<p>There are many pre-med organizations on campus such as Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), AMWA (American Medical Women's Association), AMSA (American Medical Student Association), and HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America). I know that I want to join a couple but I don't know which ones. I attended the first meetings of each one and they are more or less the same in terms of their volunteer activities and size. Which ones are more recognized/impressive for med schools? I also plan on taking a leadership position in one of these clubs in the future. And before anyone says anything, I'm joining them because I want to, not so that I can just put it on my application.
Also, I wonder whether joining these clubs really helps in terms of admission. I mean, is the main purpose of joining so that I will have some leadership and volunteering opportunities/make friends or is the club itself impressive? Because I plan on volunteering on my own anyways so if that's what the main benefit of joining these types of organizations is, then I don't know if there's a purpose in joining.
Another reason I questions these organizations is because usually, their volunteer activities are highly varied. They might do Relay For Life one month, go volunteer at a nursing home the next month, and then go volunteer at the hospice the next. You get a few hours each month (nothing that substantial) but it feels like you're only dipping your feet in each activity rather than really getting involved. Wouldn't med schools like to see more commitment like volunteering at the hospice for the whole year instead of hopping around different places?</p>
<p>Just wanted to get a general opinion on these organizations and how they're viewed by med schools.</p>
<p>I didn't join any premed organizations in college because I found them useless. Outside of congregating a few premeds together and going over the application process while doing 5 hours of volunteering along the way, what's the point of these organizations? If you want to do Relay for Life, organize your own team. Find your own nursing home gig instead of volunteering at the nursing home with AMSA once every two months. That shows a lot more initiative.</p>
<p>I joined AMSA in med school but that was only to get my free Netter's. Honestly, adcoms aren't going to be very impressed with any of these organizations. Clubs are such a high school thing.</p>
<p>NCG could you share some tips on how to start your own organizations? It seems intimidating for someone like me who hasn't even been an active member of an organization or club before. How can someone like me go about creating and running one?</p>
<p>Also, I'm now in my third year. I currently have no significant, impressive EC, let alone active participation in clubs/organizations as a member. Would it be too late to start this EC president thing now? I'm going to apply after 2 or 3 years (I want to apply in the year of my graduation, 2 years from now on, or if I don't feel my app is strong then I might decide to take an year off after graduation and apply, making it 3 years from now.)</p>
<p>That's my point. You don't need to start an organization or be president of an organization. Starting an organization in college is about as tough as starting an organization in high school and we all know how useless all of those HS clubs are. Honestly, having 8 clubs on your med school app is a total waste of space. Now, of course there are exceptions. A few people do build really good student organizations but, for the vast majority of students, participation in clubs isn't worth an EC slot on the AMCAS.</p>
<p>Not every EC has to be geared towards resume building. I'm currently doing intramural ultimate frisbee, in a medical student fraternity-type thing, starting a tutoring organization that matches up med students w/ HS students, and learning medical spanish and chinese. None of this is going to help my residency application (since residencies mainly care about research) but the social interaction makes me feel sane. If you want to join AMSA to meet other premeds, great. If you want to join the Red Cross Club so that you can help out with the blood drive each month, awesome. You don't need to try to cram everything on the AMCAS.</p>