Leadership? International Experience? good for match?

[ToxicFugu]

Ok, so let's say that the grades are good, the board score is solid, the letters are there, and you've got research.

How about leadership positions (class officer, executive student coucil, club officer [will any club do?])? Do program directors even care about this stuff? Is it worth the effort (lets assume you enjoy it too). What about international summer fellowships. Spent 6 weeks in an M1 fellowship in India for example (http://www.medicindia.org/).

Man,
applying to residency looks more and more like applying to medical scool all over again.

Thanks!

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[Vince]

I had limited research experience.

I had signficant leadership experience...clubs, previous work history, student government.....none of it was really mentioned by any interviewing radiologists or PD's.

I also had international experience b/w 1st and 2nd year and once a semester every year....I thought it was fun and valuable...didn't get mentioned by them.

I went to two radiology conferences when I was a third year med student...the SIR conference which was in Phoenix that year, and a CT/MRI conference in Vegas(and I actually went to the conference. The SIR one was free, but I did have to shell out $400 for the CT/MRI conference....even as a medical student...I didn't think it was fair at the time...but it was awesome and worth it. I had a PD and another interviewing radiologist comment on my going to conferences. They seemed to like it.

I don't know if they noticed the other stuff on my application...I surely put it all on there...but nobody mentioned it so who knows and I haven't asked since I matched if they liked that....I matched...who cares....

And yes...applying for residency is like applying to medical school all over again...but I thought it was worse b/c now you have more to lose...4 years of medical school and stressing over getting into the specialty you wanted.......I gained some weight my fourth year b/c of stress.....now I'm trying to lose it and its difficult to do in internship. LOL

"I'll have a Double-Double Animal Style please."

 

[ToxicFugu]

I had limited research experience.

I had signficant leadership experience...clubs, previous work history, student government.....none of it was really mentioned by any interviewing radiologists or PD's.

I also had international experience b/w 1st and 2nd year and once a semester every year....I thought it was fun and valuable...didn't get mentioned by them.

I went to two radiology conferences when I was a third year med student...the SIR conference which was in Phoenix that year, and a CT/MRI conference in Vegas(and I actually went to the conference. The SIR one was free, but I did have to shell out $400 for the CT/MRI conference....even as a medical student...I didn't think it was fair at the time...but it was awesome and worth it. I had a PD and another interviewing radiologist comment on my going to conferences. They seemed to like it.

I don't know if they noticed the other stuff on my application...I surely put it all on there...but nobody mentioned it so who knows and I haven't asked since I matched if they liked that....I matched...who cares....

And yes...applying for residency is like applying to medical school all over again...but I thought it was worse b/c now you have more to lose...4 years of medical school and stressing over getting into the specialty you wanted.......I gained some weight my fourth year b/c of stress.....now I'm trying to lose it and its difficult to do in internship. LOL

"I'll have a Double-Double Animal Style please."

wow. interesting. so it looks like PDs dont really care about all that extra stuff. i asked because some classmates of mine said that leadership experience is someting PDs are impressed by...guess not. I really would like some more opinions from the ppl on this board tho.

vince, mind if i asked where you matched? was it california? i go to med sch outside of cali but would like to go back there for residency. my family is there and i did my undergrad there. mind if i ask your board scores? i heard california is crazy difficult for rads.
thanks bro.

 

[tigershark]

Nobody cares about that crap, but if you really enjoy it then why not do it.

Everyone knows thats all a bunch of BS, how much "leading" do you actually do in those clubs....do you think anyone in your class feels like they have been lead by you?

I can see a true leadership position being impressive, say you lead people into battle in Iraq or something like that, but everyone knows all these clubs and student councils are nothing more than CV padding.

 

[MedGeek42]

I don't think military leadership would be a big deal over and above the fact of military service, which would probably positively impress most conservative PDs (and give you a few extra points with guilty liberal PDs). I could see a super-lefty PD at a snooty East Coast school having a problem with it. But over all, I think military service would help you. As it should.