Would appreciate some advice on my ECs. How would I diversify them?

[mmssjj]

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I am a second semester sophomore with 3.9+ gpa at a T-30. However, I think I am weak EC wise. Please suggest me what I should do.
Research: 2 semester so far (300) hours, will continue till I graduate (1000 hours by the time I apply). Will present a poster next fall.
Clinical: Haven’t started yet, but will start clinical volunteering at a hospital over summer months and will get at least 200 hours.
Non-clinical: Volunteer at crisis text line (50 hours now), planning to make it 200 hours over summer.
planning to volunteer on an online tutoring program.
Shadowing: nothing yet but will definitely gain some before applying.
Leadership: I am greatly lacking here. I was a treasurer for a sorority for one semester, then I left the sorority. That’s all I have on my plate. Also being a commuter student, it’s pretty hard for me to engage in campus clubs because my commute is 3+ hours daily.
please tell me how I am doing EC wise and how I can strengthen it.
I will apply to med school after my senior year (1 gap year).
Thanks.

 

[mmssjj]

I would recommend adding some nonclinical outside of your comfort zone and in person. Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, that kind of thing!

Your research will be significantly above average!

Clinical, could you do 2 shifts a week instead of 1? 200 hours isn’t bad but 400 moves you to above average. Longevity is important too, so volunteer beyond just 1 summer if this is your only clinical experience.

Thank for the suggestion. Yeah my clinical volunteering would definitely be around 400 hours because I will continue it until fall 2023. Besides clinical volunteering, do I need to find more clinical opportunities. Also in terms of leadership, how can I strengthen my leadership experience aside from school clubs?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Research: 2 semester so far (300) hours, will continue till I graduate (1000 hours by the time I apply). Will present a poster next fall.

Once you get an arbitrarily high number of hours (now several hundred), the number of hours sort of loses all meaning to me. You've done plenty to "check the research box." If you're going to continue the research, I really think you need to start getting some deliverables (i.e. presentations outside of your school, publication credit) in order for it to be worth your time. Just doing research that isn't going anywhere is not going to help you at this point.

With that in mind, focus on clinical and nonclinical volunteering.

 

[mmssjj]

Once you get an arbitrarily high number of hours (now several hundred), the number of hours sort of loses all meaning to me. You've done plenty to "check the research box." If you're going to continue the research, I really think you need to start getting some deliverables (i.e. presentations outside of your school, publication credit) in order for it to be worth your time. Just doing research that isn't going anywhere is not going to help you at this point.

With that in mind, focus on clinical and nonclinical volunteering.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am currently preparing a poster to present at a conference in the Fall outside of my school and would definitely try to attend more conferences. Not sure if my lab publishes undergrads but would definitely look into it.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Not sure if my lab publishes undergrads but would definitely look into it.

What does that mean? You're just sort of "playing around" in the lab?

At a certain point just having more hours doesn't do you any good. Presenting is good, but I can't fathom why you couldn't publish. It would be better for you to hop into doing a small piece on a grad student's larger project and get some middle authorship than just continue doing work that isn't going anywhere.

 

[mmssjj]

I am currently working on a post doc’s project with another undergrad. It’s a wet lab. However, the project is not seeing any success. That’s why I am not sure if getting published is possible from the lab I am currently working.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

On the original question: get off of campus. Work in a really challenging nonprofit that has nothing to do with health care or vaccines. Get uncomfortable. I don't know if it is any easier being a commuter student, but this is just my suggestion in general.