Very weak ECs

[mistwraith]

Current sophomore... I think my ECs are a little lacking. Right now, they are:
-Volunteering between 2 hospitals: 150-200+ hrs
-Volunteering at a couple food banks: 150+ hrs
-Leadership: exec board member of student organization for fall 2022 semester

That's all...no research, etc. How poor do you think my ECs are, and what activities should I be seeking to diversify and make it look better? Because I feel like compared to other people my ECs are too stasndard, not unique enough; in addition, is there still time (given that my 2nd year is almost over)?

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[Mr.Smile12]

You have plenty of time. What are you doing in the hospitals and the food banks?

On research: have you been talking with your professors about opportunities? Have you gone to meetings set up by your department faculty or your undergraduate research office?

It's fine if you have "standard" activities. You can have a lot of unique experiences, but if you don't have your standard activities, your application may be less than desirable for admission.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

if there are any specialties or populations you’re interested in working with, it can add a lot of character to your app. For example if you’re interested in psych volunteer for a crisis hotline. If you’re interested in ortho or sports medicine maybe get a job as an ortho or PT tech. If you like working w older adults volunteer at a nursing home. See yourself going into oncology, volunteer in a hospice etc.

If you go to a research university the schools website usually lists what profs are doing what research. I had decent luck cold emailing at my UG. Just pick something that seems interesting to you personally and look for profs who publish a lot. Most don’t require commitments of more than a couple hours a week - they understand their students are busy.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Is there any specialty or research topic you’re interested in? If undecided honestly you can just jump into something and see if you like it. Whether you do or not, it will give you more material for discussion on applications and more ideas for things you may prefer to do in the future.

 

[housestaffhustle]

Sounds like you already know what needs to be done. Pro-tip here would be to try and accomplish multiple goals at the same time. Trying to get all your extracurriculars in really comes down to how much you can do in a day/week.

• If you're doing any shadowing now or reaching out to people for shadowing, consider asking if that attending has any research opportunities. This way you'll be logging clinical experience while also developing a deeper relationship with a potential letter writer. Doing research and having spent time clinically with them will lead to a better letter of recommendation.
• The same can be done by first looking for someone to do research with and then asking if you can shadow them.
• For research mentors, I would look for someone you can get along with and who will actually teach you. While you're an undergrad, it's really experience that you're looking for and getting a publication will icing on the cake. Your research mentor can also advocate for you or write you letters to get into summer research programs. These programs can be just as valuable on your CV as a publication with less effort and give you another "significant experience" to write about on your application.
• Think about what you might want to say in your personal statement. Why do you want to go to med school? What experiences led you down this path? It will help if your extracurriculars flow in a linear path to tell your story. Keep this in mind as you pick which activities to devote your time to
• Always keep an eye out of professors/attending that might make good letter writers. If you finish a class/program/activity with someone wonderful, just ask them right then and there. Say you're planning to apply for med school, you had a great time learning from them, and ask if they would consider writing you a letter. You can always have them write it now and save it for later. This is better than coming back to them a year later when they may have forgotten you, or at least won't remember their interactions with you as clearly.
• And lastly, don't forget to enjoy your time in college! Fitting in the extracurriculars you think you need while also acing your classes and trying to get 7-8 hrs of sleep every night can seem impossible and may not leave much room for socializing. Try to hold leadership positions with your friends. Do something fun. It doesn't have to all be related to medicine. This way you can spend time with them while also planning events/meetings/etc. Might also make your application more colorful by doing something off the beaten path.

Good luck!

 

[PapaGuava]

As long as your hospital EC has some form of patient interaction, they would be great experiences.