No time for Volunteering/Research/Stuff

[Ilvcurst]

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I'm new to medical school and I am currently just studying my life away. I was wondering how important is volunteering and research when it comes to applying for residency. I know it was a big deal as a premed but what about now? I general don't have any spare time for such activities or to really get involved, will this be an issue? I am interested in EM or Surgery but nothing uber-competitive.

Thanks!

MS1

 

[2012mdc]

I'm new to medical school and I am currently just studying my life away. I was wondering how important is volunteering and research when it comes to applying for residency. I know it was a big deal as a premed but what about now? I general don't have any spare time for such activities or to really get involved, will this be an issue? I am interested in EM or Surgery but nothing uber-competitive.

Thanks!

MS1

Don't worry about it now if you are still adjusting. If you have some free time during M1 then volunteer, if not it's not a huge deal and don't compromise your grades for it. Many students do research between M1 and M2 and/or do smaller research projects during M3 (esp. on lighter rotations)

Go to the interest group meetings for EM and Surgery and talk to the upper levels - they can help you out with opportunities specific to your school

 

[alwaysaangel]

I'm new to medical school and I am currently just studying my life away. I was wondering how important is volunteering and research when it comes to applying for residency. I know it was a big deal as a premed but what about now? I general don't have any spare time for such activities or to really get involved, will this be an issue? I am interested in EM or Surgery but nothing uber-competitive.

Thanks!

MS1

Not essential. I have classmates who had basically nothing to put in their activities section on ERAS. But they had good numbers and got lots of EM interviews. Not sure what they talked about during interviews though.

Ask around and find opportunities that you like, and take advantage of them. If you like it you will make time for it and it will make you stand out when it comes time to rank (Surgery cares less about this).

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Anything you do from now on will be about quality and not quantity. It seems like you are still adjusting and that's ok. Do try to pick around 2-3 activities that you can do well. Extracurricular may not matter for most interviews and certainly not for specific specialties (where research is stressed) but a really good extracurricular may be the topic of choice during an interview. Anyway, almost all my interviewers have asked me what I did besides studying or had me elaborate on an extracurricular.

If you are interested in research, the summer between 1st and 2nd year will be a great opportunity to explore that. Start talking to potential mentors/PIs and looking for funding.

 

[Vizious]

The summer between MS1 and MS2 is a great time to start a research project (and you can continue on it during MS2 year if you are inclined to do so).

For "extracurriculars" do whatever you enjoy doing (whether that is mentorship, teaching, cultural groups, dances, specialty interest groups, outreach, etc.), and be involved in it as much as you'd want to. Something you spend an hour a week on or 20 hours a week on are probably both valuable experiences and could probably be listed on a residency app and discussed positively in a residency interview.

 

[cpants]

Resist the premed urge to join every group, it won't help you. The most important things are grades and board scores. Then research. Then way down the list extracurriculars. Whoever said quality over quantity was dead on.