- Joined
- May 26, 2013
- Messages
- 31
- Reaction score
- 5
Your MCAT score is definitely a crucial part of your med school application, but what if it’s not as high as you aimed? Now it’s time for the rest of your application to shine, especially your extracurriculars.
Through your application -- personal statement, AMCAS experiences list, secondaries, and interviews -- you must demonstrate a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others. You must also show your undeniable passion and love for medicine. One way to show this is joining extracurriculars that have a relevance to medicine. Here are some good extracurricular activities for med school:
Research
Doing research as an undergrad or during your gap year is a great way to demonstrate a desire to discover and a commitment to finding answers. Med schools are looking for students who have the potential to change the future of medicine. Doing research will also help you during med school since you will need to learn how to interpret research in med school anyways.
Service
Medicine is inherently helping others. Doing sustained volunteering and serving others shows med schools that you can handle the responsibilities that come along with curing the sick. Make sure to show tangible achievements while serving others and do this for a long period of time.
Work/Internship Experience
Before a med school will admit you they need to be absolutely certain that you have committed yourself to being a doctor. A good way of showing this is by working or interning in the medicine field. These can include shadowing a doctor, working as a scribe, working at a clinic, or interning at a hospital.
Teaching Experience
Part of being a good doctor is knowing how to listen, communicate, and empathize with your patients. A good way to learn these skills are by teaching. Whether it’s working as a teaching assistant during undergrad, taking a gap year to teach health in a foreign country, or coaching a sport. Start learning how to teach.
For more information, check out this blog!
Good Extracurricular Activities for Med School: What are Schools Looking for in Applicants?
Through your application -- personal statement, AMCAS experiences list, secondaries, and interviews -- you must demonstrate a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others. You must also show your undeniable passion and love for medicine. One way to show this is joining extracurriculars that have a relevance to medicine. Here are some good extracurricular activities for med school:
Research
Doing research as an undergrad or during your gap year is a great way to demonstrate a desire to discover and a commitment to finding answers. Med schools are looking for students who have the potential to change the future of medicine. Doing research will also help you during med school since you will need to learn how to interpret research in med school anyways.
Service
Medicine is inherently helping others. Doing sustained volunteering and serving others shows med schools that you can handle the responsibilities that come along with curing the sick. Make sure to show tangible achievements while serving others and do this for a long period of time.
Work/Internship Experience
Before a med school will admit you they need to be absolutely certain that you have committed yourself to being a doctor. A good way of showing this is by working or interning in the medicine field. These can include shadowing a doctor, working as a scribe, working at a clinic, or interning at a hospital.
Teaching Experience
Part of being a good doctor is knowing how to listen, communicate, and empathize with your patients. A good way to learn these skills are by teaching. Whether it’s working as a teaching assistant during undergrad, taking a gap year to teach health in a foreign country, or coaching a sport. Start learning how to teach.
For more information, check out this blog!
Good Extracurricular Activities for Med School: What are Schools Looking for in Applicants?
