Please advise a freshman premed

[chess_king]

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I am in my first semester at a university. I expect to end up with respectable mcat scores and gpa.

I am worried about the extracurricular portion of my application. I am an introvert, and currently the only thing I do with others is attend class.

I suspect that this level of activity may be insufficient. What is the minimum amount of activities that I could do to not be hurt on this aspect of the application?

Please recommend specific activities. I usually do not enjoy any activities, so I am having a hard time coming up with anything. I do not really feel like volunteering, but I am willing to do whatever is necessary.

I will graduate in only 3 years. I started with 20 credits, and I am going to take classes next summer. I plan on spending my second summer doing some sort of internship or volunteering program. Could one summer make up for the other 3 years of inactivity?

 

[wendywellesley]

a major part of being a physian (in most cases) is working with others.

that being said- you might want to reconsider why you want to go into medicine if you don't like the idea of volunteering or doing anything other than sitting in class. don't volunteer just because it will look good on the CV. doing something during the summer, depending on what it is, may make up for not doing anything during the year, but i would suggest doing it for more than one summer. (pre-med advisors are usually good resoures for this kind of stuff, they can tell you want other students have done, also ask other pre-meds how they spend their summers.)

do you have ANY interests? cultural groups, sports, CHESS (as in your username), etc. its a good idea to get involved in ECs that don't only have to do with medicine, i think adcoms like to see a well rounded person with outside interests.

something to consider is research. you don't have to like being around people and it does look nice on the old application. what do like learning about? see if there are any profs at your school that work on something that you think is cool to learn about.

good luck!

and even though you say you don't like getting involved in things, i think it is a good idea to approach college with an open mind. if you don't do anything you might graduate regretting time lost in the library or alone in your room. you might surprise your self! it's all about self discovery as an undergrad.

 

[MEG@COOL]

I am in my first semester at a university. I expect to end up with respectable mcat scores and gpa.

I am worried about the extracurricular portion of my application. I am an introvert, and currently the only thing I do with others is attend class.

I suspect that this level of activity may be insufficient. What is the minimum amount of activities that I could do to not be hurt on this aspect of the application?

Please recommend specific activities. I usually do not enjoy any activities, so I am having a hard time coming up with anything. I do not really feel like volunteering, but I am willing to do whatever is necessary.

I will graduate in only 3 years. I started with 20 credits, and I am going to take classes next summer. I plan on spending my second summer doing some sort of internship or volunteering program. Could one summer make up for the other 3 years of inactivity?

Join an honors society, hospital volunteer, shadow, some sort of community service of your choice. This should be an ok amount. Also dont listen to people who say that just because you dont like to waste your time at a hospital doing menial labor means that you will be a bad doctor.

 

[krelian]

don't let med school ambitions dictate what activities you do. do activities that you enjoy. there's a bunch of activities out there for introverted people (e.g. chess club, magic: the gathering club 😛 , science/technology club.... please excuse my stereotypes 😀 ).

use college as a time to improve your social skills. if you attend a large university, you're bound to meet up with others that share your interest. please do no become a premed tool.

 

[Fermata]

Do whatever you want.

There's gotta be something that interests you outside of schoolwork.

 

[vikaskoth]

yea if you get into med school, you can always be a pathologist or a coroner, not much social interaction there

 

[secretasianman]

sounds like a future gunner in the making.

 

[swimerpaco]

sounds like a future gunner in the making.

Academically, yes, especially if you can "expect respectable Mcat and GPA" But I think that gunners are really all over the places with the EC's. Having to drag yourself outside to interact with people isn't really gunner-like.

 

[angelinebear]

Academically, yes, especially if you can "expect respectable Mcat and GPA" But I think that gunners are really all over the places with the EC's. Having to drag yourself outside to interact with people isn't really gunner-like.

I agree..but I bet you will overcome your introverted-ness (is that a word?) In college, you will really get to know yourself as well as the type people that you enjoy spending time with. Also, get involved with something you enjoy. Don't volunteer at things if your heart's not in it, just because you want it to look good on your resume. You'll make yourself miserable if you do.

P.S...I'm like you, I'm planning on graduating in 3 years (if I get in), and I really don't think that one summer is going to make up for 3 years of inactivity. In fact, I was told that medical schools like to see you involved in something for a long period of time. They want to see if you can stick with something. 🙂 ...

Good luck!

 

[MEG@COOL]

I agree..but I bet you will overcome your introverted-ness (is that a word?) In college, you will really get to know yourself as well as the type people that you enjoy spending time with. Also, get involved with something you enjoy. Don't volunteer at things if your heart's not in it, just because you want it to look good on your resume. You'll make yourself miserable if you do.

P.S...I'm like you, I'm planning on graduating in 3 years (if I get in), and I really don't think that one summer is going to make up for 3 years of inactivity. In fact, I was told that medical schools like to see you involved in something for a long period of time. They want to see if you can stick with something. 🙂 ...

Good luck!

introversion

 

[MD_Strategery]

chess_king i'm in the same boat you are also... I am a freshman pre-med student and find it hard to really find any volunteer work where i'm located unless your part of the pre-med club... Catch is: in order to be a member of the pre-med club you must have at least one semester under your belt and they only take applicants in the fall... Soooo... no pre-med club for me this year and the Medical Center in my area said I needed to be a part of this in order to volunteer my time... Go figure... Oh well good luck in your path to Either MD or DO maybe i'll see you around in a few years

 

[Reimat]

I think you should force yourself to get involved in some activities that you think may interest you. You need to work on your ability to successfully be able to interact with people- to say the least, if you don't want to interact with others in a college setting, how are you going to interact with dozens of patients a week? And before that, what about med school interviews? Not to scare/discourage you, but I think half of being a doctor is being socially adept.

