Maximizing ECs over the next two years

[vexation]

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Hi SDN I am an incoming 3rd year biochem major math minor in uni who plans on taking 1 or 2 gap years. I am trying to optimize my ECs for the next two years for my best cycle outcome in the next couple years, since I have a low-ish gpa (orgo killed me) & no mcat yet (taking it senior year). Left out some info for anonymity. Main question is: Do I need to really focus on the things I don’t have, or get the minimum (for volunteering/clinical like ~100-200 hours of each) and focus on the things I have the most hours for and do the best?

Leadership/teaching:
Two sport NCAA athlete (not even justifying this with number of hours): Captain of one of my NCAA sport teams, 2x national qualifier, if all goes right top 10 national finish this year.
Orgo TA (~100 hours by end of sem): Self explanatory
RA (~300 hours): Self explanatory
Student org treasurer (200 hours): Treasurer of selective 50+ person org, not health related, Managed over 10k as treasurer
Volunteer tutor at local HS (30 hrs)

Volunteering/clinical (worst section):
Three food bank kind of orgs (120 hrs by end of sem)
Shadowing (60hrs)
Hospital volunteering (~40 by end of sem): Mostly patient pushing kind of job
Trying to get some rural medicine experience through my uni's RAM chapter

Research:
Two labs (~2.5k-3k hrs since jr year HS): Both wet labs, one purely basic, non medical, one translational medicine lab. Been doing full time research the past 3 summers. Two mid-author publications, working on a first author manuscript right now. No conferences, two presentations at my uni. I love research and would like to probably continue as a physician scientist.

Clearly being a bit neurotic, but wondering how to maximize the next 2-3 years and summers to offset my GPA and whether I should just get the minimum volunteering/clinical or I should go all in on those and drop some other activities. Thanks!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Read and watch the interview

Supporting Prehealth Athlete Applicants: A Conversation with 2024 Advisor of the Year James Wasco, MD | SDN Review

College athletics have been in the spotlight over the last decade. Athletes can now financially benefit from name-image-likeness (NIL) agreements, and

www.studentdoctor.net

Doing the minimum is like just being present and not going all-out in practice, and as a captain I would be surprised if you just did the minimum.

Many athletes don't have the time during their schooling to do adequate volunteering unless thrust upon them from the athletics program. You can go through the motions to check off the boxes, but you need to show us you are passionate about helping others unlike yourself and being very comfortable around uncomfortable people. You know you have to address your weaknesses (things you clearly don't have or aren't to par).

Because you will have gap years in your future, identify the clinical and non-clinical opportunities you would immerse yourself in when you don't have to attend mandatory practices, study halls, or conditioning sessions.

 

[karaya]

Do I need to really focus on the things I don’t have, or get the minimum (for volunteering/clinical like ~100-200 hours of each) and focus on the things I have the most hours for and do the best?

Sometimes I wonder about the utility of volunteering for premeds, given that majority of physicians don't volunteer their time. But I remember an applicant I saw a couple years ago. A career engineer making the switch to medicine, with great academic and research metrics. He dismissed volunteering with the effective altruism stance: it's more effective to earn as much money as possible and donate it to charity, rather than volunteer one's time. But maximizing profit is inherently exploitive (the poster boy of effective altruism is a convicted fraudster). It betrays a mean streak that is at odds with medical care. There will be patients that humble you, patients who require discretion, nuance, and empathy. Empathy is not just one of our buzzwords; it is a constant practice.

I'm just a MS2, but already I've interviewed a patient for whom we could offer nothing BUT empathy. I was with FM, pt had intractable neuro pain. I asked, blithely, if pt was looking for pain meds, and received the brusque response that they were looking for the doctor's expertise. It was an immediate lesson on what happens when you fail to understand the human being sitting across from you. So yes, you need the volunteering, but more importantly, you need the humility.

In case you're wondering, last I heard the engineer ended his second cycle with one interview and no admits.

 

[chilly_md]

You need clinical experience. Can be hospital volunteering but a job is also an option to get hours faster as well as some pay. You can continue at the food bank as well for non-clinical service.

 

[vexation]

Thanks to everyone for the insight! Sorry for the late reply, will try to hit all points.

@Mr.Smile12 Thank you for the link about pre-health student athletes! If you have any other similar quality resources that would be greatly appreciated! The comment about not having enough time is very true, especially since I am competing from August-May each year, and is one reason why I have chosen to take gap years, since it is nigh impossible to get a clinical job with competitions every/every other weekend and practice 6 days a week. I will make sure to make my gap years more clinical focus (even though I love research and would like to continue that as well) to show that to adcoms and build a consistent narrative.

@karaya thank you for the insightful comment, the main reason I don't want to do a PhD is because I want hands on service with people and be able to help them immediately, and not just over the long term after a study is done and implemented 20 years down the line. I enjoyed the story of the applicant and will take it into account when planning my time. My volunteering with underserved populations back home (mainly inner city food distribution), as well as shadowing, while limited, have been influential experiences on my life and the main drivers that have pushed me to make the commitment to medicine, even if they are cliché experiences. I am not thinking of "doing the minimum" as simply being analytical and ignoring the human aspect, but mainly trying to optimize my limited time with other commitments.

@chilly_md Thank you for being blunt. Clearly I need clinical service. It is hard to get a hospital job with my current commitments, so I will apply as soon as I am out of undergrad, or this upcoming summer depending on whether I choose to do research.