I have been slightly panicking lately because I’ve realized that I am lacking a whole lot in the community service department for someone who wants to get into a BS/MD program. Over the years it has been very difficult for me to dedicate myself to a project for several reasons including having no time because I had to keep up with APs and honors work, unreliable transportation, responsibilities at home, having to have a job, etc., so now that I have a car, it is a lot easier for me to get around and dedicate my time more readily. The problem is, I’m approaching the end of my Junior year and most of the BS/MD programs I want to apply to have deadlines by Nov 1. After doing some googling, someone posted about how their son mentioned how he spent hundreds of hours developing fitness plans for friends and family for community service on his med program application, and then it hit me! I’ve been interested in dermatology since the 6th grade, and since then, I would always do research on skin remedies, hair growth methods, and everything possible related to the field. Friends and family ( even friends of friends) would always ask me to make them body creams, oils, regimens, and even fitness plans ( I was into health and fitness as well) for them (I’d always do it free of charge). I have been doing this for years, with everyone having great results, and I had no idea that I could mention this on an application. Or can I? Would this count as community service if i were to find a way to document it? How would I even document this? This is something that I love doing, and I am more than passionate about it. Knowing that I’m helping someone feel better about themselves gives me so much satisfaction. That’s gotta count for something right? Please help me!
Your idea to craft your advising your friends/family looks rather desperate. Don’t do it. So not everyone has an uncle who’s a surgeon with whom they’ve been able to shadow since they were 3 years old. Forget those folks. Find out what you can do in your community. Heck, even simply volunteer at a women’s shelter or clinic when you can fit it into your schedule.
You want to demonstrate deep interest in the medical field. So you can’t rack up 100s of hours of community service. So what? The importance of community service, as it relates to college admissions, is one of those things that HS students over estimate ALL THE TIME.
I’m an alumni volunteer interviewer. One of my peers, a judge says: “I SENTENCE people to community service!”
Thank you very much for your response! Your suggestion of volunteering at a women’s clinic is a great idea, I will definitely look into it. I just didn’t want it to appear as if I haven’t done anything my entire high school career, and I’m only trying to squeeze in at the last minute. I’m probably worrying for nothing.
First of all, having a job and helping at home are ECs. If you have to watch your siblings make sure to mention that on your application.
I do alumni interviews and I had a student where I had to say that’ “Sam” has not been able to participate in too many afterschool activities because he has been the caretaker for his 7 year old brother. His parents have been going through a separation/ divorce during his entire HS career. Once he could drive, Sam stepped up to take care of his brother such as taking him to school., picking him up from after care, making him meals, helping him with homework, and taking him to activities. Sam was basically restricted to activities that could be done before he had to pick up his brother. ’
That student was admitted.
For BS/MD, those are very very competitive…I would make sure you have done the basics…
have you done volunteering in a medical setting (e.g., at a hospital)? Most hospitals have programs for high schoolers to volunteer. My daughter volunteered in the Emergency Room.
If you haven’t done that, do that first thing. They want to know you have been exposed to what medicine is really like.
Then see if you can shadow a doctor, which means following them around for a day. Ask your own doctor if they would be willing.
Also unless you are 4.0 and near perfect SATs I would also consider the “normal” process of getting a BS and then applying to med school.
I volunteered at a hospital for a few weeks during the summer of my sophomore year, unfortunately I was not given my hours for reasons beyond the scope of this topic. I doubt I’ll be able to list that on my application without the proper proof, so I treat it as if I never did it. I’m not too worried about the academic aspect of getting accepted, seeing that my academic history has been more than rigorous. I’m just worried about the possibility of my lack of med-related ECs holding me back.
As a sophomore did you show up at the hospital? Did you do what you were told? Did you do something awful or disreputable while you were there? I would assume the answer to the first two is yes and the second two is no. Assuming it is nothing terrible, I would ask your GC if you can include it. I am not sure what given hours means? For my kids they just include whatever they actually did whether they got community service hours or not. While everything you put down must be true and verifieable, I am not sure what the problem is unless it is an episode that will not reflect well on you.
Actually, the supervisor for the interns was quite unprofessional, and I was not being treated well. When I tried to politely request to discontinue the internship, she did not react well. I did as I was told, and was well-liked by all of the other office staff. However, it seemed that she was not a favorite among them, probably for her nasty attitude. My mother urged me to just walk away, despite how good of an opportunity it was.