As if getting good grades and doing well on the MCAT wasn't hard enough, you also need
to make sure you have your extracurriculars on lockdown.
Stay tuned to find out how you can spend your free time in college.
What's going on guys?
This is J from MedSchoolInsider.com.
I remember figuring out which extracurriculars to pursue was a daunting task.
I made a few mistakes along the way that you can all learn from.
But first, before getting into the nitty gritty, realize that there is no magic bullet.
Each person is going to pursue different extracurriculars based on their interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
That being said, I'm gonna go over a few things you should keep in mind and try to incorporate
into your free time.
A common mistake that many premeds make is spreading themselves too thin.
It’s much better to focus your energy on only a few extracurriculars rather than joining
several clubs or organizations as a member.
I made the mistake and I joined multiple pre-med or health-focused student groups.
I was simply a member and never pursued a leadership position.
While I am not on an admissions committee for medical schools, I have spoken with people
who are and they told me that being a member of multiple pre-med organizations is essentially
useless.
Rather, pick one pre-med organization that you find is a good fit for you, something
that you either enjoy or aligns well with your goals and values and put in the time
and effort to be intimately involved with the various aspects of it.
You should be able to obtain a leadership position, bring about some positive change
and overall experience personal growth and satisfaction.
Rather than being a nuisance, it should be a worthwhile experience.
Now, extracurriculars can be divided into three main categories; clinical, research
and personal.
Clinical exposure demonstrates that you understand what it means to be a physician.
This includes volunteering at the hospital, going on an international medical trip, shadowing
physicians etc.
In one of my prior videos, I'm gonna put a link up in the top right, I talked about the
importance of shadowing to determine if a career in medicine is a good fit for you.
My own clinical exposure included volunteering in the emergency department and volunteering
on an international medical trip.
I did not get that much shadowing done other than the emergency department and I really
wish I did in hindsight.
The first time that I actually stepped into the operating room was as a third-year medical
student and I think that is way too late.
Research is foundational to the field of medicine.
It's what allows us to continuously improve patient care and it is the basis for determining
what diagnostic or therapeutic interventions to use.
Although not every physician will necessarily also be a researcher, I urge you to get some
exposure and see if it is something that interests you.
Research can be broadly categorized into basic and clinical.
I only did basic science research when I was in college which included a lot of pipetting,
PCR, Western blots and other microbiology techniques.
While the work is very important and impactful, I didn't really find it particularly stimulating
and I thought I would never want to do research again.
In medical school, I fortunately got involved with clinical research which is a much better
fit for me and I actually grew to enjoy it as I got better at it.
Clinical research is not done at a bench in the lab but rather involves patients; either
direct interaction, database analysis, chart review etc.
Clinical research is also better suited for those who are impatient because it has a faster
turnaround time.
But it is also generally considered to have less weight than basic science research.
Personal extracurriculars should be just that, personal.
Do what makes you happy.
If you love running, train and participate in a marathon or start a running club.
One of my friends loves longboarding, so we started a club for it.
It took off, grew rapidly, everyone had a blast and they all made many lasting friendships.
It also demonstrated his leadership skills and his ability to take initiative.
Back when I was in college, I participated and competed on a dance team.
I got involved with digital art and graphic design and I loved lifting heavy things and
putting them back down.
Be sure to make time for your personal extracurriculars.
Don't focus on just doing research and just getting clinical experience.
Your hobbies are going to help you deal with stress, allow you to create lasting friendships
and they will ultimately keep you sane.
In medical school, I became a little bit less hardcore about powerlifting and got more into
cycling and cars.
I'm training a cycle of 600 miles in June and I raced my car at the track in a safe
and completely legal environment whenever I get the chance.
While surgery and medicine appealed to me in a certain way, cycling and racing excite
me in a completely different way.
I urge you all to make time for your hobbies and passions, life is too short to not have
fun.
I would love to hear what your extracurriculars are not only clinical and research but also
what you do for fun in your free time as well.
Leave a comment below.
Thank you all so much for watching.
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