neuropsy Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 How many EC's have you juggled during the schools year while taking a full course load? How much do you feel is too much - I know this depends on the individual, but just out of curiosity? (please include the number of hours per week each activity/volunteer position required and what it was you did). Thanks guys, just looking for some perspective! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannn Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 -Worked 15 hours per week (3 times/week) as a staff trainer for aquatics / pool manager -Volunteered 4 hours / week (once/week) as a special needs kindergarten assistant -hung out with friends once/week (5 hours?) doing dumb stuff -hung out with girlfriend at least once/week (5 or so hours?) Didn't really sleep though, but it turned out fine. I found that I was studying more effectively and smartly because I had so much on my plate, so although it was less time spent studying, it was more effective and I was still doing well (3.9X+ GPA with full 5.0 FCE's) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 - Worked 12-15 hours per week (research assistant) - Volunteered 4 hours a week (hospital) - Outdoor/Indoor Soccer once a week - Shadowing a surgeon once every few weeks - Hang out with Girlfriend (This isn't really an EC, but takes up a lot of time) I agree completely with the previous poster, the more stuff I have on my plate, the more efficient I become at everything, especially studying. Year 2 GPA was 3.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neuropsy Posted June 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 How did you get a position as a research assistant in year 2 !? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 How did you get a position as a research assistant in year 2 !? I had worked in the lab the summer after year one, so they offered me a job for the school year. If you can get a lab job, go for it, they're very flexible. And you learn some pretty cool stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neuropsy Posted June 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Did you just email the prof and ask if they needed anyone? Or did you have them for a course and visited office hours and all that? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Just emailed them w/ my resume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollester Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 The more stuff I have on my plate, the more efficient I become at everything, especially studying. I agree with this. Completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 How did you get a position as a research assistant in year 2 !? Eh? Depends on the university. I was a research assistant in my first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 It really depends on the person and the program: I've completed the past two years full time at home with two tots and I have been involved in about 20 different EC's--most of them are ongoing. Lots of them are weekly and daily and some of them are monthly. That includes sports for the kids, committees, fundraisers, programs, etc. Mind you, I usually don't go to bed until 2 or 3am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neuropsy Posted June 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Thanks for all the responses guys! Is there like an unofficial minimum in terms of hours/duration of activities when applying to med? I haven't really been involved at all in first year, and am now looking to start, I've already found 3-4 activities I'd like to take part in (all of which - but one require a one year commitment), do you think it'd be a little much jumping in like that? And in terms of scheduling, I assume most of these organizations would like you to contribute the same time slots through out the year - how do you schedule your classes accordingly? And do any of you have any ideas on what types of EC's reflect "leadership" qualities? I'm not sure i'd be interested in being an exec member of a club or anything .. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strategy99 Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 How many of people's EC's are at minimum a 1 year thing (or more)? Maybe 4-5? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Thanks for all the responses guys!Is there like an unofficial minimum in terms of hours/duration of activities when applying to med? I haven't really been involved at all in first year, and am now looking to start, I've already found 3-4 activities I'd like to take part in (all of which - but one require a one year commitment), do you think it'd be a little much jumping in like that? And in terms of scheduling, I assume most of these organizations would like you to contribute the same time slots through out the year - how do you schedule your classes accordingly? And do any of you have any ideas on what types of EC's reflect "leadership" qualities? I'm not sure i'd be interested in being an exec member of a club or anything .. Thank you No minimums--you can put in training and educational conferences. And many only last a day or a weekend. A year's commitment will be fine--jump in one at a time and ensure that it fits in your schedule. Most of my commitments have lunch meetings, tele-conferencing options, evening meetings, weekend meetings, etc. None conflicts with anything else that I do. Every now and then I have scheduling conflicts, but am able to fix it. Leadership qualities can be displayed simply by being on a committee--a voting or a non-voting member still requires leadership and teamwork since you are representing and tasking for some target population. How many of people's EC's are at minimum a 1 year thing (or more)? Maybe 4-5? At minimum? I would say almost all are full-term commitments. Very few are ad-hoc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prothrombin Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 Do as much as you can without sacrificing your GPA. EC's are important, but not as important as your GPA. -I was volunteering once a week at a hospital -once a week as a research assistant -playing tennis twice a week during the fall -hockey 3 times a week during the winter. spending the rest of my free time studying or going out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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