As an aspiring medical student, you are probably trying to find ways to strengthen your medical school application. One commonly asked question is, "Do my extracurricular activities matter to my application?" and the answer is a resounding yes. The journey to medical school extends beyond just grades, and your extracurriculars are an excellent opportunity for you to make your application stand out. They help to paint a picture showcasing your passions, interests, and diverse skillset. In this newsletter, we will explore the importance of your extracurriculars and how you can use them to succeed in your medical school admissions.

Understanding the Role of Extracurriculars.

As you embark on this journey to medical school, it's vital to understand that academic excellence and high grades aren't the only things the admissions team are looking for. Whilst meeting your grades is necessary, the most compelling candidate is one who can demonstrate that they possess the essential qualities for a successful career in medicine. Think of your academic abilities as the starting point, and then build the image of a well-rounded individual through your passions and interests. Showcase your ability to balance academic commitments with meaningful engagement in extracurricular activities, emphasising your holistic approach to personal and professional development.

Moreover, extracurricular activities provide an excellent opportunity to network with like-minded individuals. They allow you to connect with other aspiring students, professionals, and mentors within the medical field. Building your network at the early stages of your career can provide you with valuable insights and guidance, and you may even identify opportunities and potential internships.

The Diversity of Your Extracurricular Activities

The key is to get involved in a broad spectrum of extracurricular activities to build a compelling application with diverse qualities. For example, you could participate in research to demonstrate your curious mind and desire to contribute to scientific advancements or volunteer to highlight your compassion and commitment to the well-being of others. Sports, arts, and leadership roles will all contribute to creating an image of your unique skill set and personality. The most important thing is choosing your activities based on your interests and passion – this will allow you to maintain motivation and long-term engagement, demonstrating consistency.

Another reason to seek diverse experiences is that it will increase your exposure to individuals from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures. Cultural competence is essential within healthcare to ensure you can provide adequate care to everyone. Extracurricular activities are an ideal opportunity to gain this exposure and demonstrate to the admissions board that you have cultural humility and are adaptable.

Essential Qualities as a Prospective Medical Student

Some of your extracurriculars should be related to academia or medicine and are particularly convincing to build a robust application; these include research, volunteering, and leadership roles. To build your portfolio of experiences, seek extracurriculars that encompass the following:

1. Research: engaging in research shows that you are intellectually curious and possess the critical thinking skills to engage with complex scientific concepts. Additionally, it demonstrates your desire to advance medical knowledge, highlighting your potential to be a future contributor to the scientific field. You will also gain insight into the scientific method, data analysis and research ethics, which will be relevant throughout your studies and later in your career.
2. Volunteering: e.g., assisting in a local clinic or participating in community health initiatives. Volunteering, especially in a healthcare setting, shows your desire to impact patient's lives positively and emphasises your empathy and compassion. You will get a candid look into patient care and the realities of a medical career. This is a great time to gain practical skills such as communication, working in a team and demonstrating empathy.
3. Leadership roles: this allows you to further your organisational and teamwork skills. In this role, you may develop the ability to make decisions, collaborate and positively influence the people around you, which are all highly desirable traits in the medical field. The capacity to thrive in a dynamic and responsible position will be an asset to your application.

These three experiences demonstrate your values and interpersonal skills vital to working in complex medical environments. For advice on securing these experiences, click here to read our blog posts, including how to secure meaningful work experience.

There is a significant place for creative or sporty extracurricular activities. These will bring a unique depth to your profile. Try to reflect on your extracurriculars and extract the transferable skills you have developed from them. For example:

• Teamwork and collaboration: for example, a hockey player may excel in collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
• Resilience: competitive environments instil resilience and perseverance and foster the ability to bounce back in the face of obstacles. The journey to becoming a doctor is filled with unexpected obstacles and difficulties, so you must build your resilience and adaptability, which are assets in the demanding world of healthcare.
• Creativity: music, art, or writing develops the ability to think outside of the box and bring novel solutions to problems. The ability to be innovative and show a proactive approach to addressing challenges will distinguish you as an applicant.

Summary Tips and Recommendations

Having a strategy to enhance and optimise your extracurricular activities and where you focus your time is helpful. We recommend you:

• Focus your efforts on activities that you feel passionate about and are interested in. This will make your application more authentic whilst making your extracurriculars more enjoyable.
• Aim for diverse experiences but try to delve deeply into specific areas. This will allow you to develop a broad skill set and highlight your main interests.
• Stay consistent and engage in an activity over the long term. This demonstrates commitment, dedication, and perseverance, even in the face of challenges.
• Reflect on your experiences and identify its impact on you. Outline the number of hours you spent volunteering and the impact of your leadership role, or identify the positive impact you have made. Use these reflections to highlight your value to the medical field. Reflecting is a skill you will use throughout your career; at Future Doc, we have a fantastic team of mentors who can support you on an individual basis to do this; click here to find out more.

In summary, extracurriculars are the key to adding depth and richness to your application, so in answer to whether they matter, yes! By creating a diverse profile, including volunteering, research leadership, sports, arts and more, you can showcase your unique personality and diverse skillset beyond your academic grades. Use your extracurricular activities as a chance to develop personally and professionally; follow your passions and interests, prioritise your time strategically, and show the admissions team the value you can bring to the medical field.

• Written by Ellie Millard.