"Tiers" for ECs

[ineedmd56]

What does it mean when someone says stellar ECs? What distinguishes stellar from average ECs or good ECs? Is their a tier-system perse?

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[907914]

What does it mean when someone says stellar ECs? What distinguishes stellar from average ECs or good ECs? Is their a tier-system perse?

Stellar would be anything that is almost universally commendable and appears to have been from a genuine desire for service or achieving a goal beyond medical school box checking.

Stellar would be things like:
Military
Peace Corps
Americorps
Teach for America
Founding a non-campus based organization with longevity
First author publications in a high-value journal
Recipient of a high-profile scholarship or award (Rhodes scholar, Silver star, McArthur grant etc.)
Olympic medalist
Pro-Sports player

Even within these different things there can be different tiers up top-tier. For instance, for military Active duty > Reserves, Nuclear sub commander > Combat medic > Supply etc. But these differences are likely not going to make or break an applicant, stellar is stellar.

But don't worry about 'tiers' of ECs. What matters most is doing something that you are called towards and giving your all to everything you participate in. If you have a passion for something, ADCOMs will be able to tell and they will invite you for interview because they want to know more.

 

[ineedmd56]

Thank you! I was just curious as to what people meant when they identify ECs as steller.

 

[ciestar]

People with enormous amounts of hours and activities are also thought to have stellar ECs

 

[Goro]

What does it mean when someone says stellar ECs? What distinguishes stellar from average ECs or good ECs? Is their a tier-system perse?

Stellar ECs to me means military service, first responders, Teach for America, Americorps, Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, working in hospice, nursing homes, the mentally ill or developmentally disabled, or camps for sick kids. The clinical side means you've been exposed to our mortality and the most fragile patient populations. The former shows extensive altruism.

Also in the list would be student-athletes who still have maintained good GPAs. Pro or Olympics athletes are super rare, but some of them do apply to med school. I think 2-3 have gone to my school.

In terms of hours, anything over 250 is getting exceptional. As a rule of thumb, SDNers who have shared thier "hooks" have hundreds, if not 1000s of hours of service and/or clinical exposure.

 

[Gilakend]

Stellar would be anything that is almost universally commendable and appears to have been from a genuine desire for service or achieving a goal beyond medical school box checking.

Stellar would be things like:
Military
Peace Corps
Americorps
Teach for America
Founding a non-campus based organization with longevity
First author publications in a high-value journal
Recipient of a high-profile scholarship or award (Rhodes scholar, Silver star, McArthur grant etc.)
Olympic medalist
Pro-Sports player

Even within these different things there can be different tiers up top-tier. For instance, for military Active duty > Reserves, Nuclear sub commander > Combat medic > Supply etc. But these differences are likely not going to make or break an applicant, stellar is stellar.

But don't worry about 'tiers' of ECs. What matters most is doing something that you are called towards and giving your all to everything you participate in. If you have a passion for something, ADCOMs will be able to tell and they will invite you for interview because they want to know more.

I would put combat medic above all. Regardless of the number of them, extremely selfless even for military personnel. Any combat veteran has the best EC In the world in my opinion.

Edit: spelling

 

[907914]

I would put combat medic above all. Regardless of the number of them, extremely selfless even for military personnel. Any combat veteran has the best EC is the worth in my opinion.

I can totally dig that. And you are right, especially how the modern military uses them (as infantry with a bigger medic bag). Particularly in combat they are not only in charge of getting their downed buddies to safety, but also firing back.

But like you say, any military personnel are a soldier/sailor/marine/airman/(coast guardian?) first and foremost regardless of job.

 

[907914]

I'm sorry what? Combat medics can be great but nothing like you're describing. Unless you've had some life-changing experience with them or something, they're not that special, just like 90% of the rest of the US military.

From the military and veteran perspective, it was just a job and we didn’t really do anything (hence why responding to ‘thank you for your service’ is almost always an awkward experience). However, the US public at large reveres military and veteran personnel. Hell, a third of our national holidays are military-related. Love of the military and those who have served is ingrained in our culture, even if those of us who have been through it don’t think much of it.

 

[907914]

Doesn't mean they shouldn't be corrected.

I don’t think anonymous corrections on a premed forum will do anything to curb 150+ years of historical precedents in cultural norm. Or the 10,000 years of nations loving their military.

 

[Gilakend]

I'm sorry what? Combat medics can be great but nothing like you're describing. Unless you've had some life-changing experience with them or something, they're not that special, just like 90% of the rest of the US military.

My life changing experience was being born in the USA. Anyone who signs on the line to serve and does so honorably has my full respect.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Yikes.

Hey McCarthy, got one over here.

 

[stubblesmcgee]

I don’t think anonymous corrections on a premed forum will do anything to curb 150+ years of historical precedents in cultural norm. Or the 10,000 years of nations loving their military.

not to be 'that guy' but most people have historically had a negative view of standing armies. you really only start seeing glorification of standing armies as societies start entering periods of total war, where the entire nation is mobilized through propaganda or other means to support the military. the fear of standing armies is traditionally why the US scaled back its military significantly to a token force after every war, until our experience in WWI. globally, the military and the people that go into it are still viewed skeptically by the civilians of most nations. military culture that celebrates service to the nation is different than the admittedly very old warrior cultures that celebrate individual skill and bravery.

this doesn't change whether or not being a veteran is viewed as being an excellent "extracurricular" for the sake of medical school, but I do think its worth noting how our understandings of the military are actually quite modern.