- Joined
- Jan 1, 2016
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
Hello, all. I have browsed the SDN forums for about a year now, but this is my first post. I need some advice. I can take criticism, but please bear with me.
I fear that I have been sucked into the typical "SDN mindset". I am very confused on what I should be doing for ECs. On one hand, many people say to "Do what you love," however, what I love are hobbies that don't fit the mold of what is typically expected of a pre med. For example, I have a true passion for amateur astronomy, and I am a member of a small astronomy club at my school, and I have a chance to take a leadership position, but it's not president or vice president. Going off the opinion of this website, it would be "pointless" to pursue this. Similarly, I have a love for playing the piano, but I have no awards or recognitions for playing. I just love playing. So, doing what I love isn't working for my application.
I will give a brief bio: I am a sophomore attending a state school in Michigan, entering my winter semester as a biology major. I have taken all of the pre reqs except organic chemistry II and the physics series, and I have a 4.00 GPA. I have 25 hours of shadowing a family doctor, an emergency room doctor, and a radiologist. I have roughly 14 hours of volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, and have participated in intramural sports. I will most likely be volunteering soon at the hospice center in my hometown, and I am also very close to securing a spot in my former genetics professor's research lab, in which he studies the genetics of cardiovascular disease. I also have worked at a job at my father's business for the past 6-7 years. Also, I am in the Honors College at my school and have found it to be an absolute waste of time. Will this look bad to admissions that I've had 2 honors courses and then none the rest of my academic career?
Now, the main point of this thread: I have dreams of attending the University of Michigan for medical school, and have used this site for help in deciding what to do for extracurriculars. However, I fear this site has given me a mindset that A) if I don't attend U of M or a similarly ranked school, that I won't be at my full potential, and B) despite having a perfect GPA, that I am simply not doing enough.
Please, SDNers, give me some advice and help me relax. I love science and the idea of being a physician, but I feel that the admissions process is consuming my life. Thank you all. Sorry for the lengthy and neurotic first post.
I fear that I have been sucked into the typical "SDN mindset". I am very confused on what I should be doing for ECs. On one hand, many people say to "Do what you love," however, what I love are hobbies that don't fit the mold of what is typically expected of a pre med. For example, I have a true passion for amateur astronomy, and I am a member of a small astronomy club at my school, and I have a chance to take a leadership position, but it's not president or vice president. Going off the opinion of this website, it would be "pointless" to pursue this. Similarly, I have a love for playing the piano, but I have no awards or recognitions for playing. I just love playing. So, doing what I love isn't working for my application.
I will give a brief bio: I am a sophomore attending a state school in Michigan, entering my winter semester as a biology major. I have taken all of the pre reqs except organic chemistry II and the physics series, and I have a 4.00 GPA. I have 25 hours of shadowing a family doctor, an emergency room doctor, and a radiologist. I have roughly 14 hours of volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, and have participated in intramural sports. I will most likely be volunteering soon at the hospice center in my hometown, and I am also very close to securing a spot in my former genetics professor's research lab, in which he studies the genetics of cardiovascular disease. I also have worked at a job at my father's business for the past 6-7 years. Also, I am in the Honors College at my school and have found it to be an absolute waste of time. Will this look bad to admissions that I've had 2 honors courses and then none the rest of my academic career?
Now, the main point of this thread: I have dreams of attending the University of Michigan for medical school, and have used this site for help in deciding what to do for extracurriculars. However, I fear this site has given me a mindset that A) if I don't attend U of M or a similarly ranked school, that I won't be at my full potential, and B) despite having a perfect GPA, that I am simply not doing enough.
Please, SDNers, give me some advice and help me relax. I love science and the idea of being a physician, but I feel that the admissions process is consuming my life. Thank you all. Sorry for the lengthy and neurotic first post.
Last edited:
