Is volunteer tutoring middle school a good EC experience for residency apps???

[eartwj]

Second year med student here. Literally involved in no ECs, did very little research this summer... need to beef up my experiences. There is a middle school not far from my apt. Is it too “undergrad-ish” to volunteer tutor middle school kids? I did it during my gap year, and med school admission directors liked it, but I’m not sure if residency directors would view it the same way. What are you all’s opinion on it??

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[WedgeDawg]

I doubt it will make or break your application, but it certainly won't hurt you. I would pursue it if its something that you're interested in doing.

 

[eartwj]

I doubt it will make or break your application, but it certainly won't hurt you. I would pursue it if its something that you're interested in doing.

Ok thanks. But to clarify, event though it won’t hurt to do it, a lack of volunteering/EC would hurt?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Ok thanks. But to clarify, event though it won’t hurt to do it, a lack of volunteering/EC would hurt?

Not a question that I have enough experience to answer and probably depends upon a number of other factors.

 

[libertyyne]

Ok thanks. But to clarify, event though it won’t hurt to do it, a lack of volunteering/EC would hurt?

 

[getdown]

Most residency programs won't care what you did in your free time. It'll be a good conversation topic when you do get interviews but it won't lead them to want to interview you. Given the choice between someone who taught middle school kids vs someone who did research in their field (assuming a competitive specialty), most places will interview the latter.

Unlike medical school where commitment to service is important, you're past that stage. PDs want to know commitment to the field. They're not going to spend money training you so you can switch specialties later cause you don't like the field.