<p>...improve my chances at any BS/MD programs, assuming the only medical related EC I have so far is shadowing physicians?</p>
<p>It will help, but it won’t be enough unless you have amazing qualifications outside of medically related ecs. You should at least volunteer at a hospital too, and possibly do research or become an EMT.</p>
<p>That takes what? 4 hours? No, it won’t help. </p>
<p>You need to do activities.</p>
<p>Most HS’ers are certified in this. Not worth even mentionning in application. it is the same as Model UN, clubs, and other padding stuff.</p>
<p>^lol, so you’re daughter included no clubs in her application? Practice what you preach.</p>
<p>How do you get EMT certified?</p>
<p>@MiamiDAP
By your logic, the only things one should mention in his or her application are outstanding achievements. So therefore, if a student was in multiple clubs, none of them are worth mentioning. Wonderful. And also, I haven’t met any high school students who has a certification in CPR and First Aid. Please check your facts before positing ludicrous things. Thank you.</p>
<p>In my opinion as a current BS/MD student, getting CPR-certified wouldn’t be worth mentioning on the application unless you’ve actually used it, in which case you might have a cool story to tell. Better things, as others have mentioned, would be getting EMT certified, wilderness first aid certified, or volunteering in a hospital.</p>
<p>However, being in clubs is most definitely worth mentioning and is by no means “padding” your application. Maybe MiamiDAP’s student was less involved in school clubs, but I was president of a few and spent quite a bit of my time involved in them; therefore, they were a significant part of my application.</p>
<p>No clubs were included in my D. application, as she did not have time for them, she had plenty of real activities, including 3 hrs/daily on sport year around (longer in a summer), music practice, art lessons, Newpaper editor, working, shadowing, volunteering. She did not have enogh space to include everything, she skipped more important stuff than clubs.
Include as much as you wish but keep in mind that some things will look like padding, you should avoid it. Include activities that took real time commitments on weekly basis (you will be asked for hrs/week)</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice, but I still don’t see how CPR/AED/First Aid certification is so insignificant.</p>
<p>I differ regarding the statement “real activities” vs Clubs… There were 15 students who entered ivies (including 5 to HYP) from my ds school in fall 2011 and 5 to bs/md pgms (including HPME) - each one of them were involved in "clubs. Sports , olympiads, etc etc … and am positive they stated so in their apps. It all boils down to time management and how the applicant handled it, as that is what illustrates college readiness.
Regarding the EMT - there were kids who were EMT certified, in the EMT team but did not get selected for interview for bs/md programs though having stellar stats although kids not having EMT were called mention of EMT/CPR/ in the app can be done - as to whether they can be considered as tie-breakers - not so sure.</p>
<p>^CPR certification is not EMT. It is very short class that most HS’ers have.<br>
If you want to mention, go ahead, my D. did not mention it, as I have said, she did not include CPR, Model UN, some other stuff (with more significant time commitment than CPR) that was not significant time commitment on a weekly basis. Frankly, she felt that her list of EC’s was way too long without them.</p>
<p>Woah, so you’re saying that clubs are insignificant? They are as significant as the student is willing to make them, as hard and dedicated as the student is willing to be. OP, in my opinion I don’t know how much it would help you to have CPR certification, but it will surely not hurt you in any way.</p>
<p>I would try to find a volunteer ambulance squad that will accept HSers. Mine paid for my EMT class (close to $1k otherwise) and I’ve been riding for a year or so now. Just CPR/First Aid without ever using them for an activity might not be worth much. My EMT class was Tues and Thur nights and a few weekends for several months, but I heard they bumped up the required hours sicne then.</p>
<p>^yes, this type of commitment (EMT) is definitely significant, CPR is not, club meeting once / month is not significant either. They look like application padding. However, everybody is free to do whatever they wish with their application.</p>