Seeking advice on ECs, fellow nontrads-
I'm really enjoying one of my ECs and would love to spend more time with it, which would encompass clinical and non-clinical work. However, I'm worried that if I do, I won't have time to do other volunteering and this will cause my ECs list to be a bit thin. Thoughts?
Thank you!
It is important that you do what you love. This may sound cliche, but medical schools are not interested in "cookie-cutter" pre-meds, and thusly, you should not just pursue other EC's for the sake of filling up your app. In order to put an EC on your app, it should A. be something you are passionate about or have invested a great deal of time into, B. something that you can relate to your career path in a meaningful way (ie, how will this be helpful as a physician?)
A few examples of what may seem "non-clinical," but still relateable.
Sports: "My time spent on the baseball team taught me several lessons that would impact my life beyond the scope of the baseball diamond. As captain of the team, I have learned that while leadership is important, it is also important to not lose sight that you are still part of a team, and you need to function in both capacities, sometimes as teammate, sometimes as leader. Physicians are leaders in the community; people look to them for advice, education, and help with their bodies. But Physicians are also part of the healthcare team, and my ability to function as both a leader and a teammate, will prove invaluable in my career as a physician. Also, participating in sports has provided me with confidence and health, and as a physician, I would prescribe recreational athletics to my patients who are trying to improve their fitness or their mental health.
Music: Science is analytical - and it should be. Although I love science and studying what forces underlie the life processes that allow my body to function properly, my studies have taken away what once was "mystical," so-to-speak. When my passions became intellectualized, I realized that I had no outlet for balance. With this, retrieved my grandfathers old violin (which came to the Americas with his parents during the great immigration,) and I took some time to clean it and learn how to tune it. 3 years later, I am now composing my own music. While my lessons in physics provide insight into sound and acoustics, my musical endeavors are in no way broken down analytically, and serve to provide balance where the primary focus in my life is analytic sciences. In addition to providing me with balance and artistic fulfillment, I understand that the arts serve more merit than the majority of society may like to admit; specifically, I mean art therapy. For patients who's quality of life is so deteriorated because of the nature of their disease (Cancer, MS, etc,) art therapy can provide an outlet for these patients, much like as it has provided an outlet for me. Artistic expression can do wonders for ones mental health, and when a patient is in a good place emotionally, it serves their physical health in a positive way as well.
These are just two examples I thought of off the top of my head. DISCLAIMER: I am not a musician, and I do not play baseball, lol. These are just some examples of how I could see one putting a "clinical emphasis," on something that is not directly clinical or relevant medically.
In short: Do what you love, make sure you can explain in your application why these activities are meaningful TO YOU, and how they may help you in your career as a physician. Do not do things for the sake of filling up EC slots.
Good Luck
