- level grades)- and will not take lab.

Research is part of my major (Biology/Anthropology BS). However, I will only perhaps do the minimum, and it will be social science research. I did long lab projects in ochem and biol that lasted two quarters and hated it so much. However, lecture was awesome!

Well, just had to vent this. My thoughts are kind of scattered. I know.

You're on the right track.

Even though you're not doing much yet, you still have a lot of time. Putting studies at the forefront of your plans is probably for the best.

In terms of finding things to do, volunteering is certainly a start. Nevertheless, you should think about your interests, enrich them and incorporate them into your ECs. Ideally, your ECs would be chosen based on your personal tastes. For the most part, this is entirely possible.

Just think about what you like to do and try to find a club or organization that has a common interest (or if this doesn't exist, make one). Being an introvert does not preclude involvement in ECs...it is simply a preference for more personal activities. And there is no need to lead in everything you do. Give it time, and you might feel comfortable enough to lead some sort of club or initiative.

Bottom line: You have plenty of time to find ECs. Just focus on your studies for now.
-Dr. P.
P.S.: Plenty of people hate research. I recommend that you do at least some research and, you never know, you might find a lab you're interested in.

 

[starflower]

I think you should consider a club. A community service club without many members, where you could easily get a leadership position, would be good.

 

[GoodDoctor]

Dr. Pepper's got it all right. There are tons of volunteer opportunities. Find something that fits your interests and low-key style and spend a few hours a week. Same goes for clinical experience. You don't have to be an extrovert to spend a few hours a week in an ER or other setting. And any hypothesis-based research will work. You can find a prof in any field who will be happy to have a volunteer, so go with something that you'll find stimulating (or rough it out so you can really say you don't like research... real research can be much more gratifying than a cookbook chem lab).

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

How do you get a volunteering gig at a hospital? Who would you talk to to get started?

 

[airflare]

Every hospital I've seen has a office of volunteers. You should check to see if the hospital you're interested in has one, and contact them.

 

[Shredder]

In retrospect I wish I had indulged in more gaming, anime and other things I enjoy, at the expense of whatever few silly ECs I did. Then gone to whatever school would let me in based solely on solid GPA and MCAT. People graduating from top schools will not necessarily be making more money than those from low schools. And getting into those top schools is a royal hassle that will occupy all aspects of undergrad. Even at that it's far from guaranteed.

A couple of cents from me, anyway. In response to your not being "involved" in a lot, I say cheers.

 

[vtucci]

ECs are necessary and allow ADCOMs to get a better feel for your personality. Also, keep in mind they give you 15 slots to fill up. Not that you have to fill up all 15. However, having only 5 or 6 filled will look a little shoddy compared to everyone else. You must excel academically but part of what ADCOMs are looking for is your ability to balance coursework with activities and jobs-- it is time management skills. You do not even have a job as an excuse.

If you are shy and concerned about running for a leadership position in an existing club at school, start your own. Guaranteed way to be President of an organization and it shows initiative. You are interested in religion so start a religion, ethics and medicine club at school and get a couple of speakers from the department of religion and a few from your schools medical program and have a lunch roundtable. Also, they cost money but I would recommend a medical mission to a third world country. Eye opening. They are not usually sponsored by Catholic groups but a number of protestants groups have week or more long missions.

For hospitals, there are usually volunteer offices. You can also contact individual doctors on staff to shadow them.

If you have time, become an EMT.

I recommend research. First of all, I hate bench or lab research. I did clinical research when I was applying to med school. That enables you to interview patients and increase patient contacts.

 

[sentrosi]

You still have lots of time to get some good ECs in. Doing pharma stuff sounds great. It's medically related and you'll have a step up with all those drugs on other students.

I'm convinced that ECs don't count as much as people sometimes make them out to be. You have some good stuff and still time to get more. Don't stress on the ECs...grades and a good MCAT should be higher priorities.

 

[WWU_Viking]

I have never seen the AMCAS application. I cant get to it at the AMCAS website either.

Are there actually sections for EC's, Clinical exp, volunteering ect?

Can someone tell me the sections of the AMCAS that basically need to be "filled"

for example, working in a pharmacy for ~2 years: what is that considered?

 

[WWU_Viking]

Also, they cost money but I would recommend a medical mission to a third world country. Eye opening. .

Well I did go on a family trip to Cambodia (my parents came here from there in the 70's). It was 6 weeks long and I helped build houses (yes, it's cliche), helped orphans. It was not part of any organization.

