Top 9 Extracurriculars for High School Students Pursuing Medicine

If you want to study medicine, you probably know that it’s a competitive and fast-paced field. Immersion in extracurricular activities is essential for medical school admission, as reviewers want to see examples of academic research, intellectual inquiry, community involvement, volunteer work, and more. Being involved outside of academia shows that you are a well-rounded person, that you are committed to medicine, and that you want to help others.

When you are careful about choosing from the list of extracurricular activities you participate in, you are saving yourself from a lot of stress. It is imperative that you choose extracurriculars you enjoy, so that doing them simultaneously with other requirements feels natural.

In this post, you will learn about extracurriculars for high school students pursuing medicine. If you want to make your application stand out, consider the ones discussed here. Remember that you cannot bite more than you can chew.

• Extracurriculars for High School Students Pursuing Medicine
• Why Extracurriculars Are Important to Medical Students
• What You Gain from Extracurriculars
• How to Choose Extracurriculars
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Extracurriculars for High School Students Pursuing Medicine

Here are 10 extracurricular activities you can do that are helpful to your medical career:

1. Medical mission

Similar to volunteering, medical mission trips allow you to help less fortunate communities. You will come across organizations that offer international medical mission trips. Even if medical mission trips are not something new, this experience will still help you get accepted.

2. Volunteering

Taking time to volunteer with organizations shows your eagerness to help others. Volunteering allows you to demonstrate your charitable side.

• USA Health offers volunteer openings at the Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Mitchell Cancer Institute, and Strada Patient Care Center, and University Hospital.
• International Medical Relief clinics rely on volunteers in their medical mission trips.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has a volunteer program for students who want to gain real-world insights on the work they do.

3. Shadowing

Physician shadowing is a great way to gain clinical experience and hours. Shadowing physicians effectively exposes you to various medical specialties that you do not get from your classes, especially during rotations. Shadowing in free clinics and other clinical settings will emphasize your dedication to working in any environment.

If you are wondering how many hours of shadowing are required for medical school, most schools require 80 to 100 hours. You can also choose to go abroad and demonstrate your interest in global health. Pursue your passion and let it guide you.

Medical schools want applicants who will not give up and are dedicated to their chosen field because becoming a doctor is no easy feat. Therefore, it is important to be particular about the extracurriculars for medical school that you participate in.

4. Patient exposure

If you want to succeed as a doctor, you must hone your people skills. That means you need to be confident in talking to patients while demonstrating clarity and compassion. Schools want applicants with actual patient experience. It can be challenging to find patient exposure as an undergraduate because many applicants take a year-long gap after college.

Direct patient exposure experiences include working as a medical assistant, hospice care assistant, EMT, phlebotomist, clinic volunteer, or scribe. These extracurriculars for high school students pursuing medicine will be instrumental for you.

Ideally, you should complete at least 50 hours of patient exposure. Your objective is to communicate effectively with patients and assist them in various situations.

5. Research

Many students wonder if research is considered as one of the extracurriculars for high school students pursuing medicine, and you will be surprised to know that it is! Admissions committees look at research participation on your resume when you apply.

Even though it is not a requirement, research plays a significant role in medicine. Health professionals conduct a lot of research that can help them in their fields. If you have experience in research, you demonstrate your skill to gather, analyze, interpret, and share information.

You can get started in research by working with a professor who specializes in a subject area you like. Another option is to join the research club at school.

In addition to enhancing your university application, gaining research experience can be highly beneficial for you and your future career. As you explore the field of medicine and discover various areas of interest, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the specific research topics you may wish to pursue later on.

Here are some research programs you can consider:

• Center for Excellence in Education has a summer research program that is open to 100 students highlighting research topics like, chemistry, biology, engineering, physics, mathematics, and humanities.
• Lomida Linda University has a full-time summer program for eight weeks that gives you hands-on experience in biomedical research, seminars, and enrichment and recreational activities.

