Experiential Preparation

• How important are extracurricular activities?
• Do I need to do research or volunteer in a hospital?
• What should I do with my summers?
  

How important are extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular activities are very important for a number of reasons. First, they make your time at Tufts happier and more relaxed. Second, they show your interest in non academic pursuits. Third, they help you develop important qualities such as communication, leadership and organizational skills. Interviewers are often eager to learn how you spend your free time, and they often look for solid commitment to a few activities (quality rather than quantity). Do not sacrifice good grades for a long list of extracurricular, but do not aim for a 4.0 GPA at the expense of your personal enjoyment. Find a happy balance in between the two extremes.

Tufts has five active student organizations that relate to health professions: The Tufts AMSA chapter (premed society), the Tufts MAPS (undergraduate of chapter of the SNMA, black medical student society) Pre-dental Society, Pre-vet Society and Public Health at Tufts (PHAT). They offer many interesting programs and tips for their members. Click on the link for a list of the Tufts pre-health clubs.

Do I need to do research or volunteer in a hospital?

Medical schools do not have a checklist of preferred extracurricular activities that you must complete before admissions. Volunteer your assistance or work in a lab if you find the research there interesting. Professors doing research, especially in biomedical settings, generally want students to work with them. Professors also get to know the students with whom they do research and will often write a recommendation to medical schools that is more informative. For some students, research can be exciting and rewarding. One way to locate research opportunities is by searching Tufts University: Department of Biology

If you want to discover more about the profession you are choosing, you should seek out a clinical experience. Almost all hospitals, and many other health facilities, have a coordinator for volunteers. That person can tell you what is available and what the time commitment will be. Some alternatives to the common Emergency Room volunteer ship include assisting in a nursing home or in a mental health facility, at an HMO or a community clinic, at a rehab center or a birthing center. You may really enjoy these experiences and your help may be more valued. Go to Tufts University- Student Services - Premed Info for a listing of local volunteer opportunities. Also consider joining the Leonard Carmichael Society which serves as an umbrella for close to 40 community service activities. Visit http://ase.tufts.edu/lcs

Finally, if you tell medical schools that you want to be a doctor because you love sciences or because you want to help people, you should be able demonstrate those interests. Research, volunteer work or community service activities are concrete ways of following up your interests.

What should I do with my summers?

You should use them to learn first hand about the practice of medicine. This can take the form of hospital volunteer positions, research or clinical internships, or participation in many other programs. Interviewers and admissions committees often focus on summer experiences, as summers are a good time for in depth work, demonstrating your motivation and interest in medicine. If you travel or work in a non-medical setting, these experiences are good to talk about and learn from as well. For example, you could learn as much about interacting with a wide variety of people by being a waiter or waitress as you would as an ER volunteer. In general, explore the opportunities available to you, and take advantage of what you can.

Be sure to check out the internship listings on the Career Services website: http://career.tufts.edu/.