Joining Admissions committee
Started by popoon
I wouldn't expect it to have any particular value just being a one-liner on a page. When I was a chief resident reviewing apps, I wouldn't have made note of it. That's not to say it's a worthless endeavor. Do it if you think you'll enjoy it.
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deleted1139416
In general what were some extracurriculars that stood out (instead of research)? Did things like student government, tutoring, underserved volunteerism stand out?
Do you want to do it? If so, do it. If not, don't.
I served as an interviewer for med school admissions at my institution. Came up twice during my interview season but really only as discussion points during my interview to get to know me better. No idea if it actually helped me secure interviews in the first place.
I was a member of the admissions committee at my MD school, and it came up during residency interviews. It was a cool experience and allowed me to give back to the community. 10/10 would recommend it.
The students who do this uniformly love it and would do it over. Admissions is a grand exercise in collaborative decision making, which is a useful thing to witness. Most everyone gets involved in hiring at some point in their career, and it's helpful to have experience evaluating and debating applicants.
Non-healthcare related extracurriculars tended to stand out for me. Some people have some really interesting hobbies/passions/pursuits. They tended to lead to an interesting discussion and usually said the person was a more fully formed person.
Re: med school related activities: stuff that suggested higher level involvement and/or leadership was good. Volunteering at the student free clinic: good. Serving as student director of the free clinic: better. Serving as a class officer is good.
In general, from my side, I tried to filter the "check the box" extracurriculars and see if there was anything novel or something the app clearly took a passionate interest in. In response to the OP, if you do the admissions committee and enjoy it then it can absolutely be your EC talking point during interviews.
Depending on the committee, it's a better insight into navigating real politics among the faculty. While any school committee work is useful, this is especially true for student promotions.
As someone who has interviewed more people than I would like to admit, I can tell you that interviewing others gives you insight into what makes a successful candidate. I would only join the admissions committee if that is something that you will enjoy, but figured it was worth pointing out this ancillary benefit.
