Newbie questions about extra curriculars

[ushaseos]

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Hi Everyone,

As with every newbie I have a few questions about extra-curriculars. I feel my academic stuff is pretty strong (and really hoping I am not wrong in assuming so) but I'd like to know more about extra curriculars.

1) So basically I am in a remote part of Northern California where there aren't any free dental clinics around. The closest one to me is 2.5 hours away each way and I'll have to miss a day's work each week to do that. I did volunteer here before graduating but since then I haven't gone back due to the time issue. Is volunteering that important? Or can I instead do....

2) Shadowing? I have plenty of dentists around who'd be willing to let me observe them doing their thing. Would something like this be a viable alternative or is this just a waste of time? I'll probably do this anyway since I am sure I'll learn a lot via observation.

3) A lot of dentists I spoke to suggested I do something to show my dexterity. Being a phenomenally nerdy person, I have no skills with cars or anything like that. I have built many PCs and done plenty of careful soldering with audio stuff. Is there anything that I can do to show this and/or is this important enough to worry about?

4) As a completely unrelated thing, I am learning programming and want to write Practice SAT tests and open a website where students can take these for free (also wanting to make a free android/ios app to go along with this). Again being a nerd this isn't difficult for me and hopefully it'll help a couple kids out who don't have the funds to go take expensive tutoring for the SAT. Would including something like this hurt my application?

5) Lastly I have volunteered at a free medical clinic for over a year doing basic triage work, dealing with patients and helping monitor supplies etc. I again stopped because I graduated from Berkeley and its a 1.5 hour drive for me each way and once again I'll have to miss a day of work for this. I have never taken the MCAT or seriously wanted to do Medicine, I mainly did this because I wanted to help out my community. Would including something like this hurt my application or raise doubt about my desire to be a dentist?

Lastly here are some personal stats:

University: UC Berkeley
cGPA - 3.734
sGPA: 3:730
Graduated in 3.5 academic years majoring in a Neuro flavor of Biology
Have 6 letters of Rec (2 from Science profs, 1 from humanities, 1 from research, 1 from special ed and 1 from tutoring)

DAT Score:
PAT - 23
QR - 26
RC - 21
Bio - 24
GC - 26
OC - 22
TS - 24
AA - 24

Some of My Extra Curriculars:
- Research - 2 years+ and a publication a very reputed journal
- Participated in many student groups and was officer for one of them for a year
- Volunteered in a free medical clinic (would including this hurt my application?)
- Volunteered for a month in a free Dental clinic
- Worked with special ed kids during 3 summers
- Work currently as a tutor (tutoring all subjects from 5th grade up to 12th)

EDIT: I should clarify that I am shadowing right now for around 2-4 hours per week. What I'm asking in question 2 is that would shadowing more compensate for lack of volunteering or is it important enough for me to drive 5 hours and miss a day's worth of work to volunteer? Also currently only shadowing a general dentist.

 

[Seamonkey Doc]

Your stats are great and your EC's look fine too. Don't worry. Good luck

 

[anida123]

You'll be fine, though I think you have to get a LOR from a dentist.

 

[threechins]

Wow with those stats I'm sure there is a seat ready for you next year.

1. I didn't help out in any dental clinics.
2. I barely did any shadowing.
3. I put PC building in my dexterity part too.
4. Tutoring definitely helps your app.
5. The medical volunteering is good, I had something like that on my app too.

Your stats and ECs are very strong. I would not worry. Good luck!

 

[NonTradHopeful]

Hi Everyone,

As with every newbie I have a few questions about extra-curriculars. I feel my academic stuff is pretty strong (and really hoping I am not wrong in assuming so) but I'd like to know more about extra curriculars.

1) So basically I am in a remote part of Northern California where there aren't any free dental clinics around. The closest one to me is 2.5 hours away each way and I'll have to miss a day's work each week to do that. I did volunteer here before graduating but since then I haven't gone back due to the time issue. Is volunteering that important? Or can I instead do....

2) Shadowing? I have plenty of dentists around who'd be willing to let me observe them doing their thing. Would something like this be a viable alternative or is this just a waste of time? I'll probably do this anyway since I am sure I'll learn a lot via observation.

3) A lot of dentists I spoke to suggested I do something to show my dexterity. Being a phenomenally nerdy person, I have no skills with cars or anything like that. I have built many PCs and done plenty of careful soldering with audio stuff. Is there anything that I can do to show this and/or is this important enough to worry about?

4) As a completely unrelated thing, I am learning programming and want to write Practice SAT tests and open a website where students can take these for free (also wanting to make a free android/ios app to go along with this). Again being a nerd this isn't difficult for me and hopefully it'll help a couple kids out who don't have the funds to go take expensive tutoring for the SAT. Would including something like this hurt my application?

5) Lastly I have volunteered at a free medical clinic for over a year doing basic triage work, dealing with patients and helping monitor supplies etc. I again stopped because I graduated from Berkeley and its a 1.5 hour drive for me each way and once again I'll have to miss a day of work for this. I have never taken the MCAT or seriously wanted to do Medicine, I mainly did this because I wanted to help out my community. Would including something like this hurt my application or raise doubt about my desire to be a dentist?

