Very broad but commonly asked question

[mcoste08]

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Hi everyone. I have a question that myself and a lot of my friends have been wondering for some time. We are all involved in EC's such as premed honor societies, random clubs around campus, etc. But we have heard that these are all "worthless" and will not stand out because every applicant does them. Our question is: What EC's are seen as stellar or extraordinary? And also, I volunteer in the Emergency Department at the local Children's Hospital. Would this be considered clinical experience or just volunteer work?
Thanks!

 

[Don15]

True. Being just a regular member of any club is worthless, if you take on a leadership role that would be more beneficial. Most volunteers dont get much patient contact, they end up answering calls and filing papers. To met actual clinical experience, try getting an EMT position or you could get a job at the hospital like a radiology assistant. In addition to this, you're gona need shadowing too.

 

[bravofleet4]

The only extracurriculars that every pre-med applicant has in IMO is just clinical experience and pre-med clubs. If you read a lot of the threads of peoples experiences in hospital volunteering, it's mostly making beds and changing linens. I mean you can't do much more than that b/c of HIPAA and liability issues. Pre-med clubs also usually tend to be the same and there's nothing really exceptional about any one in particular as they just have guest speakers and discuss how to get into medical school.

Research can be very different from applicant to applicant. What you do or how much you accomplish can differentiate you from the average pre-med. Some go to the tropics to collect plant and bug specimens and others spend their entire time under halogen lights in the lab. I mean if you can also get published that automatically put you ahead of most people.

Extracurriculars can include hobbies and that definitely differs from person to person assuming it's not something as ubiquitious as playing piano or violin. They tell the adcoms what you're interested in and that you do more than just study hard to get A's.

Non-medically related community service can also be very unique. You can work with austistic kids at the YMCA, organize a team for relay4life, or collect canned goods for your church group.

So no, I think there's plenty of ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the crowd. It's just that you will have to go out of your way to do it. If most pre-meds do something similar it's because those are the most accessible. Many are also uninformed and think medical schools are looking for some sort of cookie cutter applicant and they just copy what other people are doing.

 

[J ROD]

Hi everyone. I have a question that myself and a lot of my friends have been wondering for some time. We are all involved in EC's such as premed honor societies, random clubs around campus, etc. But we have heard that these are all "worthless" and will not stand out because every applicant does them. Our question is: What EC's are seen as stellar or extraordinary? And also, I volunteer in the Emergency Department at the local Children's Hospital. Would this be considered clinical experience or just volunteer work?
Thanks!

Your work in the ED could be clinical depending on whether or not you get patient contact. Like doing vitals, transporting patients, etc.

Those ECs are fillers. Just to have enough to put down and fill out the app.

What stands out is mission trips, feeding the homeless, camps for kids with cancer, animal shelters, etc.

You need to have the "regular" ECs. Clinical experience through work, volunteering, shadowing, basic clubs.

Some leadership would be nice in some of them, tutoring, research, etc.

 

[Catalystik]

I volunteer in the Emergency Department at the local Children's Hospital. Would this be considered clinical experience or just volunteer work?
Thanks!

If you interact with patients, it is both. To stand out, get involved in long-term nonmedical community service and get a leadership role. Ideally, in the same organization. Publications also make you stand out.