At November 6th's meeting, Avi Newman, Medical Brigade Treasurer of Global Brigades came to talk about an exciting opportunity for pre-health students.
Global Brigades is non profit student organization to volunteer to help underserved countries to help close economic and health disparities
this spring break, they are going to guatemala going from March 14th to March 29th at a $1600 to $1800 cost per person
most pre-health students go on the combined Dental and Medical Brigade
some of the skills students get to learn and practice are: intake, medical consultation, shadowing, and data informatics
other benefits of the trip include excursions, the chance to experience local culture, good food, and PRAC 096 credit
the signup process is underway right now
Find the presentation at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_E685GM2DPCtWNCSZma-eBVtzTrITKGSWhqpZLP0bF0/edit#slide=id.p
For more questions, email Avi Newman at newma1@umbc.edu
Shortly thereafter, Aarsh Sheth, vice president of the Pre-Medical Society spoke about extracurriculars for pre-medical students.
anything outside of academic requirements counts as an extracurricular activity
the most common kinds of extracurriculars are philanthropic (community service), social (involvement in student organizations, greek life, sports or similar activities) or more professional in nature (internships, research, work)
medical schools value these activities because they help develop your social skills, critical thinking, service orientation, and the other fifteen core competencies (as outlined by the AAMC)
most competitive applicants have activities such as: research, clinical-related exposure, community service, and leadership from extracurricular involvement
you can find many extracurricular opportunities at hospitals, nursing homes, non-profits, and libraries
the Shriver Center is probably the easiest way to find service opportunities; additionally, there are also lots of hospitals to volunteer at around UMBC, including in Baltimore and Washington DC
an outstanding way to prove your leadership ability is to start an organization
make sure that when you do service you "champion a cause"
it is also important to have a lot of varied clinical experience
research is important into helping build relationships and gaining experience, but make sure that it is regarding something that you enjoy
it is important to enjoy and be passionate about the extracurriculars you choose: not only do they shape your undergraduate experience, but they eventually shape your applications and will help you to tailor your choices when choosing schools that you will apply to