Lastly here are some personal stats:

University: UC Berkeley
cGPA - 3.734
sGPA: 3:730
Graduated in 3.5 academic years majoring in a Neuro flavor of Biology
Have 6 letters of Rec (2 from Science profs, 1 from humanities, 1 from research, 1 from special ed and 1 from tutoring)

DAT Score:
PAT - 23
QR - 26
RC - 21
Bio - 24
GC - 26
OC - 22
TS - 24
AA - 24

Some of My Extra Curriculars:
- Research - 2 years+ and a publication a very reputed journal
- Participated in many student groups and was officer for one of them for a year
- Volunteered in a free medical clinic (would including this hurt my application?)
- Volunteered for a month in a free Dental clinic
- Worked with special ed kids during 3 summers
- Work currently as a tutor (tutoring all subjects from 5th grade up to 12th)

EDIT: I should clarify that I am shadowing right now for around 2-4 hours per week. What I'm asking in question 2 is that would shadowing more compensate for lack of volunteering or is it important enough for me to drive 5 hours and miss a day's worth of work to volunteer? Also currently only shadowing a general dentist.

Solid stats. I can't answer most of the questions b/c they don't apply to me. But I can tell you that your stats are amazing.

As far as your manual dexterity is concerned. Include the PC building...that is key. Also, can you use chopsticks? Believe it or not, that is also an indication of manual dexterity. You'd be surprised how many examples you can think of regarding manual dexterity. Some of the ones I plan to include are: chopsticks, driving a manual car, etc.

Really sit down and think, and you'll find plenty of examples that illustrate your dexterity.

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Hand skills come with time.

I wouldn't worry about it... start peeling potatoes if you really want to get a head start.

 

[ushaseos]

Your stats are great and your EC's look fine too. Don't worry. Good luck

Thanks! I was really not sure I had enough extra curriculars (really ignored this while in college)

You'll be fine, though I think you have to get a LOR from a dentist.

I have been shadowing a local dentist since November around 2-4 hrs per week, hopefully he'll agree to give me one

Wow with those stats I'm sure there is a seat ready for you next year.

1. I didn't help out in any dental clinics.
2. I barely did any shadowing.
3. I put PC building in my dexterity part too.
4. Tutoring definitely helps your app.
5. The medical volunteering is good, I had something like that on my app too.

Your stats and ECs are very strong. I would not worry. Good luck!

Perfect! Thank you for all the answers! I really thought medical volunteering would ruffle dental folks' feathers, hopefully not 🙂

Solid stats. I can't answer most of the questions b/c they don't apply to me. But I can tell you that your stats are amazing.

As far as your manual dexterity is concerned. Include the PC building...that is key. Also, can you use chopsticks? Believe it or not, that is also an indication of manual dexterity. You'd be surprised how many examples you can think of regarding manual dexterity. Some of the ones I plan to include are: chopsticks, driving a manual car, etc.

Really sit down and think, and you'll find plenty of examples that illustrate your dexterity.

Totally, I love sushi and can be fierce in my chopsticks wielding! I have dexterity and I know it. You can't SS DMD mode in Devil May Cry 3 without some serious reaction time and dexterity (+1 for those who know what I am talking about...-1 to me for being a nerd).

Most of the older dentists (especially this one guy who knows UoP admissions people) talk about how they either did some farm work or auto work to show that they aren't merely book-worms but capable both physically and mentally for the rigors of dental school

Hand skills come with time.

I wouldn't worry about it... start peeling potatoes if you really want to get a head start.

As I said above, I really don't have any worried about skills. I am sure I can deal with the dexterity requirements even now, but was just really clueless as to how I'd be able to demonstrate it to the admissions board...besides saying I kick ass at video games. Also I love cooking so I do plenty of peeling potatoes, cutting vegetables in general etc.

Thanks you guys for all your responses, I always felt like I ignored extra curriculars in college. Partially due to ill health (lost a year to sickness) and partially due to the fact that I tried to graduate early. Having no real transportation made it very difficult too; maintaining a car is impossible in Berkeley.

 

[Zbtb7]

Your stats and ECs are better than mine ushaseos. 🙂 Not to hijack the thread or anything, but seeing as how we're both worried about having enough ECs...

How would adcoms look upon ECs done after graduation? If an applicant has great stats and still doesn't get in, it would seem that the only way to improve would be to improve one's ECs. Can an applicant make up for poor undergrad ECs with ECs done afterwards? Would ECs done as a graduate be seen as having lesser value than those done in college?

 

[ushaseos]

Your stats and ECs are better than mine ushaseos. 🙂 Not to hijack the thread or anything, but seeing as how we're both worried about having enough ECs...

How would adcoms look upon ECs done after graduation? If an applicant has great stats and still doesn't get in, it would seem that the only way to improve would be to improve one's ECs. Can an applicant make up for poor undergrad ECs with ECs done afterwards? Would ECs done as a graduate be seen as having lesser value than those done in college?

Actually I never even thought about it that way since nearly half of mine were done after graduation (again the whole early graduation thing really didn't give me much time to do other stuff). I think it shouldn't matter but anyone else know if doing ECs after graduation makes them look less noteworthy?

I am really hoping ECs done even after college are still good in the eyes of the mighty admissions board.

 

[Zbtb7]

BUMP. Anyone have insight towards how the mighty Adcoms view ECs done after graduation?

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

They'll look fine. ECs are ECs, no one cares when you did them.

 

[agb2782]

Stats look good, you should be good to go. I think you were right on with the electrical soldering for hand-eye coordination; that's not something that many people do. Personally, I referenced playing musical instruments. Shadowing at private practices is definitely an alternative to volunteering at a dental clinic. It's fine to do some volunteering elsewhere (hospital, soup kitchens, food pantries, etc.) PP shadowing is basically required, though.

 

[ushaseos]

Thanks you guys! This basically addressed all my questions regarding uncertainty.