6. Leadership

Taking on leadership roles is valuable to admissions committees. Doctors must have the ability to lead a team and make decisions under pressure.

You can try student government leadership roles, event coordination, or club leadership to show how well you handle responsibilities. Being an effective leader means you can be a good role model to the people around you. In the list of extracurricular activities, you will find a lot of leadership roles as well.

Here are organizations you can check:

• National Honor Society
• Habitat for Humanity
• Amnesty International

7. Tutoring

Medicine requires a wide range of skills, as healthcare professionals, they interact with people daily. Doctors, in particular, need to retain a lot of information, stay calm in stressful situations, and detect subtle symptoms or ailments.

Tutoring others helps you hone your communication skills and develop empathy for students. The leadership skills you build while tutoring will be valuable in your medical career.

Here are organizations you can check:

• Schools on Wheels. Their volunteers offer free tutoring and mentorship to kindergarten through grade 12 students.
• UPchieve. Tutors here help students get through their academic struggles.
• Step Up Tutoring. A non-profit online tutoring service where you can volunteer without leaving your home.

8. Summer school

Attending summer school demonstrates your passion and commitment by immersing yourself in the subject during the summer.

Summer schools give you a chance to learn from experts in the field, even from other countries. You will also build a professional network before attending university.

9. Hobbies

Including your hobbies when applying for medical school showcases your interests and uniqueness outside the medical field. You can engage in sports, music, painting, or teamwork as part of your extracurriculars for medical school.

If you are part of a sports team in college, it is worth mentioning your achievements as a player and how you help the team win. Mentioning how you excel in teamwork is helpful.

Why Extracurriculars Are Important to Medical Students

Most students applying to Ivy League schools and other selective colleges belong to the same tier and score high on their tests. Many of these students are qualified candidates, but another way for admissions to separate the passionate, driven, and intellectual from the rest is through extracurriculars.

Medical schools also consider personal interests outside the field since they reveal more about your personality and your participation in the community. The main goal of extracurriculars for high school students pursuing medicine is self-expression and demonstrating your purpose.

Here are the top 5 medical schools in the USA in 2024 with the lowest acceptance rates:

What You Gain from Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars help your personal development as a future medical professional. Here are the things you will gain from extracurriculars:

New learnings

One of the most important benefits of extracurriculars for medical school is that they allow you to learn something new, which will stay with you throughout medical school.

These skills can enrich you as an aspiring doctor. From playing sports or an instrument to participating in medical missions or shadowing, each activity is an opportunity to learn something new.

Broader perspective

Extracurriculars for highschool students  pursuing medicine are important for broadening your perspective. If you are intentional about where you spend your time, you can gain deeper insights.

These insights enhance your vision and achievements, often in ways you had not considered. Where you commit your time shows your dedication to what interests you. Medical schools want applicants who will not give up and are dedicated to their chosen field.

Impressing the school you are applying to

Extracurriculars for highschool students pursuing medicine enhance your resume, especially when applying to medical school. The admissions committee appreciates applicants who show commitment to developing new skills. Extracurriculars also demonstrate that you have interests beyond the classroom.

The skills you develop—academic, practical, and essential—will support you in your medical career.

How to Highlight Your Extracurriculars

When highlighting your extracurriculars for medical school, focus on the most meaningful ones that reflect your character. It is important to specify your contributions to each activity.

Emphasize the skills you developed through these extracurriculars. Teamwork, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills are highly valued by admissions committees. Demonstrating these qualities shows you can be a valuable asset to the community.

You can talk about the following when highlighting your extracurriculars to give you a headstart:

• Organization
• Problem-solving
• Compassion
• Optimism
• Time management
• Teamwork

Here’s an example of how you can highlight what you learned from that experience:

“While I was a volunteer, I helped medical professionals treat sick patients in Kenya. This experience taught me compassion, teamwork, and time management since there were more than 100 people who needed immediate medical care.”

