Should I drop some music ECs?

[astraa]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I’m super involved in the classical music community at my undergrad. For context, I had international awards in HS, and though I stopped competing and taking private lessons for my instrument, I still play (biology major, no double major or minor in music). I have leadership in two music orgs (one hobby club, another music volunteering org at the university hospital). I also do orchestra and a different ensemble, and the professor was impressed enough that he ended up hiring me within the music department as a paid collaborative musician. We have an actual music school with performance majors, and this is highly unusual (unprecedented?) for a non-music major to be given that opportunity.

The thing is, this stuff is a major time commitment (~15h/wk min), and my parents are getting concerned that I could be spending my time on other things because “music won’t help you on your application”. Is this actually true and should I be looking to spend my time elsewhere? I was also thinking of getting my non-science LOR from the professor who hired me. I enjoy music, and I have volunteering/research going on with a 4.0 GPA, but I definitely could get more hours on more application-targeted things if I dropped some music activities.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I dropped out of a band I was in (much more time consuming than 15 hours) to have more time to do research, shadow, etc. I regret doing that though.

If you're doing all the things you should be doing (grades, shadowing, volunteering, clinical experience), I'd keep it in. You gotta have fun somehow, and being a generic boring bio major isn't great.

 

[cj_cregg]

I love to see people with outside interests/hobbies/skills on their application and especially music and leadership roles. It sounds like this is also something that is good for you from a mental health perspective. (And lots of med schools have student music groups! Common hobby among docs - check out the Detroit Medical Orchestra for example.) Music will not be a replacement for inadequate volunteering, clinical experience, grades, MCAT, etc. but can be a great plus to an otherwise decent application.

 

[AJS59]

I’m super involved in the classical music community at my undergrad. For context, I had international awards in HS, and though I stopped competing and taking private lessons for my instrument, I still play (biology major, no double major or minor in music). I have leadership in two music orgs (one hobby club, another music volunteering org at the university hospital). I also do orchestra and a different ensemble, and the professor was impressed enough that he ended up hiring me within the music department as a paid collaborative musician. We have an actual music school with performance majors, and this is highly unusual (unprecedented?) for a non-music major to be given that opportunity.

The thing is, this stuff is a major time commitment (~15h/wk min), and my parents are getting concerned that I could be spending my time on other things because “music won’t help you on your application”. Is this actually true and should I be looking to spend my time elsewhere? I was also thinking of getting my non-science LOR from the professor who hired me. I enjoy music, and I have volunteering/research going on with a 4.0 GPA, but I definitely could get more hours on more application-targeted things if I dropped some music activities.

As long as you're hitting your minimums I don't think you should drop the music stuff, especially if you enjoy it. Hobbies are good

 

[astraa]

Thank you all for your responses! I have clinical and nonclinical volunteering, research, still looking for shadowing and eventually a clinical job probably (I’m still a second year so there’s time), and I feel like things are going well enough. I will show this to my parents 🙂

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Music or Medicine? Great Tips for Doing Both

Music or medicine - are you thinking you have to make a choice? If you are passionate about music but also feel like medicine is your calling, take heart: you’re not alone.

majoringinmusic.com

In Perfect Harmony - Georgetown Today

“We don't really understand why creativity is so healing. But it's restorative, like sleep, and nobody understands that either.” — Dr. Caroline Wellbery, Arts & Medicine's faculty advisor.

today.advancement.georgetown.edu

Music and medicine

What was the first human music? A whistled imitation of a bird call? A rhythmic pounding that mimicked a heartbeat or hoof beat? A croon to soothe a crying baby

medicine.yale.edu

 

[Goro]

I’m super involved in the classical music community at my undergrad. For context, I had international awards in HS, and though I stopped competing and taking private lessons for my instrument, I still play (biology major, no double major or minor in music). I have leadership in two music orgs (one hobby club, another music volunteering org at the university hospital). I also do orchestra and a different ensemble, and the professor was impressed enough that he ended up hiring me within the music department as a paid collaborative musician. We have an actual music school with performance majors, and this is highly unusual (unprecedented?) for a non-music major to be given that opportunity.

The thing is, this stuff is a major time commitment (~15h/wk min), and my parents are getting concerned that I could be spending my time on other things because “music won’t help you on your application”. Is this actually true and should I be looking to spend my time elsewhere? I was also thinking of getting my non-science LOR from the professor who hired me. I enjoy music, and I have volunteering/research going on with a 4.0 GPA, but I definitely could get more hours on more application-targeted things if I dropped some music activities.

Some of the best students we admit and or interview have been music Majors or musicians.

Only you can be the judge of how much time you were devoting to one particular subject at the expense of other extracurriculars.

Have you done any shadowing, patient contact experience, and non-clinical volunteering?

One thing's for sure, do not listen to your parents. Out of love and ignorance will derail your medical career

 

[astraa]

Some of the best students we admit and or interview have been music Majors or musicians.

Only you can be the judge of how much time you were devoting to one particular subject at the expense of other extracurriculars.

Have you done any shadowing, patient contact experience, and non-clinical volunteering?

One thing's for sure, do not listen to your parents. Out of love and ignorance will derail your medical career

Hi, thanks for the response! I’m involved in clinical and non-clinical volunteering, around 7-8hr/wk total. I haven’t shadowed yet though, it’s something I’m actively looking for right now (I’m a second year planning to take gap years though, so I don’t think I’m necessarily in a rush?).

 

[Goro]

Hi, thanks for the response! I’m involved in clinical and non-clinical volunteering, around 7-8hr/wk total. I haven’t shadowed yet though, it’s something I’m actively looking for right now (I’m a second year planning to take gap years though, so I don’t think I’m necessarily in a rush?).

Sounds like you have plenty of time, and you have mastered time met as well!!

Do what you love, and love what you do.

 

[LizzyM]

Music is a wonderful hobby and I know many attending physicians who have continued to perform and even compose just as they did in undergrad (or in different ways). I think that about a quarter of the applicants I interview (I'm at a top 20 school) have significant involvement in music.

 

[LunaOri]

Enjoy your time as an undergrad; a gap year or two will be enough time to pick up all the shadowing and clinical work.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I've done 10ish hours of music stuff a week since middle school and I'm now in my early 30s. Keep it up, it'll be a bright light in dark times.

 

[Breadman10]

I had three of my 15 activities involve music (I was in a bunch of bands/musical groups during undergraduate). This cycle is going amazing for me and every single one of my interviewers spent at least 1/3 of the time discussing my love for music. I would advice you stay

 

[GoSpursGo]

If you have a 4.0 and are getting plenty of volunteering/research anyways, then you should keep doing things that make you happy in your spare time. You don't want to burn out before you even enter med school, and while it "doesn't count" on your application on paper, as mentioned by others it will make you memorable in your interviews.

Just keep in mind that when you get to upper division courses and MCAT prep, it may need to take a back seat.

 

[Adiemus]

I have a major chunk of musical extracurriculars going on, and despite the rather insane time commitment I regret nothing. Unless it's truly unsustainable, I wouldn't give up something I'm passionate about and find happiness in doing. It's undoubtedly saved me when life has gotten especially rough. Music was a topic many interviewers wanted to talk about, so don't think of it as anything remotely close to an application burden. Best of luck my friend.