Worried about ECs

[JBone87]

Hey everyone,

Is anyone else worried about lack of medicine related extracurriculars? Personally, I currently work in accounting and am finishing pre-reqs, with plans to apply to med school in about 2 years. However, I'm really lacking in extracurriculars. I've shadowed a little bit and plan to do more, I'm also getting ready to start volunteering at a local hospital, but what else can I do? It's very intimidating to look at some of the profiles on www.mdapplicants.com with all their years of EC's and research (and I'm not at all interested in research). So my question is...what kind of things could I do in the next 2 years (while maintaining my accounting job) to be more competitve? My GPA is very competitive but it just seems like I'll get blown out of the water when it comes to ECs. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks very much.

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[awk]

They really like hospital volunteering (which you already said your gonna start) and "working with the underserved." I know that in both cases personal contact is very important. If they try to get you to stock shelves at the hospital tell them you would like some patient contact. I worked at the front desk of an ER for a year and was the first person the new patients consulted when they arrived. Underserved can be taken to mean poor people. Homeless, welfare babies and things of that nature. I started at the Salvation army not too long ago and its a very good chance to help these people out. Not all volunteering should be medically related.

 

[blee]

I wish I had more ECs when I applied, but I couldn't so I didn't. The only recent exposure to healthcare that I had on my AMCAS app was a few weeks of shadowing, seriously. The rest of my volunteer work was in college and high school (!), and I don't think I listed them because they were so old.

FWIW, I did quite well during my application cycle. I do wonder if my lack of ECs hindered my progress at a couple of schools, but I really have nothing to complain about. If you can fit them into your schedule, ECs are a great idea; if you're legitimately concerned about your classes, or you absolutely have to work to make ends meet, then don't lose too much sleep over it. Be prepared to explain yourself during interviews, though; I remember being asked directly about my lack of ECs at one school, and I'm pretty sure it was addressed at others. All of them led to acceptances, though.

 

[DrMidlife]

I agree, hospital volunteering is a great EC. Get going on this right away if you can. Where I live, 4 hours a week is expected.

I know people who have done work with Special Olympics or other organizations where you can volunteer and/or organize an event. (People in med school, that is.)

SDNers joke about "worked with African orphans" as the killer EC, but it's no joke, and in my view it IS the killer EC. If you can get 3 weeks of vacation, get over to Tanzania. If you can get 2 weeks, you can do the same kind of work in Mexico or Central America. Can't spend any money? Work in a clinic for the homeless or with immigrant populations or anything that exposes you to health care in the context of poverty. There are lots of SDN threads about these kinds of volunteering.

Best of luck to you.

 

[twohearted]

They really like hospital volunteering (which you already said your gonna start) and "working with the underserved."

Not all volunteering should be medically related.

I definitely agree with these two points. Find a free clinic in your local area that cares for the uninsured. They usually let you get much more patient contact so you won't just be stocking shelves. But be aggressive about what you want out of the experience. Also getting non-medical volunteering helps too. It shows that you are interested in helping the community on a overall level. Look for institutions that specialize in getting homeless people off their feet and back into the working sector. These places often need volunteers to help tutor in areas such as GED preparation, computer usage, resume building, etc. It shows that you care and also have teaching/leadership skills. Finally find a hobby that you love and try to find success in it. Like a band or something. Helps to show that you are well rounded and don't think about medicine 24/7.