How to Choose Extracurriculars

Before choosing the extracurriculars you will join, there are some key points to remember so you can make wise decisions.

Value quality over quantity.

With extracurriculars, you cannot be careless when it comes to choosing which ones to participate in. You will see spaces where you can list your activities in the application form, but it is not necessary to write a lot about them. You should include the most significant experiences because this is what admissions committees are looking for.

The goal is to show full commitment to your extracurriculars for medical school because it demonstrates how passionate and serious you are about everything you do. Choose activities you are zealous about instead of those you think will look good on your application.

Understand your goals.

Ideally, the extracurriculars for highschool students pursuing medicine that you choose should be specific to your medical career. Aligning your extracurriculars with your goals is essential, and they should reflect your mission and career growth.

If you are not interested in research but love volunteering, choose activities that align with those interests instead of joining an anatomy club. You can also opt for medical volunteering.

Focus on one thing.

Many students think they need to join numerous extracurriculars for medical school to make their application look impressive.

They go back and forth from volunteering, shadowing, the debate team, swimming, and more. Medical schools are different regarding extracurriculars because you do not need to do all of them. Admissions will look at your dedication, so you need to spend a significant amount of time in each activity. They would rather see you concentrate on one activity than jump from one to the next. Therefore, you should choose wisely.

Be sure to find extracurriculars where you feel passionate about.

Loving what you do will feel natural to you, and it won’t feel like a requirement. Admissions want to see students who are ecstatic about the career they are pursuing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many hours of extracurricular activities are required for med school?

This question has no exact answer, but admissions committees value your commitment. Engaging in over 100 hours of community service, dedicating 20 to 50 hours to physician shadowing, and allowing 50 hours for patient care will impress most medical schools. If you took a year-long gap from school, you might be expected to do more.

2. How can I be sure my extracurriculars impress the admissions committee?

Make sure to prioritize quality over quantity. Focus on recent experiences and mention the most significant ones that highlight your qualities and skills. You can also provide examples and describe the tasks you were assigned and how you performed.

3. What are the required hours for shadowing?

The shadowing hours required vary depending on the medical school, typically ranging from 40 to 100 hours. Completing 40 to 100 hours of physician shadowing helps you build a strong understanding of what occurs in the daily life of a physician.

4. What is the best way to join extracurricular activities?

Your school and community likely have interesting activities that you can join. Check the billboards or wait for announcements from your school regarding medical clubs to start in highschool or other organizations you can participate in.

It is better to concentrate on the activity you genuinely love and devote your time and effort to that rather than overloading yourself and performing poorly. Remember that you cannot bite more than you can chew.

5. What extracurriculars should I choose if I want to pursue medicine?

MD program applicants typically choose extracurriculars like research, medical missions, and shadowing because they demonstrate to the admissions committee that they are dedicated to this career.

Takeaways

If you are truly committed to pursuing medicine and possess what it takes to become a healthcare professional, your extracurriculars for medical school are not only limited to anything related to medicine. You have the freedom to continuously participate in activities that are also vital to your personal development.

• The medical field is highly competitive, and often, it is the extracurricular activities that become the deciding factor in your acceptance or rejection. Remember that it is crucial to choose the right activities for you and focus on those you are passionate about and enjoy.
•  When highlighting your extracurriculars, be direct and discuss the key elements right away. These mainly include the learnings you gained and your contributions as well.
• Talk about your specific skills by narrating a specific event where you demonstrated that skill. Showing consistency in the extracurriculars you choose is also key.
• Basically, medical schools want applicants who are well-rounded and dedicated to their chosen profession. These extracurriculars for high school students pursuing medicine will also demonstrate your qualities as an aspiring healthcare professional.
• If you need help choosing extracurricular activities to pursue medicine, do not hesitate to contact us anytime! We are always here to help you achieve your goal of entering the medical school of your dreams!