It was eye opening.

 

[sentrosi]

So basically the section for ECs on the AMCAS is like a space where you can list up to (if I remember correctly) 15 activities. You can basically include anything you did. Has spaces for when you participated, hours/week, category (health related, cultural, etc.), contact person, and a large space for describing the activity.

There isn't individual spaces for each type of activity and you don't need to have one activity in every possible activity.

I would definitely use the 2 years of pharma work as one of these if I did that.

 

[WWU_Viking]

Can more than one "thing you did" be in multiple categories on the AMCAS, say both employment and EC's?????

 

[vtucci]

Well I did go on a family trip to Cambodia (my parents came here from there in the 70's). It was 6 weeks long and I helped build houses (yes, it's cliche), helped orphans. It was not part of any organization.

It was eye opening.

That is something you can use then as a volunteer experience. A medical mission will be even more eye opening. You can vaccinate children, take medical histories the whole enchilada.

You generally should not put things into two categories. If it was a job, it was a job, not an extracurricular activity. The extracurricular activities almost presume that you were not paid.

 

[sentrosi]

The activities section encompassess employment and ECs.

AMCAS is personal statement, classes, MCAT, biographical information, activities. So the only way to have it in multiple categories is if you write it as an activity and also talk about it in your personal statement.

If you are trying to get one activity to count as a lot, it's not going to work. It's going to count as that activity. Even if there were multiple sections that you could put it in, adcoms can easily see that it's the same activity really.

 

[WWU_Viking]

That is something you can use then as a volunteer experience. A medical mission will be even more eye opening. You can vaccinate children, take medical histories the whole enchilada.

You generally should not put things into two categories. If it was a job, it was a job, not an extracurricular activity. The extracurricular activities almost presume that you were not paid.

Yeah, this is something I did when I was on a family trip. It was just my family, me, and cousins visting from the states. Will the AMCAS ask for a contact person, ect? For all they know I could just be lying (which I am not).

 

[DropkickMurphy]

or is this an admission of guilt

Well....he did say he was Catholic.....

 

[DoctorPardi]

Well....he did say he was Catholic.....

Hey I am catholic! Well actually I am an atheist, but I am ethnically Catholic.(does that exist?)

 

[tncekm]

Hey I am catholic! Well actually I am an atheist, but I am ethnically Catholic.(does that exist?)

Nope, but based on that same principle of ethnicity based off of religion one was born into, I'm am agnostic who is ethnically mormon its too bad such a term isn't an "actual term" because it is quite useful

 

[DoctorPardi]

Nope, but based on that same principle of ethnicity based off of religion one was born into, I'm am agnostic who is ethnically mormon its too bad such a term isn't an "actual term" because it is quite useful

Well you can be ethnically Jewish! So I say I can be ethnically Catholic if I want too! I am Italian, and that seems about as ethnically Catholic as you can be.

 

[tncekm]

Well you can be ethnically Jewish! So I say I can be ethnically Catholic if I want too! I am Italian, and that seems about as ethnically Catholic as you can be.

Hmm...point taken, but I'm not sure if it's "quite" the same thing. Technically, Jewish isn't "really" a faith. Its Judaism that is the faith of the Jewish people.

 

[DoctorPardi]

Hmm...point taken, but I'm not sure if it's "quite" the same thing. Technically, Jewish isn't "really" a faith. Its Judaism that is the faith of the Jewish people.

You're concentrating on all the wrong details here. What you need to think about is why I am right. Think about it.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Hey I am catholic! Well actually I am an atheist, but I am ethnically Catholic.(does that exist?)

It only counts in Northern Ireland

 

[tncekm]

You could say ethnically christian if that makes you feel better. But then we'd have to bust out a taxonomy tree...Maybe you'd be Christianis Catholocis, where Catholocis is the sub-ethnicity

 

[DropkickMurphy]

So if he were a Roman Catholic would that make him a Christianis catholicis vagantes?

Of course, since I'm Episcopalian that would make me Christianis catholicis slackerii ("slacker Catholic")

 

[tncekm]

Sure...I like the idea! Since you've got the catholics taken care of, I'll go ahead and start the taxonomy for my people.

Monothiest Christianis Mormonis Polygomii
Monothiest Christianis Mormonis Monogomii

Back to DoctorPardi's original question...well, I guess ethnicity is vague enough you can identify almost any group as an ethnic group if you wanted to. But, I'd debate most of the ideas to death, of course.