Getting into an institution of higher learning and pursuing the career of your dream is not always easy. It should not come as a surprise that the college application process is rather tough, especially when we are talking about some prestigious or reputable institutions or some most popular specialties. Thus, everyone knows about the necessity to impress the admissions committee with a really strong CV, application letters, and personal statements.
It should be noted though that strong educational background is not the only advantage you need to stand out among other applicants. Indeed, it is not enough to be a straight-A student for the Admission Officer to consider you a “priority candidate”. Instead, an applicant should arouse interest with something beyond and in addition to diligence in academics. A well-rounded personality with diverse interests and experiences makes a more valuable asset for colleges and universities, proving that they are ready to grow further and get prepared for adult life and career. And medical schools are not an exception.
In fact, since Medicine is an extraordinarily competitive field to apply to, the requirements are indeed too high.
And these demands concern not only students’ grades and academic records but outside interests and extracurricular activities they engage in as well. In the first place, they showcase your true personality and character. Secondly, they prove your passion and commitment to the chosen path, at the same time demonstrating that you are not a one-sided person too looped in studies. Therefore, you need to think out good extracurriculars for college really thoroughly, especially if you intend to become a medical student.
Choosing Extracurricular Activities for Medical School
While too many candidates may have quite similar outstanding academic records, additional information about you in your personal statement and application letter will help Admission Officer to see who you really are and decide if you can be an ideal fit for their institution. Therefore, a good set of extracurriculars to be mentioned is good for both traditional and non traditional medical students. If chosen wisely, they can not only embellish your story in the admission essay but also provide you with valuable skills and experiences necessary for the chosen path. This infographic shows some pretty good variants:
And now, here are some tips on what extracurricular activities can be the most beneficial for you as a future medical student.
Clinical Activities
Experts at medical school essay writing service – Pro-Papers unanimously agree that clinical activities are the most important for an aspiring student of Medicine that would be beneficial from several perspectives. To start with, engaging in a real-life clinical setting will provide you with an opportunity to get first-hand experience by seeing everything from within and decide if this is really what you want and not just an abstract desire evoked by the romanticized image of the profession. In their turn, the admissions committee will also see that your eagerness to become a doctor is quite conscious and that you have made an effort to investigate its essence. In addition, such extracurriculars present you as a person eager to help, passionate about donating your time and effort to a good cause, and ready to give back. Some of the activities and facilities you can get clinical experience from include:
- Shadowing a doctor
- Medical scribe
- Medical assistant
- Nursing assistant
- Crisis hotline
- Suicide hotline
- Rehabilitation centers
- Hospice care centers
- Assisted living facilities
- Student-run clinics
Volunteering
Another way to realize your insatiable desire to help others is by engaging in any kind of volunteer and community service. Since any healthcare profession is inevitably connected to self-sacrifice, an extracurricular activity of this kind will demonstrate to the Admission Officer your altruistic inclinations and readiness to commit yourself to others. More than that, your community service should not be obligatorily restricted to medicine or healthcare. You can choose to work with children in schools or summer camps, for example. Another option is to teach English to immigrants or engage in any other assistance for minorities. Just make sure to select something you are genuinely interested in. If you can enjoy what you are doing, you will do it with more enthusiasm and passion even for free, providing more benefits and help to the people you are working with, which would make the experience even more meaningful and valuable.
Research
Engagement in research activities presents you as a curious student who is eager to learn more, investigate the unknown, and make discoveries, all of which are invaluable traits in the medical field. Besides, exposure to such experiences now will play an important role in your further studies, especially if you plan to go as far as pursuing Ph.D. and becoming a scientist. Moreover, in addition to making your application letter more attractive and setting the foundation for your scientific future, research experience can help you to define which exact area you would like to focus on.
Hobbies
Extracurriculars for medical school should not be obligatory connected with the profession. On the contrary, it is good to go beyond the profession and live through other experiences, which guarantees multifaceted personal development. Admission Officers at medical schools appreciate and welcome applicants who are not only focused on the chosen field but use every opportunity to try different aspects of life. Here, the focus, scope, field, or direction of your personal hobby is not at all important. Any out-of-school activity can nurture useful features in you and equip you with attributes and skills that can be valuable in your future career in the medical field. Just make sure that it brings you sheer pleasure and enjoyment. Only in this case, you will be able to talk about it passionately and enthusiastically and use the best of it to become a better medical specialist.
Some Additional Ideas
- Tutoring or helping others to learn can help you to gain communication and interaction skills. Besides, such extracurricular activities will also demonstrate your ability and desire to help others, donate your time, and give back to the community.
- Since leadership qualities are one of the most important in any field, activities, and situations in which you can show your worth as a leader would be an additional benefit for your application.
- Various in-school activities like clubs or chapters will demonstrate your engagement in the school community.
- No need to say that participation in science fairs and competitions, especially with some visible results in the form of scholarships and prizes, will attract additional attention to your application.
If you ask us how to choose a medical school extracurricular activity that will help you to stand out among other applicants, we will advise you to pick up the ones you are genuinely interested in. The most useful and beneficial activity will never do you any good if engaging in it does not make you happy. Of course, it is better to select something related to volunteering, clinical environment, and research to show your commitment to the field and try yourself out; however, if you engage in an activity with pleasure, you will be able to describe it in your application letter in such a favorable light that no admissions committee will be able to reject your candidacy.
