Would these extracurriculars be considered "average"?

[jeremmed77]

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This question is for a friend.

• Psychology Club: 2 Years
• Judo(Martial Arts): 2.5 Years
• Hospital Volunteering(Radiology/Cardiology): 2 years 450 hours
• Shadowing: 20 Hours
• Volunteering/Research at Zoo with Primates: 300 Hours
• Minnesota Medical Leaders Group (Mainly various volunteering/educational opportunities) for 1 year

The Primate research had more to do with primate behavior compared to human behavior. During the primate volunteering, he would answer zoo guests questions about primates. Since I am pre-med too, I am interested in this question as well. Anything he could do to improve his stats? Any input would be great.

 

[the duck]

This question is for a friend.

• Psychology Club: 2 Years
• Judo(Martial Arts): 2.5 Years
• Hospital Volunteering(Radiology/Cardiology): 2 years 450 hours
• Shadowing: 20 Hours
• Volunteering/Research at Zoo with Primates: 300 Hours
• Minnesota Medical Leaders Group (Mainly various volunteering/educational opportunities) for 1 year

The Primate research had more to do with primate behavior compared to human behavior. During the primate volunteering, he would answer zoo guests questions about primates. Since I am pre-med too, I am interested in this question as well. Anything he could do to improve his stats? Any input would be great.

Your missing leadership, this is supposedly a big one. If it was actual research, it doesn't matter whether or not in involved humans, but were you actually engaging in research, or were you just a tour guide? I also don't see any pure altruistic volunteering. By that I mean working at a homeless shelter, or something purely to help the community.

 

[jeremmed77]

Your missing leadership, this is supposedly a big one. If it was actual research, it doesn't matter whether or not in involved humans, but were you actually engaging in research, or were you just a tour guide? I also don't see any pure altruistic volunteering. By that I mean working at a homeless shelter, or something purely to help the community.

He did Minnesota Medical Leaders which did different local volunteering (Tutoring/Food Drives,etc...) Although he was required to clean and feed the primates, the zoo staff assisted him with some research as well. I don't think anything would be considered a leader position. Any tips for that?

 

[n3xa]

no nobel prize, no care


Seriously, if you're genuinely interested in those activities as opposed to checking them off for your application, it will be apparent.

 

[MRSAful Fate]

Ah, a fellow Judoka!

Sounds like you have some good stuff. Judo came up in my interviews and I related it to small group learning and cooperation with healthy competition. Your zoo work is interesting and interviewers will want to talk about it. I think that the ability to frame each experience in a way that portrays you as a passionate and dynamic candidate is as important as what you did (i.e. use each experience as an opportunity to highlight a personal quality). Even if your EC's were cookie-cutter, you can still write and talk about them in an interesting way and get some attention.

 

[NickNaylor]

Ah, the ol asking for a friend trick. Well played, OP.

 

[StudyShy]

Monkeys are awesome. You should talk to rhesuspieces, also I think from MN. 🙂

1. Add some volunteering outside of the medical arena such as tutoring, handing out food at shelter, and knitting socks for homeless kids in Russia.

2. Add some leadership activities such as teaching a class/mentor a student or start/head a club.

Good luck to you and your friend. 😉

 

[jeremmed77]

Ah, the ol asking for a friend trick. Well played, OP.

That's funny.

So does this look good? I will pass along the leadership role bit.

 

[familyaerospace]

Yes, they are average with the exception of Judo.

I don't even bother listing clubs unless I had a leadership role in it.

Judo is something different so that's good.

Hospital volunteering is fine. I'll have about 450 hours by the time I apply.

Shadowing is fine. Some schools might require more than 20, but most don't.

Zoo is a little unusual, but not excessively so. I had an internship at my local zoo for 6 months when I was a sophomore (I was a primatology research intern). I was told by an adcomm to not even worry about it because I had better stuff.

Medical Leaders - I don't know enough to say. If it's leadership then that would be good.

Do you have any research or teaching? That might help.

 

[alwaysaangel]

This question is for a friend.

• Psychology Club: 2 Years
• Judo(Martial Arts): 2.5 Years
• Hospital Volunteering(Radiology/Cardiology): 2 years 450 hours
• Shadowing: 20 Hours
• Volunteering/Research at Zoo with Primates: 300 Hours
• Minnesota Medical Leaders Group (Mainly various volunteering/educational opportunities) for 1 year

The Primate research had more to do with primate behavior compared to human behavior. During the primate volunteering, he would answer zoo guests questions about primates. Since I am pre-med too, I am interested in this question as well. Anything he could do to improve his stats? Any input would be great.

The way they are written yes, they are average.

Now if your friend actually loved everything he did and can write/talk about it excitedly instead of making a list to run by a bunch of strangers in a premed forum to make sure he's not "missing anything" then he'll be above average.

There is no check list. Love what you do, be passionate about everything you do and tie it into your desire to be a physician and you will be an above average applicant - anything short of that and you're boring.