<p>What are some good activities, besides shadowing and research? Is the reason ppl have other activities is to be unique and put more stuff on the their resume to show their knowledge and experience and further support their cause for why they want to be a doctor? Is being a TA a good idea? If it is, can someone please elaborate specifically on what a TA does? Does a TA sit in the office for long hrs every night helping students w/ hw problems and explaining material? If so, do they do it for a long time? I mean they need to do their own hw also. Wouldn't it be better to do use this time to do research instead, for a person who wants to pursue an MD/PhD? I am just curious, please do not be too judgmental of me.</p>
<p>From that thread, I think it's important to quote this part of BDM's post:
[quote]
Now, here is the important thing. Medical schools have extensive secondary essays and interviews precisely because they know that many students simply treat these activities as a checklist. They will probe you to see what you learned and how they changed you. They will want to know why you became involved in them, what you feel like you accomplished, and how these things helped you want to become a doctor. If you are treating these things as a checklist, then you will find yourself struggling at these junctions. You must really, intently find the meaning involved in what you are doing, and why it matters to you, or you run the risk of having spent your time doing things that didn't matter to you and don't help you get admitted to medical school.
[/quote]
From the sound of your post blazinyan, it sounds like you're thinking too much of it as a checklist.
I did that way too much in high school and I hated it... so now I just do things that I really want to do. If it "looks good" to med school, that's a nice perk, but I'm no longer doing things just for the sake of an application. It really annoys me when I tell people about things I'm involved in and all they say is "ah, yeah, that'll look really good on your med school application".</p>
<p>I understand what you mean Goldshadow. I am not willing to do just for the sake of doing it, but when applying to medical school, one needs to be unique. Nearly everyone has shadowing and research, so what will draw me away from the crowd. I know that some ppl were Kaplan tutors, while others volunteered in places such as soup kitchens. I just want to get a better idea of good activities b/c if I am too much like the crowd then I may not get an interview and no interview = rejection.</p>
<p>so what do you do Shadow?
I volunteer but recently the hospital I volunteered at stopped having under 21 volunteers . so I am trying to find some thing interesting to do. I have always been interested in Red Cross but our Red Cross office is not very alive.
I did Big Brother Big Sister but I found it extremely boring playing with 7 years old so I quit. I work at a pharmacy and my sophomore year I am planing on shadowing physicians for a couple of months.</p>
<p>And you don't see the irony of asking other people for activities that would make you unique?</p>
<p>Hey I am not trying to be unique. I am trying to make my self competitive and I need ideas. Except the fact where I study my butt off even at the start of the term I have read 3 chapters of every class I am taking and took notes on them. and now I am reading next three, I have not done anything productive. I live in a small town with one hospital and thats it. What am I suppose to do? Just looking for direction.</p>
<p>Sorry, I was talking to the OP.</p>
<p>lol silly me! sorry norcalguy. Just having a bad day.</p>
<p>TAing is most definitely worth doing. It is an excellent way to show that you have interpersonal skills, the ability to work with people, communication skills, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks so much COLLEGE. If it isn't too much trouble can you please describe in-depth about what a TA does? How much time is spend doing the job and explain the job thoroughly. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>ANYTHING can be a good activity for a pre-med student. Going off of BDM's post that has been quoted, it's all in how you sell it. If you can talk about how organizing a Guitar Hero II tournament on campus is going to make you a better doctor, then it's a good activity. </p>
<p>Further, you should NEVER do something you don't want to do simply because you think it will look for medical school. Do the things you love, and your enthusiasm and your passion will become apparent. That will always look and sound better than the most "impressive" activity you think up.</p>