<p>Hello everyone, this is my first time posting…so please bear with me =/</p>
<p>I have a question regarding that unique aspect that gives an applicant a “hook” on admissions. I know that things like being a minority, being from a large donor family, being an athlete, being an incredible musician, and coming from a legacy all are considered hooks. How does one, however, create a hook?</p>
<p>Have any of you done something that truly sets you apart?</p>
<p>Most of these “hooks” are things you either have or don’t by this age. The most important thing is to be excellent in all areas – that comes first.</p>
<p>I feared that would be the answer…but thanks a lot!</p>
<p>I just thought of something that I have begun to do that might be considered a “hook”. Please offer you honest opinion.</p>
<p>I have done several medical missions to Mexico and I have already made arrangements to go to Panama this upcoming month to work in free medical clinics. I have been thinking of going to Guatemala to expand my experience with Latino/Hispanic countries’ methods of Healthcare, this December. If I were to continue to volunteer/work in medical missions in different Latino/Hispanic countries, would this be enough to give my medical school application the charm as a traditional hook?</p>
<p>I mean, the idea of a “hook” doesn’t really make sense in medical school admissions. The idea of a hook in undergrad admissions is that it’s something which will get you in even if everything else is only average. There’s really very few such things in medical school applications – a major science prize or scholarship (e.g. Rhodes) would be the only thing I could think of.</p>
<p>It’s absolutely a good thing. It’s very helpful. I did something very similar, and it helped me a lot. But it’s not going to compensate for mediocrity in everything else. Medical school spots are far too precious for that.</p>
<p>The concept of a “hook” is something I heard of while in the college application process so I figured that it probably existed in the medical school application process too. But I completely agree that medical spots are too few to be largely decided by a “hook”. I am just looking for something that will add a unique aspect to my application so that I will not be lost among all the other candidates who also have done research, shadowed, and have clinical experience.</p>
<p>A true hook as BDM explained is something you either have or don’t by this point.</p>
<p>But in medical schools admissions, “packaging” yourself is part of the game. The people, even with the standard things, who can present their experiences as a coherent thrust are at an advantage. </p>
<p>In all honesty, the easiest way you do this is by being yourself and pursuing your interests while avoiding the checklist mentality. Everyone has clinical experience - make sure yours (if possible) is in a field you’re interested in, even if you find out you don’t like it, well you can use that experience. Most everyone has campus involvement - but being president of the campus ballroom dancing club stands out a lot more than being president of the pre-med club. In line with this strategy is picking a major you’re passionate about, not going with biology because that seems to be the most applicable. From there, if your research coincides with your major - even if in a non-science field - it’s better than picking a lab based on the PI and the likelihood of getting published.</p>
<p>The other piece of the puzzle is putting your passions and translating that into why they’ll make you a better physician - which isn’t as hard as it sounds.</p>
<p>In the end, enthusiasm will shine through. If you’re excited about what you’ve done, that will stand out in any interview, and rate you far higher than the person with greater accomplishments who did them only because of their relevance to getting into medical school.</p>
<p>Thank you, I will keep that in mind. I feel like I am doing OK but then I worry about someone having done something amazing that will completely overshadow any accomplishments that I may have accrued, by the time of my application to medical school. </p>
<p>What do you mean by “packaging”? Is that making oneself a desirable applicant? By what means?</p>
<p>Another thing I need clarification on is not adhering to a checklist. I feel that through following the typical premed checklist (i.e., research, clinical experience, volunteer service, shadowing, etc.) I can ensure that I don’t lack a certain aspect of my application, which most other premeds will have. I fear that this will put me at a disadvantage. Sure, I will not strongly pursue something that does not interest me at all solely for the sake of putting it on my application. But I will do something that I am not a fanatic of, like shadowing, in order not to lack any aspect of my application.</p>
<p>You have to do them all, but doing them with a checklist mentality will render them worthless.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/214373-extracurriculars.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/214373-extracurriculars.html</a></p>
<p>Hm. There’s a pretty lengthy discussion on the nature of balance vs. excellence here:
<a href=“Anybody get research grants? - Pre-Med Topics - College Confidential Forums”>Anybody get research grants? - Pre-Med Topics - College Confidential Forums;
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<p>You will meet such people on your interviews. Good for them. You should be doing things that you are interested in, not things that you think are more impressive than what other people are doing. Yes, there are certain categories of activities you should have (clinical, research, etc.) but there is a remarkable amount of flexibility in med school admissions. If you pursue activities you are passionate about, you will naturally be successful. </p>
<p>BTW: You’re probably not going to do anything that med school adcoms haven’t seen before. Every year there are people applying with Fullbright and Rhodes Scholarships, PhD degrees, former investment bankers (and others who are giving up 6-figure salaries), former EMT/nurses/PA’s/people with ridiculous clinical backgrounds, Division I athletes, etc. It’s not so much which activities are better but rather how you present and talk about your activities.</p>
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<p>Since you apparently didn’t read any of my post past the “packaging” statement (which very clearly gives you that information), this quote from NCG is what I mean by “packaging”. It’s taking your experiences NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE, and creating your “story” in the most attractive light possible. Anyone can go into an interview and say “here’s my resume” and then sit there without any further explanation. But if you’re going to stand out, you have to be able to EXPLAIN those accomplishments and WHY they matter. I promise you that will be easy to do if you pursued your interests. Again, enthusiasm shines through.</p>
<p>BDM,</p>
<p>I don’t think a Rhodes or a Marshall is much of a hook. You can’t get one of these unless you have both top grades and stellar recommendations, so the winners of these would get into great schools on their own merits. The scholarships are really just a validation of the package. </p>
<p>Personally, I think the idea of a “hook” for med school (or grad or other professional schools) shows a real misunderstanding of the whole admissions process. Unlike undergrad, where there is little time spent on any one admissions folder, medical school and grad school admissions (don’t know about law or MBA) are much more holistic, and almost always include rather extensive interviews. </p>
<p>It is a different process, so don’t try to frame it relative to your undergrad application.</p>
<p>I’m going to cure cancer. Along with the 45T that I will get on my MCAT, I think it’ll be more than enough of a “hook” to guarantee acceptance to any program (but just to be safe, I’m also going to write a critically acclaimed screenplay about my experiences saving orphans in Africa; upon release, this movie will gross $2 billion, beating out Titanic, and will serve as an excellent foundation on which to write my personal statement and provide interview question fodder).</p>
<p>Actually, the hook I’m planning on getting is even better than #13.</p>