Why should I volunteer if I am applying to medical school?

Earlier today, I saw a student in the Ryan Gray Facebook group ask a question about getting into medical school if all she focuses on is making good grades and presenting a stellar MCAT score. I believe this to be a poor strategy to go into the medical school admissions process with.

Medical schools are as different from one another as the moon is different from the sun. Some schools heavily value community service and primary care while others may place emphasis on applicants who have an interest in research. Still other medical schools may have a proclivity to look at students from certain geographic areas. Thus, the typical medical school admissions committee will look at things that go beyond your grade trends, GPA, and MCAT scores to assess your readiness and “fit” for a career in medicine.

At A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona, one’s service orientation and mission fit figures prominently in all admissions decisions. Indeed, SOMA’s mission statement is to:

“Prepare individuals through high-quality, innovative, learning-centered undergraduate and graduate medical education programs to become compassionate osteopathic physicians and healthcare leaders who serve medically underserved populations with a focus on research and community-oriented primary care.”

How should applicants to SOMA (and other medical schools) show their service orientation and mission fit? An applicant should have experiences such as volunteering with local service organizations or mentoring other students. Many applicants to SOMA have spent time abroad on medical and religious mission trips. I served two terms of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Other students have started non-profits to provide food, shelter, and clothing to the homeless. Serving in the military (I am a 20 year veteran) also shows a commitment to service.

These examples of volunteerism also can be used to highlight other areas of an application that an admissions committee values. For example, my time spent as an AmeriCorps VISTA and as a member of the Army, shows that I value teamwork and community since my work in both involved working with groups of individuals in a community setting. If you start a 501C organization, you might connect this to analytical thought because you have to not only run a non-profit, but you have to consider funding and budgetary issues. My point is that each volunteer activity that you engage in can be used to show different aspects of your personality and fit for a career in medicine.

Other activities that can help to demonstrate your fit for medicine include clinical shadowing, research experiences, and clinical patient care work. Combined, all of the activities that you engage in outside of class will demonstrate to a medical school admissions committee that you are 1) More than just a student 2) Have given thought to the realities of medicine, 3) Have potentially explored other career paths and 4) Have the ability to handle a significant class load on top of maintaining a schedule of activities outside of the class. In terms of how long or how many hours one should engage in these experiences, I don’t like to put a number on this because again, different schools are looking for different things, but I would say that you should engage in these activities for a length of time that allows you to demonstrate that you weren’t just attempting to check a box. You should also do things that you enjoy. If you know that working in a mouse research lab isn’t enjoyable, don’t do it just for the sake of saying that you pulled in some research experience. In that vein, not all of these experiences are 100% necessary. For example, research is not a make-or-break thing, particularly at a school like ATSU-SOMA where the focus is on community service. Having shadowing if you are working in a healthcare capacity isn’t 100% necessary either.

Overall, your goal when applying to medical school should be to submit a well-rounded application. Don’t do things that you wouldn’t enjoy and don’t do things for the sake of checking a box; a savvy medical school admissions committee member will usually be able to see through the bullshit. Do things that you have a passion for and that you can expand upon/talk about in your personal statement, secondaries, and interviews. And if you find through the process of doing these things that you don’t want a career in medicine, then these were still valuable experiences because they may help to put your feet on a path that you wish to follow. Whatever the case, do not apply to medical school without having done any outside activities. You may be the n=1 who gets into medical school but its most likely that you will have placed your application at an extreme disadvantage.