Extracurricular activities for medical school, do hobbies count?

Hi there,

I have a question about ECA. I have a university degree. I worked in a research for 2.5 years and a diagnostic lab. I also did some teaching for medical students.

Now, I am married and have a baby. I am planning to apply for medical school. I take care of my plants, have an aquarium, paint and read in the extra time that remains after housework, child, etc…

Is that good as ECA? As mothers we strive for a good GPA and MCAT and try to balance that with housework and kids. I can’t fit more ECA into my schedule and I am afraid that is not enough. What do you think? Do I need to delay applying in order to take some time to do more ECA?

Top 5 Answers

A few days ago

Anonymous

Favorite Answer

The purpose of volunteering or health related experience is to demonstrate that you have been exposed to a healthcare environment and have experienced the reality of what medicine is about versus what is portrayed on TV and films. Your experience demonstrates that, so additional activities are not going to make your application stronger.

A couple of suggestions: Put a lot of effort into your essay and always remember your audience. DO NOT use an essay writing service. Those are so canned that they stand out and it is obvious that you used one. Your essay is your chance to tell your story. The good and the bad should never be the focus of the majority of your essay. Remember that the admissions committee isn’t looking for rocket scientists nor are they looking for somebody who is going to cry over every bad event. How you balance all of that is the question–and why you need to put a lot of effort into the essay.

A few days ago

Anonymous

I would not delay the application for that reason. If you have competitive GPA and MCAT scores and you are raising children you should just go with that. The challenge you are going to find is continuing to raise your children during med school and residency. I hope you have help around. I think the admissions committee will be more interested in how you are going to manage that

5 years ago

Anonymous

It sounds like you’ve got a good record. I’d say sign up for one or two, and attend when you can. I was in a club and choir in high school, and I like to think it helped (even though I’ve only attended my local junior college so far). Clubs can sometimes help on job applications/resumes too.

A few days ago

Anonymous

Didn’t I answer this question about 8 or 10 days ago? I don’t remember you by name, but I do recall the lab work and the aquarium parts.

Anyway, I don’t think it’s wise to delay your application just to do more extra-curricular activities. The people in admissions have kids and lives, and they know you’ve been busy.

A few days ago

Anonymous

It seems like you have a lot of ECA already. I would just go ahead and apply! Good Luck!

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Extracurricular activities for medical school, do hobbies count?

Extracurricular activities for medical school, do hobbies count?

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