I’m a current sophomore who will be graduating in 2018, and I was wondering what extracurriculars I could do to boost my application to a PLME or HPME or 7 year medical program. I have volunteered at hospitals and shadowed doctors but what else should I be doing?
shadowing a doctor is definitely not something you put on your resume
@NASA2014, why not? It’s definitely asked for on Bachelor/MD applications as to your healthcare experiences, of which shadowing is one example.
I’ve heard the exact opposite, that applying to 7 yr med programs schools want to see shadowing because as a HS student, they want to know you’ve had some exposure to what a Dr. does, since you are making a huge career decision at age 17. I’m not an expert, but going based on what a Doctor friend told me about their child applying to a 4+3 program.
Any other suggestions?
A research internship with a local teaching hospital would be helpful if you are interested. If you can design a research project and publish a paper as a primary or secondary author it is even more beneficial. You could explore other volunteer opportunities, such as American cancer Society, Red Cross, Alzheimers Association, Autism Awareness etc. You could organize fund raising activities for any medical causes that interest you (leadership). Some totally unrelated club like Model UN can be used to showcase your interest in medical profession if you can be a delegate for WHO committee. You could attend Summer Medical program for high school students at various universities like Harvard, Tufts, BU Etc… but remember EC’s are supposed to be something you enjoy doing during your spare time. You will look insincere if you tailor your EC’s to look good on an application.