Excelling at both extracurricular activities and exams in medical school is critical to deciding what residency you want to pursue and ultimately getting into that residency. Most medical school students are well-versed in successfully juggling multiple endeavors and demanding schedules.
Do residencies look at extracurriculars?
Ultimately, everything from volunteering, student body leadership, mobile clinic, research, and various clubs are all fair things to pursue. Besides research and leadership, most other extracurricular activities look pretty much the same in the eyes of residency programs.
Do extracurriculars matter for med school?
Extracurricular activities provide medical schools with a window into what makes you, you. Beyond your grades and test scores lie your personality, character, motivations, and interests. It’s an opportunity for admissions committees to get to know who you are, not just as an applicant, but as a person.
What looks good on residency application?
8 factors program directors consider when reviewing medical residency candidates
- Strong USMLE scores.
- Solid grades.
- Excellent letters of recommendation.
- A good Medical Student Performance Evaluation.
- A thoughtful personal statement.
- Professionalism.
- Personality and fit for the program’s culture.
How do I stand out to residency programs?
6 Ways To Make Your Medical Residency Application Stand Out
- Academic Performance.
- Research.
- Letter of Recommendation.
- Activeness in Student Organizations.
- Interview.
- Passion, Interest, and Commitment.
What extracurricular activities should I do in med school?
Types of Extracurriculars
- Community Service. One of the best extracurriculars for aspiring physicians, community service is a way of showing schools you’re passionate about donating your time and giving back.
- Physician Shadowing.
- Patient Exposure.
- Leadership.
- Research.
- Hobbies.
Do you need publications to get into residency?
“Most residencies now pretty much expect medical students to have at least three publications.” Regardless of this statement’s validity, today’s medical students believe that publications are yet another item to add to their checklist of required accomplishments.
What extracurricular activities do Ivy League schools look for?
Let’s start with leadership activities.
- Leadership Activities.
- Good: Community service or volunteer work.
- Good: Travel.
- Better: Model United Nations.
- Better: Sports leadership.
- Best: Political activism.
- Best: Starting a club.
- Scholarship Activities.
How many extracurricular activities is too many?
There’s no magic number of activities. For some kids, even one intense activity like sports or theater might turn out to be too many. Other kids can handle several without getting stressed. Check in with your child to see how they feel about their balance of activities.
Is MCAT or GPA more important?
But, the easy answer is: MCAT. Some med schools believe that GPA is a better indicator of future success because it measures your work ethic and determination. However, your MCAT score is the only factor that is completely objective. It is the only factor that can compare all students evenly.
How hard is it to match into residency?
Getting into a residency program is a difficult process. It involves much more than studying for the USMLE® Steps 1-3 or COMLEX® Steps 1-3 or getting good grades in classes or rotations. You must be more than a good student; you must also have the ability to negotiate a system designed to select the very best.
How do you tell if a residency program likes you?
It’s a chance for programs to get to know you, and vice versa. Residency programs learn a lot about you through your ERAS application. This includes letters of recommendation, USMLE scores, relevant experiences, and more. If they like what they see, they’ll invite you for an interview.
What determines residency match?
Historically, the most competitive residency programs are surgical specialties that have good work/life balance, are prestigious, and/or have good pay such as dermatology, head and neck surgery, ophthalmology, urology, neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery.
What are the least competitive medical specialties?
The 6 least competitive medical specialties are:
- Family Medicine.
- Pediatrics.
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
- Psychiatry.
- Anesthesiology.
- Emergency Medicine.
How do you get ranked residency list?
How to form your residency rank order list at the end of interview season:
- Know what to expect, especially when it comes to deadlines.
- We’ll say it again: finalize and certify your residency rank list.
- Leave the residency pros and cons list at the door.
- Go with your gut.
- Don’t share your NRMP login data with anyone.
Do program directors talk to each other?
Yes, programs communicate between institutions.
In fact, program directors and coordinators from a specialty often have listservs. All programs in the nation have a rep in the group and can contribute or simply consume the communication.
How many extracurriculars should you have for med school?
The admissions committee is well aware of those that just do things to say that they’ve done them, as oppose to those who do them because they are passionate about them and dedicate both time and effort into them. A handful of two-year stints in an activity will always be better than eight different two-month stints.
What extracurricular activities should I do for Harvard?
Student Organizations
- Music. Join an orchestra, chamber music ensemble, jazz combo, concert band, choral group, gospel choir, or glee club.
- Visual Arts.
- Media and journalism.
- Public Service.
- International and multicultural.
- Drama and dance.
- Political and pre-professional.
- Faith, identity, and culture.
Is it hard to get into college without extracurriculars?
Most selective colleges and universities have a holistic admissions process. While this is a good thing as the GPA and test scores are not the only ones considered, it can be disadvantageous for applicants whose overall application isn’t strong, such as the absence of impressive extracurriculars.
What counts as a research experience for residency?
“Research experiences,” where you write a paragraph or so expanding upon the research topic and/or experience working in a lab or with a particular researcher, and “publications,” where you list all publications in your ERAS application can really strengthen your residency application.
How do I improve my eras application?
Here are 6 ways you can improve your ERAS before September:
- Research. Residency Programs love research because scholarly activity is now a requirement for ACGME certification, and they want residents who have experience.
- Volunteering.
- Join a valuable organization.
- Step 2 CK.
- Get an amazing LOR.
- Personal Statement.
