emancip8 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 I recently graduated from undergrad and have a good GPA and a competitive MCAT score. I've received interviews in the past, but keep getting waitlisted. Today I spoke to a helpful lady (which is hard to find in the med app process) on the board of admissions at FIU (a US school I applied to) who gave me some feedback about my application. She mentioned me being more involved in community service and taking leadership roles in interest groups. I don't know if a lot of people find this, but at a lot of universities there are tons of clubs to get involved in, but not necessarily ones that run the way that they should. Many, but NOT all, are just started so that that person can write that they started a club on their CV. I spent my time getting involved in some creative projects, did some Hurricane Katrina Relief, tutored students for 2 years, volunteering and later doing some undergrad research in a lab. Things that spoke to me/actually interested me. That doesn't mean that I don't care about homeless individuals or taking trips to costa rica to help out in orphanages, but I just did what I felt, and I didn't necessarily have the money to blow around and travel and have those outrageous experiences. Each summer, besides the one that I studied for the MCAT, I worked wherever I could get a job to save up, and well be 19!! (at the time). Since then, I work in a pharmacy, retail and volunteer at the hospital and with big brothers and sisters. However, I still feel like I'm not doing what all the other premeds are doing with their free time, and I don't think I want to do that stuff ( I apologize for not being the president of any club/organization?)... But I still think I would enjoy med, have the necessary leadership skills and deserve a shot . We can all be hyper-involved, but can't your character also demonstrate the same skills as a full page of someone's extracurricular experiences?.. Anyone experience something similar/have any thoughts??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Henderson Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 It sounds to me like you HAVE community service, and are performing leadership roles. So maybe you're just not selling it? I would say Big Brothers and Sisters is definitely a leadership role. It may not be leading an organization, but you're providing leadership and mentorship to a youth, that's huge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emancip8 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Maybe you're right, maybe I am not playing up my experiences enough. But the hospital volunteering and Big Brothers and Sisters stuff I am doing now won't show up on my app since I started these activities after the oct 1st deadline. I plan to mention them in my interview though and hopefully they write it down or something. I just find I have some of the 'cookie cutter experiences' and some stuff I do is just really outside the box, or at least the med school box and I wonder if it is frowned upon i.e. currently I am a stylist at a designer retail store, along with doing my volunteering and stuff. I find I have a lot of different sides to me and my skills only get stronger when I can take them into different people-oriented environments and build on them. They might interpret it as a lack of focus, but I just like to make my life interesting, for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discworldheavylight Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 I find I have a lot of different sides to me and my skills only get stronger when I can take them into different people-oriented environments and build on them. They might interpret it as a lack of focus, but I just like to make my life interesting, for me! what you said above, say that in ur interview. it sells you perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123coco Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Do not under estimate the power of words. Many applicants have average extra-curricular activities but just play the word game to inflate their achievements...unfortunately, it's either you play the game, or get played by the game ________ MERCEDES-BENZ M102 ENGINE HISTORY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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