Hi guys!
My question is basically the discussion title. I will be a sophomore in the fall. I currently volunteer at a hospital and am part of a charity orchestra, but those are my only ECs. What other ECs would look good on college apps if I’m interested in pursuing something in medicine/becoming a biology major? Thank you!
You should do EC’s that you would enjoy and not just to make you look good on your application. If you show determination/consistency and leadership in your EC’s, then whatever you do should be fine. Volunteering in a hospital will help in determining if Medical school is the path you want to take. Do not try to please the college, please yourself.
@Gumbymom do you have any specific examples of ECs for interest in biology/pre-med? Thanks for the help!
Your volunteering at the hospital is a great EC. Beyond some science competitions, independent research if this is available, the EC’s that count will be the Medically related EC’s you do in college for Medical school. My favorite EC for any HS student is a part-time/after school job. A job helps develop reliability/dependability/social interaction/teamwork and communication skills which are all vital to a possible Medical student.
Your ECs should help you:
Determine if medicine is right for you. Volunteering is good for that.
Help the community. Volunteering is good for that, but so is other community service.
Show Leadership…a doctor is the leader of the medical team. This can be in any area you want.
Remember colleges don’t care if you are pre-med…you are going to major in Biology or whatever
Just as an example: My son’s gf who is pre-med and a biology major, rising Junior, volunteers at a hospital, does cancer research for one of her professors (her job since she gets paid for that too), and shadows doctors in the area when she can. She is also in a sorority and does a lot of community service through that. Those are her main ECs during the school year.
Volunteering in the context of helping the underserved and disadvantaged, and in clinical settings, is important for pre-meds in college to help confirm interest in medicine. If you can do any of these while in high school, that can help you confirm your interest in medicine (or let you know that medicine may not be as interesting as you originally though) before committing to the pre-med path in college.
@momocarly how did your son’s girlfriend get to do cancer research? How did she get to that point? Who/how did she ask? Thank you!
@ucbalumnus do you know of any programs where I can volunteer for the under-served/disadvantaged in the clinical setting? Thanks for the help.
@worryingabtcollege she just asked her advisor about undergrad research and they told her several options. She spoke to her professor and he accepted her second semester freshman year and has been doing it since then. Their school has lots of research opportunities but you just have to ask. Check your college as soon as you start. In high school she was a cheerleader, volunteered at a hospital, was in HOSA and worked as a babysitter. Shadow a doctor if you can. Otherwise in high school just get good grades. My son volunteered at a hospice in high school. Colleges really liked that EC.
OP is a rising soph and looking for tips to get into college. The focus on premed activities in college is different than the balance one needs for college apps.
@momocarly do you know what other ECs would be good for my biology/pre-med interests, in high school - I won’t be in college for a while 
? Besides volunteering at a hospital/hospice, what else is there? Thank you.
Ideas I can think:
- See if there is a HOSA (Future Health Professionals) club in your high school. That is a great EC. If there isn’t talk to a faculty member or counselor about starting one!
- Working at an elder care center, teaching a craft, serving meals, reading to patients. All show compassion and the ability to work under difficult situations.
- Working as a camp counselor in the summer; shows leadership and maturity
- Anything at a doctor’s office even volunteering to help with filing.
- Any leadership position in any club even non health related
- Get involved with a group that does things for a children’s hospital (sometimes you need to be older but many will take help at 16) visiting, crafts, even just leading a drive to collect books for them.
The key thing is not that you have all medical related ECs just some that have skills related to it (leadership; working with all types of people sick and well; ability to work in challenging environments; ability to think outside the box - like starting something that isn’t already available; being well rounded)
My son is pre-vet so we went through a lot of the same type things. He did work for a veterinarian and his school had HOSA and pre-vet and had classes for these groups that helped get shadowing, jobs etc. He also volunteered at a hospice and played polo and polocrosse (horse sports) and was a camp counselor in the summer.