Starting extracurriculars later?

[faeriequeen]

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[armybound]

sooner is better than later is better than not at all. just start over the summer. it won't end your career if you start now.

 

[pennybridge]

well the AMCAS opens tomorrow so....

edit// more AMCAS activities:

spent summer working on time machine to go back and start volunteering and research earlier

 

[armybound]

well the AMCAS opens tomorrow so....

haha

 

[faeriequeen]

.

 

[Dr.Detroit]

I'm still a second year, so I have a bit more time. It's just that I'm starting to see my older friends finish their MCAT and get acceptances to med schools, so I'm beginning to feel the stress of measuring up!

Hanging out on SDN is going to make you feel less measured up.

Make sure that you get some clinical experience with patient contact. Try to take a leadership role in any clubs/organizations that you join. As you surmised, it's going to be best if you start right away.

Good luck!

 

[emaj1n]

Hi everyone,

How late is too late to start extracurriculars? I join clubs and organizations for my own sake, but how would med school adcoms look at a person who began to get involved at the beginning of their third year? On paper, does it just look like a desperate attempt to be well-rounded?

Thanks so much, I think I'm hitting a sophomore slump. Gotta get myself out!

I agree with the poster above who said to do something significant this summer. You have plenty of time. Find volunteer hours, a hospice, or a physician to shadow.

Getting involved in a particular organization during your third year won't be received negatively if it's a commendable organization or activity and you are significantly involved. Joining the pre-med club may be a waste of time (pre-med clubs often are). Joining, say, a group that visits JD and mentors to youths twice a month is different (just an example; don't let it stress you out). Right about now, you should begin thinking about how many letters you know you can secure, too.

Slumps are natural, especially at the end of a semester. Finish finals (if you haven't already), take a week to rest and search for some volunteer opportunities, and then get back on the trail.

If it helps, I had activities that I began my third and fourth year on my AMCAS. I didn't extra-curric cram, I just found new things that I liked. Any school will understand that.

Good luck.

 

[postbacker]

Starting late might look suspicious for the applicant who writes a PS saying "I have wanted to be a doctor since kindergarten..." who doesn't do any volunteering until middle of junior year or just before filling in the AMCAS...

Otherwise, I think the OP is over-analyzing this. Get the ECs.

 

[ADeadLois]

Hi everyone,

How late is too late to start extracurriculars? I join clubs and organizations for my own sake, but how would med school adcoms look at a person who began to get involved at the beginning of their third year? On paper, does it just look like a desperate attempt to be well-rounded?

Thanks so much, I think I'm hitting a sophomore slump. Gotta get myself out!

Hindsight is 20/20. Yes, it's better to start early, but you can't go back in time. Do what you need to do to get clinical experiene and a variety of ECs that match YOUR interests, not the adcoms.

 

[gsmithers68]

Hi everyone,

How late is too late to start extracurriculars? I join clubs and organizations for my own sake, but how would med school adcoms look at a person who began to get involved at the beginning of their third year? On paper, does it just look like a desperate attempt to be well-rounded?

Thanks so much, I think I'm hitting a sophomore slump. Gotta get myself out!

My first two years in college I didn't do anything for my app at all. Don't forget you have the year in which you are applying to get involved too. Think about that when you are applying... an experience that is 3 months now may be 6-9 months by the time you are mid-application cycle so make updates with that at schools you are really interested in and you'll be fine. Thats what I did and things turned out alright.

The other option is apply the year after next if you are really worried about it. When I was just finishing my junior year I thought it would be a good idea to apply straight out of undergrad. But looking back at my application I had three to four involvements which would have been much stronger a year later. I'll always carry that "what if or where could I be" thought in the back of my head. Oh well.

Just my 0.02

 

[Kfire326]

Hi everyone,

How late is too late to start extracurriculars? I join clubs and organizations for my own sake, but how would med school adcoms look at a person who began to get involved at the beginning of their third year? On paper, does it just look like a desperate attempt to be well-rounded?

Thanks so much, I think I'm hitting a sophomore slump. Gotta get myself out!

My health related exp didn't start until the fall of my junior year, and I got in.. so it's possible. But, I was involved in a club, my undergrad student government, and did a semester of research before that (and found that I have NO patience for it). If you haven't been completely wasting your time, then I think you might still be OK.