If you're looking for a challenging career because you are intellectually motivated, you don't have to be a doctor- in fact, you should look at PhD programs. I think most PhD's doing research are much more intellectually stimulated and challenged than MD's.

Most importantly, enjoy your college years, and try different things to figure out what you really want to do with your future.

 

[Babooshka]

I am in my first semester at a university. I expect to end up with respectable mcat scores and gpa.

I am worried about the extracurricular portion of my application. I am an introvert, and currently the only thing I do with others is attend class.

I suspect that this level of activity may be insufficient. What is the minimum amount of activities that I could do to not be hurt on this aspect of the application?

Please recommend specific activities. I usually do not enjoy any activities, so I am having a hard time coming up with anything. I do not really feel like volunteering, but I am willing to do whatever is necessary.

I will graduate in only 3 years. I started with 20 credits, and I am going to take classes next summer. I plan on spending my second summer doing some sort of internship or volunteering program. Could one summer make up for the other 3 years of inactivity?

You may qualify for the Harvard School of Being a Bum. Stop being an introvert. You're going to die old and lonely.

 

[Shaz]

Just study your ass off, and whatever time you have left over split between research and clnic...i'm serious

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I suggest looking into biomedical research. As a physician, one is expected to regularly treat patients, which requires a certain level of communication skills (except for the few non-interactive branches of medicine). You don't seem like you want to work on those skills, but rather slide by with as few experiences that require interaction as possible. I suggest that the first action you take is to begin volunteering at a hospital, especially in the ER. Can you deal with people in pain? Can you talk to the family of an injured person? Figure that kind of thing out before you choose medicine as a profession. There may be better choices out there for you.

 

[hotlikebutter]

don't let med school ambitions dictate what activities you do. do activities that you enjoy. there's a bunch of activities out there for introverted people (e.g. chess club, magic: the gathering club 😛 , science/technology club.... please excuse my stereotypes 😀 ).

use college as a time to improve your social skills. if you attend a large university, you're bound to meet up with others that share your interest. please do no become a premed tool.

couldnt say it better myself. the worst are people who do things just cause they think med schools like to see it. if you do that, make sure you can convince them why you did it, cuase thats all they asked me on my interviews. as an undergrad, i tried to volunteer because med schools will look for it and i was interested in learning doctor-patient interactions, but after months of playing fetch in the hospital with little interactions with doctors or patients, i figured doctors need to know how to think intellectually too right? since i wasnt getting that in "can you bring patient x to room z" i followed my interests into research. presentations, fellowships, and publications later I can say i loved doing research, and med schools loved it too. not one school said, why didnt you spend more time walking old ladies accross the street or in the clinic collecting soiled bed sheets. im not saying all clinical opportunities for undergrads are like this, but its the norm as many of you can testify.

just curious though, what do you mean by introverted? if you dont hug everyone you see, that doesnt really qualify. but if you switch your day cycle to avoid interacting with people and hiss when you see puppies, then yeah, umm, you might want to reconsider medicine.

 

[schoolgirl]

I am in my first semester at a university. I expect to end up with respectable mcat scores and gpa.
-

 

[45408]

Just study your ass off, and whatever time you have left over split between research and clnic...i'm serious

No.

He needs a life as well. What's the point of graduating in three years? Just take it easy and enjoy it all - the extra year is only going to help you burn out faster, IMO. I've got a ton on my plate as it is.

 

[chess_king]

Thanks for all of the advice. As some of you have inferred, I am most interested in pathology and radiology.

 

[blz]

You may qualify for the Harvard School of Being a Bum. Stop being an introvert. You're going to die old and lonely.

Agreed. There's a pretty proven disadvantage to being an introvert in our society. Suck it up and learn to talk to people. Something you might want to try is tutoring or teaching a class. This will help build your confidence speaking in front of others.

 

[45408]

You guys are confusing introverts with being shy. It's not the same thing.

 

[Fermata]

You guys are confusing introverts with being shy. It's not the same thing.

A valid point.

 

[dalynn]

Don't let the med schools decide your life for the next three years.

Story time:
When I was in high school, I was valedictorian, I was in the majority of activities on campus (sports, music, school-related clubs, community service, you name it). I had a lot of friends while I was there, but I don't have a single person that I still keep in touch with. I was so worried about doing what I was supposed to do that I didn't make time for what I really cared about. My resume may not look as great now as it did then, but it's definitely acceptable, and I'm so much happier.

Don't do what you're "supposed" to do. There is no "supposed" to. Try to figure out what makes you happy and do that. At least then, when you're trying to explain to medical schools who you are and what you're all about, you'll know how to answer the questions. And if down the road you decide that med school's not what you want, you won't have been making yourself unhappy for three years for no reason.

Do what you have to do to make yourself happy now. Don't forget about working towards your goals, no matter how hard it gets (and trust me, it will get rough at times), but don't try to be something you're not. And don't do things because it's what others expect of you.

That said, you need to show med schools that you have some interest in the medical field. Just find the activity that fits your personality. I volunteer in the emergency room at a hospital, and I'd be lying if I said it was my favorite place in the world. But I also volunteer at a free clinic, and absolutely love it. You don't have to do one specific medically-related experience. Find what's right for you and stick with it.

As for not enjoying activities, there has to be something you enjoy. you can't be entirely devoid of personality. College is the perfect time to figure out who you are, and what makes you happy. It doesn't have to be conventional.