Some good E.C's

[bigdreamer#1]

Howdy, this is my second post for today. I am aware that I need to build my medical school applicant resume. By that I need to add some more E.C's. I am in the midst of doing volunteering work at a local V.A. hospital and will work that into D.O. job shadowing as well. I'm thinking of taking an EMT course next semester to have that as well. Any more ideas? Any more E.C's that are obtainable within the limited time I have (about a year and a half)? Is there something that by the way of E.C. that may be insightful as a medical professional, besides of course E.R. room stuff?

Thanks again everyone!!

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[Green912]

With your timeline I'd say you have a pretty good handle on having enough relevant EC's. Instead of looking for new ones, unless you have to end what you're doing, I'd suggest putting in more hours. It's better to have a few solid experiences where you gained some meaningful exposure then to have 5-6 EC's here and there. The DO shadowing is a pretty big one also. Osteopathic schools seem to be fairly sensitive to whether someone has any DO exposure or not. The EMT training isn't a bad idea, but with your timeframe it seems like you'd just be taking the course and won't be able to put the training to good use. However if it fits into your schedule then by all means go for it.

 

[bigdreamer#1]

Thanks for your imput, that makes me feel as though I am on track. I also have several years with the Army reserve as a medical veterinarian technician. The job entails pretty much every kind of medical lab test that is also done on humans (hematology, cell morphology, parasitology, testing for bacteria, drawing blood, vaccinations, etc...), so do you suppose that would also be favorable as an EC as viewed by medical schools?

Thanks for the information, and any future replies.

 

[Green912]

I would think your seven years as a veterinarian technician would more appropriatly be listed under the job section of the application. If you've had "sub-jobs" associated with it you may be able to slip them under the EC section. However you could certainly include the lab test skills within the essays you'll be writing. Also I think the applicatons ask if you've had any military service. I don't know how a yes response impacts your application but I assume it's positive.

 

[San_Juan_Sun]

I think the EMT idea is a very good one. You'll have a great "EC" that you actually get paid for. It shows commitment, medical knowledge, and hard work/ If I could do it over again, I'd go for the EMT myself. Medical school aside, you could really do some good work as an EMT.

 

[bigdreamer#1]

Thanks again Green! I suppose you are right, I will work that into my essay.

Also, San_Jaun_Sun, glad that you believe what I do as well, thanks!

 

[Chagas]

You might want to re-think the EMT thing..... It won't mean sh%$ when you apply for medical school. The admissions committee won't be swayed by it.... believe me... several friends and colleagues on committees actually look down upon these experiences when used as a crutch to get into school. If being an EMT was a prior career choice or part-time gig that fueled a desire to practice medicine then it's a different story. If you really want to make an impact try these....

1) get to know a D.O. personally who attended the school of your choice (already stated in earlier post), shadow them and learn what the hell OMT is about, don't just read Gevitz before the interview..... if you live near an osteopathic school then attend a visiting clinician weekend seminar (usually an OMM specialist) to network and maybe learn something about osteopathy.
2) volunteer in a homeless shelter, HIV/AIDS clinic, Alzheimer's facility, Cancer Center etc. it's something not many people want to do but it will show some responsibility on your part for your community (a very big deal in all med schools)
3) Organize a local charity event, heart association walk, blood drive w/ red cross, clothing drive at a church whatever!!!! show the admissions people that you are a selfless (not selfish) individual who sincerely wants to do more than "pad" their EC paragraph with bull just to make themselves look more interested and/or important to a group of people whose opinions of YOU will decide the rest of YOUR life! You have to go out and do things that make you stand out from the other thousands of applicants! Good luck!