Extracurricular activities are important for getting into medical school and developing new skills required to become a good doctor.

Securing a good GPA isn’t enough, if you want to apply to medical school. Extracurricular activities are also important for prospective medical students to gain a spot in a medical school. The activities you perform outside the classroom show the admissions committees that you are ready for this noble profession.

Choosing the right extracurricular activities and knowing how to polish important skills will make you a successful medical school applicant. It is a great opportunity to make your application stand out from the crowd. In fact, extracurricular activities are a crucial part of your medical school application. Besides stellar test scores and top grades, many apply to a medical school are looking for students who have diverse interests and possess multiple skills. So, participate in extracurricular activities to strengthen your chances of admission.

What Research says about Extracurricular Activities?

By participating in extracurricular activities, students can develop a variety of life skills and character-building skills that you can’t develop by just attending lectures and sitting in the classroom. In order to become a well-rounded and highly functional student, you need to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities to gain valuable experience. Several studies have shown that students who participated in extracurricular activities secure good grades, build important life skills such as communication and sense of commitment, compared to those who didn’t participate in any extracurricular activities.

According to several studies, students’ social and intellectual development is very important, especially if they want to succeed in medical school. Extracurricular activities teach students how to stay disciplined, committed and passionate which is important for pursuing a career in medicine.  

Types of Extracurricular Activities

Your extracurricular activities clearly show what type of a person you are and how you can contribute to the betterment of the field. If you are not sure what type of extracurricular activities you should choose, here are different types of extracurricular activities that you can pursue to become a successful candidate.

Participate in Academic Activities

Getting involved in academic activities is one of the best ideas for prospective medical students to polish their skills. It is a great opportunity to gain experience in a particular academic field and gain the required experience. For instance, if you have interest in pathology, pharmacology, hematology, and biomedical sciences, you can find opportunities in different research institutes and laboratories.  

There are many medical schools that offer summer internship programs for high school students. You can choose the summer program that is related to the subject you are interested in. You can join these programs to show the medical school admissions committees your passion and commitment.

Perform Volunteer Activities

Performing some volunteer roles is a great extracurricular activity that shows your dedication, spirit and commitment towards the field of medicine. Medical school admissions committees prefer students who are involved in volunteering and community service. It clearly shows that you really care about the health and safety of the community, district, or city.

You can perform different types of volunteering roles in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, medical centers, local hospitals, and vet clinics. Performing a myriad of volunteer activities will make it easier for students to decide whether medicine is the right career choice for you.

The best part is you can also participate in nonmedical volunteer work to gain valuable experience. You can join premed and service clubs to find different volunteer opportunities. You can also find volunteer opportunities in charities, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, food banks, family shelters – to name a few. As a volunteer, you can perform a myriad of roles such as arranging community festivals, organizing a fundraising event, working for social justice groups and much more.  

Interest-based Activities

The ultimate goal of performing extracurricular activities is to build important qualities students require to become a good physician. Choosing activities according to your personal interests is the smart decision as it gives you an opportunity to develop some good skills. Gaining some extracurricular experience also makes your personal statement stand out from the crowd.

Whether you run a YouTube channel, do a part-time job, teach underprivileged students, or perform in community theater programs, you can list in your medical school personal statement. It helps the admissions committees to learn about you.

There are a number of hobbies, both academically and professionally that you can choose as extracurricular activities. For example, sports such as basketball, running, hiking or other activities can be used to list down in your medical school application to explain what skills these sporting activities have taught you.

Drawing, painting, playing an instrument, sculpturing, and traveling are a few examples of hobbies that can be continued. Premeds can also choose hobbies that will have a positive impact on their personality and contribute to their personal and academic growth.  

What Traits You Will Develop from Extracurricular Activities?

·         Leadership

·         Communication skills

·         Time management

·         Self-confidence

·         Sense of commitment

·         Teamwork

·         Dedication

·         Critical thinking skills

·         Social responsibility

·         Problem-solving skills

·         Creativity

·         Organization skills

·         Curiosity of knowledge

·         Taking initiatives

·         Risk-taking skills

Final Thoughts

There is no denying the fact that GPA and MCAT scores are the most important admission criterion for getting selected to the Caribbean medical school. But performing different extracurricular activities will help you gain a diverse experience and gain skills to become a good physician. Extracurricular activities improve your ability to grow and equip yourself with essential knowledge, skills and tools required to become a smart student and succeed in your education and professional life.