Bottom Line
Active participation in extracurricular
activities in college is expected, and you need to
realize that:
· Opportunities for free time as a
premedical student naturally are very limited.
Such activities offer a meaningful way of
releasing the stress of school demands
and the tension from the competitive atmosphere
that is generated.
· Summer activities, such as doing
research, taking a responsible job, pursuing vol-
unteer hospital work, are viewed by medical
school admissions committees in a
favorable light.
· The nature of the extracurricular
activities you select can serve to enhance your
personal growth, demonstrate altruism, and
indicate a people-oriented personality.
· The choice of activity, while possibly
having a potential positive impact on your
admission potential, should also serve to give
you personal satisfaction.
· It is preferable to select an activity
that can extend over to a relatively longer period,
such as working with underprivileged youth,
disabled individuals, educationally
challenging students, etc., rather than being
engaged in many short stints of volun-
teer work.
· If you need to use your free time to
secure needed funds, do not use that fact as an
excuse to avoid extracurricular activities.
Rather, focus any available time you may
have on more limited activities, such as a
charitable fund-raising campaign, orga-
nizing campus society programs,
etc.
Summer Enrichment Programs
The importance of spending time in a medical
environment has already been empha-
sized. This can help you to more firmly
determine the extent of your interest in medi-
cine. It can also enhance the extracurricular
activities segment of your resume, thereby
furthering your chances for admission to
medical school.
The section below consists of two parts,
medical and nonmedical school-sponsored
programs.
Medical School-Sponsored Programs
A list of medical schools that have been
offering summer enrichment programs is pre-
sented below. These offerings vary from year to
year and may be sponsored by different
departments within an institution, moreover,
openings frequently are restricted to under-
represented students. To follow up and
determine if opportunities are available, contact
the Dean of Students at the school, using
information provided for each school in Chapters
6 (allopathic medical schools) and Chapter 14
(osteopathic medical schools). Checking
Web sites, may also prove useful.
Alabama
University of Alabama
University of South Alabama
Arizona
University of Arizona
California
Loyola University
Stanford University
University of California--Davis
University of California--Irvine
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