inspiring-curmudgeon Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Hi, I'm going to UWO in the fall for science, and clearly I'm starting to show signs of becoming a neurotic premed I plan on being very involved at Western, and was wondering what kind of extracurriculars/volunteering would be beneficial to my medical school application. I don't intend on participating in activities just to make my application "look better", but I'd much rather be devoting my time to something that isn't just pointless volunteering (which I hear happens a lot with premeds). These are the activities I plan on being involved in this coming year: - Pre-Med Society - Cancer Awareness Society - Heart and Stroke Club - Free the Children - Writing for the school newspaper - Volunteer Trip to third-world country during spring break (hospital volunteering/helping take care of AIDS victims, etc.) - Volunteering at hospital - Intramural Soccer - Dance Lessons - Fencing Lessons - Teaching English in UK or Spain if I can't get an NSERC (helps pay the bills, and very interesting) I plan to continue volunteering at the hospital throughout my undergrad, because I really want to commit to one clinical activity, and because I just enjoy doing so Is this typical of a premed student? I know we should be doing what we enjoy and the rest will come, but is this a good mix of activities? Also, is it better to do fundraisers, or just be part of clubs and things? Is there a place to list fundraisers we headed? Additionally, at UWO, someone told me that you can't win a NSERC in first year. Is this true? How high does one's marks have to be to attain, or at least be competitive for this award? Thanks, whoever took the time to read this rant, and I really appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolitaireAddikt Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 There isn't a particular 'kind' of extracurricular/volunteering that is more beneficial than any other in terms of medical school applications. What's more important is not how many activities you have, but how much of yourself you put into them. Quantity vs Quality. From your list above, it looks to me like you are going to stretch yourself thin- having a lot of activities isn't going to do your application any good if you can afford to spend much time doing any of them and are barely involved. As for ECs, I would suggest signing up for all the clubs that you are interested in, then go to the first couple of meetings to feel out if it is REALLY for you. I, for instance, was convinced that I wanted to be a part of Oxfam at my school- but after attending a few meetings, I realised it really wasn't for me. You want an activity that you will love contributing to, not just something to list off on a resume. I am fairly certain that Adcoms have learned to see through padding. As for volunteering, I would suggest that if you want 'meaningful' volunteering that you wait for a couple months after you start school and talk to some of your peers who are volunteering at local hospitals, and ask them what they do. If they tell you that they are stuck doing clerical work, then that hospital probably isn't for you. Remember there are other places that you can volunteer as well- a hospital is not the be all and end all of premed volunteerism. And remember, you have to keep your marks up. Honestly, take it easy in the first semester, give yourself some time to adjust. Being involved in a lot of activities isn't going to help much if you don't have a high GPA. So- in sum, find what you like, and try to get really involved in it. And keep your marks up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted June 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 There isn't a particular 'kind' of extracurricular/volunteering that is more beneficial than any other in terms of medical school applications. What's more important is not how many activities you have, but how much of yourself you put into them. Quantity vs Quality. From your list above, it looks to me like you are going to stretch yourself thin- having a lot of activities isn't going to do your application any good if you can afford to spend much time doing any of them and are barely involved. As for ECs, I would suggest signing up for all the clubs that you are interested in, then go to the first couple of meetings to feel out if it is REALLY for you. I, for instance, was convinced that I wanted to be a part of Oxfam at my school- but after attending a few meetings, I realised it really wasn't for me. You want an activity that you will love contributing to, not just something to list off on a resume. I am fairly certain that Adcoms have learned to see through padding. As for volunteering, I would suggest that if you want 'meaningful' volunteering that you wait for a couple months after you start school and talk to some of your peers who are volunteering at local hospitals, and ask them what they do. If they tell you that they are stuck doing clerical work, then that hospital probably isn't for you. Remember there are other places that you can volunteer as well- a hospital is not the be all and end all of premed volunteerism. And remember, you have to keep your marks up. Honestly, take it easy in the first semester, give yourself some time to adjust. Being involved in a lot of activities isn't going to help much if you don't have a high GPA. So- in sum, find what you like, and try to get really involved in it. And keep your marks up. Thanks, that helps. On the application, do you have to list how long you spend on the activity per week, or something along those lines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheena815 Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 No, at least on last year's application, you just have to list the time frame (for example: sep 2007- august 2008). No hour estimates required (thank god, I mean, can you imagine doing that for 48 activities going back to when you were 16? Nobody's would be accurate anyway. Heck, a lot of my "general time frames" were just educated guesses). I mean, I joined a club at western specifically to go on one of their planned activities- I had no interest in all the rest. And I still put it down. As long as you can find someone to verify that you were in the club, you're good. But really, you don't need to join a zillion clubs (for one thing, you'll have no time for your studies). Join a few groups/ classes that you are really interested in and devote yourself fully to them. In your interviews they won't ask you to list what you did- they will probably ask you what you got out of a certain activity. Its kind of hard to wax nostalgic in your interviews about the joyful learning experience of sitting on your butt for four hours, waiting to wheelchair the occasional patient out of the hospital. (trust me, lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbene085 Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 No, at least on last year's application, you just have to list the time frame (for example: sep 2007- august 2008). No hour estimates required (thank god, I mean, can you imagine doing that for 48 activities going back to when you were 16? Nobody's would be accurate anyway.. If I remember correctly, you had to put the number of hours for volunteering, but not other ECs on last year's OMSAS application. There's a huge difference between a 6 hour/week commitment and a 1 hour/week commitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheena815 Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 If I remember correctly, you had to put the number of hours for volunteering, but not other ECs on last year's OMSAS application. There's a huge difference between a 6 hour/week commitment and a 1 hour/week commitment. Really? I have no recollection of that at all! Oh well. Guess I must have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 That's a ridiculous number of activities. And teaching English in the UK or Spain?! I kind of doubt you'll have any luck in those countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
register Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 lol, wait till school starts before you commit to activities you barely know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrne Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 I wouldn't get overly involved in first-year -- the transition from high school to university can be tough for some to handle. Make sure you've made the adjustment before you get too much on your plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamer Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 I wouldn't get overly involved in first-year -- the transition from high school to university can be tough for some to handle. Make sure you've made the adjustment before you get too much on your plate. Win. ***** off 10 character message length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlatan Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Hi, I'm going to UWO in the fall for science, and clearly I'm starting to show signs of becoming a neurotic premed I plan on being very involved at Western, and was wondering what kind of extracurriculars/volunteering would be beneficial to my medical school application. I don't intend on participating in activities just to make my application "look better", but I'd much rather be devoting my time to something that isn't just pointless volunteering (which I hear happens a lot with premeds). These are the activities I plan on being involved in this coming year: - Pre-Med Society - Cancer Awareness Society - Heart and Stroke Club - Free the Children - Writing for the school newspaper - Volunteer Trip to third-world country during spring break (hospital volunteering/helping take care of AIDS victims, etc.) - Volunteering at hospital - Intramural Soccer - Dance Lessons - Fencing Lessons - Teaching English in UK or Spain if I can't get an NSERC (helps pay the bills, and very interesting) I plan to continue volunteering at the hospital throughout my undergrad, because I really want to commit to one clinical activity, and because I just enjoy doing so Is this typical of a premed student? I know we should be doing what we enjoy and the rest will come, but is this a good mix of activities? Also, is it better to do fundraisers, or just be part of clubs and things? Is there a place to list fundraisers we headed? Additionally, at UWO, someone told me that you can't win a NSERC in first year. Is this true? How high does one's marks have to be to attain, or at least be competitive for this award? Thanks, whoever took the time to read this rant, and I really appreciate the help. Hi there, IMO, that's way too many activities, and is not realistic to carry out for one academic year (at least for most undergrad students), unless you have taken multiple AP exams and are exempt from taking some first year courses. You need to keep in mind that the academic work load drastically increases in university compared to that of highschool, so you will have much less free time. Also, for a successful application to medicine, being able to maintain a solid GPA is just as important as having a variety of EC's. It's all about balance. Cheers, Charlatan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Okay, I'll second the comment about teaching English in the UK or Spain. It might be possible to find something in Spain, but in the UK, like in England? For that matter, most language schools which hire internationally are only looking for people who have completed an undergrad already. Also, regarding going on a volunteer trip during "spring break", you do realise that reading week is, indeed, only a week, and that this would be almost impossible to do in such a short time? For my part, I wouldn't bother with the Pre-Med, Cancer Awareness, or Heart and Stroke Societies/Clubs unless you'd be doing something constructive like fundraising - it might be better to look at something like Relay for Life, which has the benefit of being a lot of fun too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmosis Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 lol, wait till school starts before you commit to activities you barely know this is sound advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefanci Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Ah, I had that same thought when i went into 1st year...and so did many of my friends. I'll join #917937219!!@#!@! Clubs and do this and that. and then you get to uni, and you're already a couple of chapters behind in chem even though you've had only 1 class. the joys of uni..hehehe. My advice: Get a high GPA (meaning 80%+ ~ 3.7GPA+)...and the rest will come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I found many undergrad clubs didn't do much and many were meaningless involving little more than inefficient meetings where people formed committees and gave out titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheena815 Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 lol! I kinda skimmed the OP's post before, and had thought all those activities were potential ones to choose from. I didn't realize he/ she planned to do all of them! That's so unnecessary I can't even begin to tell you. I joined two clubs in the entirety of university. And barely did anything with them. (like, a few meeetings/ activities total...) If you really, really think you'll enjoy all that stuff, and don't mind being so busy you can never sleep, go ahead. But I recommend pursuing a few things you truly enjoy, and it doesn't have to be through the university. Its quality, not quantity. Adcoms can recognize needless resume padding. Most of my EC's were things I did on my own that I loved to do (like art and community band). