Gold DofE for medical school worth it?

I did it. Dunno if it helped directly but I was able to use it to demonstrate skills like leadership, communication, teamwork and all of those things which tick boxes on your applications. I actually really enjoyed the expeditions, and I was on a course that required you to do community service/learn new skills anyway so it was two birds with one stone.

The experiences you gain doing the activities can basically be good application fodder. You end up doing new things, volunteering, giving back to the community blah blah and it all looks good and will also teach you a lot. So in that sense it's worth doing.

Im starting long-term volunteering at my local hospital this summer, play for a sports team and am going to get a job - do you think these will kinda make up for it? It's just because I heard that at the school a lot of the expeditions are right before exams and I don't want something that's not going to help me massively have an effect on my grades.