extracurriculars

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>My main extracurricular right now is labwork, 3 years experience by the time I apply. I also have 6 months of clinical volunteering experience at a hospital.</p>

<p>However, I haven't been in any clubs at all.</p>

<p>I recently joined habitat for humanity. Is it generally required to have leadership positions or strongly recommended?</p>

<p>I wish I had thought of this sooner but now I'm in my 3rd year with no staff positions. Will this hurt me? My grades are pretty good and I think my MCAT will be at least decent.</p>

2

<p>bump bump bump</p>

3

<p>nothing is required and there are other ways to demonstrate leadership abilities than being an officer of some club</p>

4

<p>Being a member of a band in college counted as a “useful” EC (as compared to research)? </p>

<p>The band won competitions at school level (e.g. Spring Fling) and performed on streets in Town from time to time so it is semi-time-consuming.</p>

<p>I wonder whether those “cute” ECs like band/orchestra/hockey/etc. are only useful at the undergraduate admission level.</p>

5

<p>Well it shows you’re multidimensional. You do things outside of working and studying and eating and sleeping. That’s a plus.</p>

<p>There are people who actually do things such as band because they enjoy doing them, not because they’re “cute.”</p>

6

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<p>You just describe my child. I sometimes wonder whether “obsessive” is a more descriptive word. He once said that making some music is like the need to eat food for him. Just hope he is not overly obsessive, to the extent that it would affect the grades. (so far not.) Something nice that comes out of this hobby is that he can find friends with a similar interest so he will not be lonely as an OOS student.</p>

7

<p>Band is not a substitute for research. Those are two entirely different things. But, outside of the standard premed stuff: research, clinical work, and volunteering, you should have some outside interests. Things like playing an instrument or playing intramural sports or attending culinary school help establish you as an actual human being and not just a premed robot.</p>

8

<p>norcalguy, thanks for your inputs. I think he knows about it because one of his suitemates is premed also. Actually, I believe two in his band are premeds and another is prelaw who has just admitted to a T14 law school.</p>

<p>But other stuff you mentioned does not come naturally for him. He likely considers that stuff as “work” he has to do, just like he needs to keep his grades up - so far he dutifully did.</p>

<p>One of his suite mates seems to enjoy a much simpler life. Besides doing research and studying, he really does not enjoy anything else. Everybody is different.</p>