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest begaster Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 You're going to teach English in England. I think they already have people who do that - teachers. Generally, though, they have come from Teacher's College, not their first year of undergrad. Look, let's be realistic. You're not going to do a quarter of that. Find a few activities you really like (like, 2-3), spend some time doing clinical volunteering and research, and you'll have more than enough. You don't need to spend money flying to Africa to feed/heal/help/build starving/dying/dying&starving/houses just to build your application - people will see right through your bull****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Ok let me make a few comments here... I went to western for my undergrad. I did a lot of that stuff you mentioned over a period of four years. Pre-Med society is useless. Most of the people running that thing don't even end up going to med school. It is a waste of your money joining IMHO. There is also no way in hell you can juggle all of that in my opinion. Fencing alone, which I did in first year btw, is like 4hrs a week. Writing for the Gazette, (school newspaper) is a massive commitment. This alone is some peoples only EC... Volunteering overseas. I did that too, but not through Western. Also do it after you have some more at home health care volunteering experience, you will find yourself more useful and more able to adapt. It is a good thing to do after third year. You won't be teaching English in Western Europe without a formal education certification. They have standards over there. Try Asia. They take any person who can breath and speak English. This isn't a big money maker. It is often enough to maybe pay for the trip. If you want to volunteer at a hospital in London you better fill out the forms now. The spots are filled by the end of August. NSERC in first year is very very hard to get. My roommate did it in first year but he also graduated this year with the highest grade average in his program. I would say your looking at 90+ for a first year. Even then, some profs simply refuse first years because they usually have a very basic understanding of science and can't do much in a lab setting. I did it after third year and my avg at the time was in the 85-90% range. Doing it in third year is great because it helps you get a head start on your fourth year thesis. Also most clubs run fundraisers. Don't worry about getting involved with that. Oppertunities will be everywhere, especially on your residence council in your first year. My biggest piece of advice is, cut that list down by 75%. Seriously, your biting off too much. 90% of first years find the academic shift in first year grueling. Trust me, you will have your hands full in first year staying ahead of the curve on your classes. Fill up the ECs slowly over your degree. Good luck, and PM me if you have questions! Hi, I'm going to UWO in the fall for science, and clearly I'm starting to show signs of becoming a neurotic premed I plan on being very involved at Western, and was wondering what kind of extracurriculars/volunteering would be beneficial to my medical school application. I don't intend on participating in activities just to make my application "look better", but I'd much rather be devoting my time to something that isn't just pointless volunteering (which I hear happens a lot with premeds). These are the activities I plan on being involved in this coming year: - Pre-Med Society - Cancer Awareness Society - Heart and Stroke Club - Free the Children - Writing for the school newspaper - Volunteer Trip to third-world country during spring break (hospital volunteering/helping take care of AIDS victims, etc.) - Volunteering at hospital - Intramural Soccer - Dance Lessons - Fencing Lessons - Teaching English in UK or Spain if I can't get an NSERC (helps pay the bills, and very interesting) I plan to continue volunteering at the hospital throughout my undergrad, because I really want to commit to one clinical activity, and because I just enjoy doing so Is this typical of a premed student? I know we should be doing what we enjoy and the rest will come, but is this a good mix of activities? Also, is it better to do fundraisers, or just be part of clubs and things? Is there a place to list fundraisers we headed? Additionally, at UWO, someone told me that you can't win a NSERC in first year. Is this true? How high does one's marks have to be to attain, or at least be competitive for this award? Thanks, whoever took the time to read this rant, and I really appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic_monkey Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Hi inspiring-curmudgeon, rogerroger is right...you definitely want to focus on your academics...keep in mind that while ECs are awesome and definitely needed for a med school application, your academics will likely be weighted quite a bit more. For example, at U of Calgary, your GPA is 50% of your pre-interview score whereas your ECs are only 15%. So my advice would be to see how well you adjust during the first semester of first year. Do a few activities here and there if you can but don't burn yourself out trying to juggle activities while maintaining a strong academic record. A lot of people do poorly during first year and find it tough to get back on track...so take your first year to adjust academically and then try to add on activities later on in first year and more in second year. Summers are a great way to do more ECs and they won't impact your GPA obviously so that is another option. I think it is awesome though that you have taken the time to plan out what you would like to become involved in; you clearly have your head on your shoulders and know where you want to go in life. Just remember not to burn yourself out. It is a lot easier for your cGPA to fall then it is to boost it back up...Best of luck! I am sure you will do awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlatan Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Hi arctic monkey, I am not the OP! C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic_monkey Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Hi arctic monkey, I am not the OP! C LOL...whoops - my bad...i corrected it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Thanks a lot guys, your advice really helped. I've decided I'll just focus on settling in for the first semester, then add one or two activities as I get more comfortable. I'll probably stick with just volunteering at the hospital and mabye fencing or dance lessons. Thanks again for all the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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