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[deleted850921]

EDIT: Look at LizzyMs post below, it's a better list and thanks everyone for commenting!

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[hellobigcat]

You need shadowing on there too.

Cookie-cutter experiences usually refers to an applicant that seems to be academically strong, but has thrown hospital volunteering, shadowing, and tutoring on his application without demonstrating a longer commitment to community service. Stuffing a bunch of clinical hours in your senior year without having any in freshman and sophomore year is also an example of "box-checking".

 

[Turkishking]

The bare minimum EC's.

 

[Zzan999]

I think what you've listed is above cookie cutter status lol. Cookie cutter is usually something like: 100hrs volunteering in a hospital, 50 hours nonclinical volunteering, member of AMSA, 1 summers worth of research, shadowing

 

[bbbcccppp]

Cookie cutter could be non unique ecs similar to many other applicants. Reasonable amount of hours but not impressive. And implies perhaps lack of extreme passion for the activities. might not be the ecs for a top 20. These ecs may be acceptable but not remarkable at many schools


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[LizzyM]

I'll bite:

100 hours of volunteering in an emergency department or pediatric ward (alternate, got EMT-B credential but didn't use it)
shadowed 2 doctors
50 hours of volunteering with the homeless/hungry or tutoring grade school kids
(alternate, one week immersion with the poor in the US or abroad)
Plays piano or guitar for fun
Enjoys traveling
Plays intramural or club sports or engaged in dorm/frat life
One semester or summer (150 hours) of research (at a technician level, no papers, posters, or presentations)

And some kids grow up and just do what they learned in HS. Soup-Kitchen Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I'll bite:

100 hours of volunteering in an emergency department or pediatric ward (alternate, got EMT-B credential but didn't use it)
shadowed 2 doctors
50 hours of volunteering with the homeless/hungry or tutoring grade school kids
(alternate, one week immersion with the poor in the US or abroad)
Plays piano or guitar for fun
Enjoys traveling
Plays intramural or club sports or engaged in dorm/frat life
One semester or summer (150 hours) of research (at a technician level, no papers, posters, or presentations)

And some kids grow up and just do what they learned in HS. Soup-Kitchen Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat

You forgot "enjoys cooking/trying new foods" which goes hand-in-hand with enjoys traveling

 

[popopopop]

Primary care interest, pre-med clubs, Dean's list

 

[Toutie]

And some kids grow up and just do what they learned in HS. Soup-Kitchen Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat

That's hilarious. I love The Onion.

 

[JJRousseau]

You avoid "cookie-cutter" status by being an engaged citizen building concrete service works, productive projects, and leadership roles out of your passions. Apply yourself actively to the world around you, and the institutions, injustices, and knowledge that fascinate or frustrate you within it. It is my belief that bona fide outstanding ECs are a symptom of the kind of person you are and independent of some eventual desire to apply your engagement and passions to the profession of medicine. IMHO, constructing ECs for the purpose of application is bound to hurt an applicant at some point if only at the interview stage where it becomes obvious you weren't in it to be in it, but to get into medical school.


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[mwsapphire]

I'll bite:

100 hours of volunteering in an emergency department or pediatric ward (alternate, got EMT-B credential but didn't use it)
shadowed 2 doctors
50 hours of volunteering with the homeless/hungry or tutoring grade school kids
(alternate, one week immersion with the poor in the US or abroad)
Plays piano or guitar for fun
Enjoys traveling
Plays intramural or club sports or engaged in dorm/frat life
One semester or summer (150 hours) of research (at a technician level, no papers, posters, or presentations)

And some kids grow up and just do what they learned in HS. Soup-Kitchen Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat

But here's the thing that's always confused my baby pre med brain-
If you bring those volunteer hours to 500+ combined, it becomes strong EC's ( Goro said something like that) .
A couple of summers of research, 300 hours at a hospital, 200 hours working with kidgets at the YMCA, and more shadowing, for example.

 

[LizzyM]

But here's the thing that's always confused my baby pre med brain-
If you bring those volunteer hours to 500+ combined, it becomes strong EC's ( Goro said something like that) .
A couple of summer of research, 300 hours at a hospital, 200 hours working with kidgets at the YMCA. More shadowing, for example.

Cookie cutter means you are just like dozens of others. If you kick it up a notch or twelve, you now are head and shoulders above the crowd.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

But here's the thing that's always confused my baby pre med brain-
If you bring those volunteer hours to 500+ combined, it becomes strong EC's ( Goro said something like that) .
A couple of summer of research, 300 hours at a hospital, 200 hours working with kidgets at the YMCA. More shadowing, for example.

Cookie cutter isn't necessarily bad either. Its just bad when the timing is off; i.e. when PI's get that e-mail from graduating seniors during the spring semester asking for "research opportunities." Also, like you said, sometimes quantity is a great factor and can win you some points; 500 hours of clinical volunteering over 4 years of college shows me a student that's dedicated, interested from day 1, doesn't give up on commitments, and, just maybe, enjoys the aspect of volunteering and not resume/AMCAS padding

 

[JJRousseau]

Cookie cutter isn't necessarily bad either. Its just bad when the timing is off; i.e. when PI's get that e-mail from graduating seniors during the spring semester asking for "research opportunities." Also, like you said, sometimes quantity is a great factor and can win you some points; 500 hours of clinical volunteering over 4 years of college shows me a student that's dedicated, interested from day 1, doesn't give up on commitments, and, just maybe, enjoys the aspect of volunteering and not resume/AMCAS padding

I can't comprehend how someone could put 500 hours in for resume padding and not genuine interest in the activity. I would lose my mind doing something that long without any motivation but the idea of adcoms appreciating it.


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[Dr. Stalker]

I can't comprehend how someone could put 500 hours in for resume padding and not genuine interest in the activity. I would lose my mind doing something that long without any motivation but the idea of adcoms appreciating it.


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Exactly. But, when adcom sees the applicant started volunteering 1 month before submitting the AMCAS and has 10 hours and "plans to do 100 hours of the next year" I'm sure they roll their eyes lol

 

[JJRousseau]

Exactly. But, when adcom sees the applicant started volunteering 1 month before submitting the AMCAS and has 10 hours and "plans to do 100 hours of the next year" I'm sure they roll their eyes lol

Fair enough, I believe this would fall under my previous post in this thread.


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