Lost&Found Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hey everyone, When do you know that you have enough ECs? I guess this is a subjective question, but at what point do you say "okay, I think I've done enough for this year?" I try to keep busy but sometimes I can't tell if I'm busy enough (in comparison to other premeds). And since no one is willing to share what they're doing, its kinda hard to judge. I know I should do the things I'm comfortable with, but is there some sort of guideline? For example, how many volunteer commitments do you have in one year? How many clubs? How much research? I'm starting to wish a day consisted of more than 24 hours so I can squish more things in. Would appreciate some insight. Thanks, -- L&F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Have you accumulated enough evidence to convincingly demonstrate all the major domains of personal qualities and skills sought in medical school applicants? Are you at a point where your grades or wellbeing begin to suffer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 It is simple. Firstly, GPA is the top priority and you must not do anything that will cause it to drop. Then, your interests come into play as regards what ECs/volunteering you enjoy, are available and what time allotment you have available. What others do or dont do is entirely irrelevant to any decision making on your part. You want to do what you can comfortably, reasonably and efficiently. These activities are all about your own individual growth and development and not about punching a time clock as if you are in a race. So chill and enjoy life! Everything will fall into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehumanmacbook Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 A think a good measure of your ECs (in my experience) is if you have interests that: - contribute to community - self development - demonstrate interest in medicine/healthcare - research of some sort - unique to yourself - leadership/teamwork - other. These categories can overlap, but it's good to have this as a basis I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recoil Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 I think you need one of each of these categories: Research - 2 years+ and a publication Hospital volunteering - 1 year Job shadowing (2 diff kinds of doctors) - 6 months each Leadership (organized something) - 2 years+ Compassion (volunteer work) - 2 years+ Athletics (not required but always helps) - 2 years+ One more activity showing health advocacy - 2 years+ If you have all this you should be good to go. I can't think of any other categories... and I couldn't imagine someone with these ECs and good everything else not getting in. Dont... know... if...serious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 I never had research or shadowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osteon Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 I think you need one of each of these categories: Research - 2 years+ and a publication Hospital volunteering - 1 year Job shadowing (2 diff kinds of doctors) - 6 months each Leadership (organized something) - 2 years+ Compassion (volunteer work) - 2 years+ Athletics (not required but always helps) - 2 years+ One more activity showing health advocacy - 2 years+ If you have all this you should be good to go. I can't think of any other categories... and I couldn't imagine someone with these ECs and good everything else not getting in. Really don't think there's a "how to" manual for med school ECs. There's no "limit" for ECs in the sense that once you have enough you can stop. That's not the point. It's to show you care about something other than grades and have some good personal qualities, and stoping once you've met your quota doesn't show that. It shows the opposite. You can show personal qualities and care for things other than school through whatever number of ECs you want, but the ECs should not be a chore. For the most part, you should do them because you like them - not for med school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehumanmacbook Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 I think you need one of each of these categories: Research - 2 years+ and a publication Hospital volunteering - 1 year Job shadowing (2 diff kinds of doctors) - 6 months each Leadership (organized something) - 2 years+ Compassion (volunteer work) - 2 years+ Athletics (not required but always helps) - 2 years+ One more activity showing health advocacy - 2 years+ If you have all this you should be good to go. I can't think of any other categories... and I couldn't imagine someone with these ECs and good everything else not getting in. I'm not completely sure...I mean it's good to have the above, especially the athletics part, but speaking to a lot of individuals from Mac or U of T - they never shadowed or volunteered at a hospital. Research I agree is a must, and leadership is part of the Can Meds model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 What I posted has all the bases covered. You would probably get in without everything on the list This is the reality of what it takes to get into a Canadian medical school. You can still get in without doing this, but it won't be guarenteed in any given year. IE, you might have to apply for 3 cycles before you get in. There are no guarantees no matter how stellar a candidate you are - and absolutely everybody should expect to be applying for more than one cycle! In addition to being stellar and killing the MMI, lady luck plays a far more important role than anybody is prepared to admit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Research and shadowing are far from important when applying. They are nice little extras, but don't stress if you don't have them. Hell, research isn't even important for the Residency match, unless you apply to one of the highly competitive specialties. EC's are used to figure out if the candidate is well rounded, compassionate, has some level of ability to be part of and also lead a team when required and can work with the general public. There are lots of time to help you fill all the CanMEDS roles once you are a resident/medical student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
<abstract> Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 I think you need one of each of these categories: Research - 2 years+ and a publication Hospital volunteering - 1 year Job shadowing (2 diff kinds of doctors) - 6 months each Leadership (organized something) - 2 years+ Compassion (volunteer work) - 2 years+ Athletics (not required but always helps) - 2 years+ One more activity showing health advocacy - 2 years+ If you have all this you should be good to go. I can't think of any other categories... and I couldn't imagine someone with these ECs and good everything else not getting in. Seriously? There is no formula to E.C.'s that says if you have a certain number and in such and such combination this will get you into medical school. Some people have strength in athletics others the arts. Some have tons of medical experience (like f_d ) others have lots of volunteer experiences some are great leaders, others are great team players. You can't put number on E.C.'s, rather focus on what you learned from your experiences. For E.C.'s do want interests you and do your best and the best will come back to you, thats all you can hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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