Med School extracurriculars
From research, teachers and unis I've been told different things. Are extracurriculars important for med applicants?
I have plenty of supercurriculars (masterclasses, leading med club, presentations, science/maths competitions etc.) but no current extracurriculars like sports, theatre etc. Do I need to have some of these non subject specific ones as well? I used to do ballet and drama but because of workload I left them, so should I be looking into doing those sorts of things again?
I was under the impression that US unis preferred loads of extracurriculars cause they want well rounded students but now I have been told otherwise. In terms of unis I'm hoping to apply to places like Oxford/Cambridge and Russel group unis. I know Oxbridge focuses more on research but do I still need some extracurriculars when applying to other unis?
I have plenty of supercurriculars (masterclasses, leading med club, presentations, science/maths competitions etc.) but no current extracurriculars like sports, theatre etc. Do I need to have some of these non subject specific ones as well? I used to do ballet and drama but because of workload I left them, so should I be looking into doing those sorts of things again?
I was under the impression that US unis preferred loads of extracurriculars cause they want well rounded students but now I have been told otherwise. In terms of unis I'm hoping to apply to places like Oxford/Cambridge and Russel group unis. I know Oxbridge focuses more on research but do I still need some extracurriculars when applying to other unis?
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Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work
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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry
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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread
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Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2025 Entry
Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application
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Original post by study23!
From research, teachers and unis I've been told different things. Are extracurriculars important for med applicants?
I have plenty of supercurriculars (masterclasses, leading med club, presentations, science/maths competitions etc.) but no current extracurriculars like sports, theatre etc. Do I need to have some of these non subject specific ones as well? I used to do ballet and drama but because of workload I left them, so should I be looking into doing those sorts of things again?
I was under the impression that US unis preferred loads of extracurriculars cause they want well rounded students but now I have been told otherwise. In terms of unis I'm hoping to apply to places like Oxford/Cambridge and Russel group unis. I know Oxbridge focuses more on research but do I still need some extracurriculars when applying to other unis?
I have plenty of supercurriculars (masterclasses, leading med club, presentations, science/maths competitions etc.) but no current extracurriculars like sports, theatre etc. Do I need to have some of these non subject specific ones as well? I used to do ballet and drama but because of workload I left them, so should I be looking into doing those sorts of things again?
I was under the impression that US unis preferred loads of extracurriculars cause they want well rounded students but now I have been told otherwise. In terms of unis I'm hoping to apply to places like Oxford/Cambridge and Russel group unis. I know Oxbridge focuses more on research but do I still need some extracurriculars when applying to other unis?
Extra-curriculars can demonstrate skills that are important in medicine (although I suppose you can also demonstrate these in other ways), eg teamwork, leadership etc.
The medical profession in general is keen that you avoid burnout, can de-stress etc. My personal opinion would be that it would be worth highlighting that you have some interests outside medicine. I personally don't think it's worth taking up something time-consuming just for the sake of a UCAS form, but I think you'd want to mention some interests outside medicine and be able to talk about them at interview. Eg whether that's playing a sport socially etc.
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