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What extracurriculars stand out for healthcare related majors?
I'm currently a junior in high school who wants to pursue nursing. Are there any activities such as clubs, hobbies, volunteer work, etc., that can help me stand out for college?
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6 answers
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Rhianne! That's awesome that you want to pursue nursing! There are definitely some extracurriculars that can really make your application stand out. Here are a few activities to consider that align with healthcare-related majors:
1. Volunteering in Healthcare Settings: Try to get involved in hospitals, nursing homes, or clinics. This can give you direct exposure to healthcare and show your commitment to helping others. If you can, even shadowing nurses or doctors will give you valuable experience.
2. Health-Related Clubs: Joining or starting a health club, such as a Red Cross Club or a Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter, shows your passion for healthcare. Many schools offer clubs related to health professions, and being actively involved can boost your resume.
3. First Aid and CPR Certifications: Earning certifications like CPR or First Aid shows you’re proactive about learning skills that are essential in healthcare. Plus, it’s a great way to demonstrate you’re serious about your future career.
4. Volunteering for Health Advocacy: Look for opportunities to volunteer with organizations that focus on health awareness, disease prevention, or public health campaigns. This is a great way to show that you're invested in the broader healthcare community.
5. Shadowing or Interning: Shadowing a nurse or healthcare professional is an excellent way to get hands-on experience. Many hospitals or clinics offer volunteer shadowing programs, so it’s worth asking about opportunities.
6. Science Competitions or Research Projects: If you love science, consider participating in science fairs, medical research programs, or health-related competitions. This shows your academic dedication to learning more about the medical field.
7. Physical Activity or Sports: Being involved in physical activities, like sports or fitness, shows you understand the importance of health and wellness. It can also help you develop teamwork and leadership skills, which are important for nursing.
8. Community Service: Helping with general community service projects, especially those related to health or wellness (like organizing a food drive or helping with mental health initiatives), shows you care about making a difference.
Remember, what matters most is your passion and consistency in these activities. It’s not just about being involved in everything, but showing your commitment and leadership in the areas that really interest you. Keep up the great work, and good luck on your journey toward nursing! You’ve got this! Good luck! 🤗
1. Volunteering in Healthcare Settings: Try to get involved in hospitals, nursing homes, or clinics. This can give you direct exposure to healthcare and show your commitment to helping others. If you can, even shadowing nurses or doctors will give you valuable experience.
2. Health-Related Clubs: Joining or starting a health club, such as a Red Cross Club or a Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter, shows your passion for healthcare. Many schools offer clubs related to health professions, and being actively involved can boost your resume.
3. First Aid and CPR Certifications: Earning certifications like CPR or First Aid shows you’re proactive about learning skills that are essential in healthcare. Plus, it’s a great way to demonstrate you’re serious about your future career.
4. Volunteering for Health Advocacy: Look for opportunities to volunteer with organizations that focus on health awareness, disease prevention, or public health campaigns. This is a great way to show that you're invested in the broader healthcare community.
5. Shadowing or Interning: Shadowing a nurse or healthcare professional is an excellent way to get hands-on experience. Many hospitals or clinics offer volunteer shadowing programs, so it’s worth asking about opportunities.
6. Science Competitions or Research Projects: If you love science, consider participating in science fairs, medical research programs, or health-related competitions. This shows your academic dedication to learning more about the medical field.
7. Physical Activity or Sports: Being involved in physical activities, like sports or fitness, shows you understand the importance of health and wellness. It can also help you develop teamwork and leadership skills, which are important for nursing.
8. Community Service: Helping with general community service projects, especially those related to health or wellness (like organizing a food drive or helping with mental health initiatives), shows you care about making a difference.
Remember, what matters most is your passion and consistency in these activities. It’s not just about being involved in everything, but showing your commitment and leadership in the areas that really interest you. Keep up the great work, and good luck on your journey toward nursing! You’ve got this! Good luck! 🤗
This was super helpful, thank you!
Gena
advice is truly wonderful—so thoughtful and packed with valuable insights!
Fanna Suzan
Gena, so glad it helped! Wishing you all the best on your journey—keep going!
Dr H
Fanna Suzan, that means a lot! Appreciate you taking the time to say that. Glad to be on this journey with you!
Dr H
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Rhianne a big part of preparing your journey into a healthcare is choosing extracurricular activities that represent your passion for your college major on your application. In fact, your extracurriculars are essentially the main selection factors other than your GPA and test scores. Taking time to intentionally select these activities will help you develop skills that will serve you well as a future physician, as well as give you valuable experience to draw from throughout the application process. The overarching theme for selecting and developing your extracurriculars is to showcase your interest in medicine, as well as the type of person you are (ideally one well-suited to the field)! The rest of this article will highlight some of the extracurriculars for medical school that will most help you throughout your journey.
1️⃣ LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
healthcare professionals are generally considered to be the leaders of the healthcare team. As such, gaining experience in leadership roles can facilitate personal skills and characteristics to help you succeed. These include developing expertise in communication, listening, motivating people, etc. Don’t underestimate the importance of these “people skills”! Leadership roles can additionally help you demonstrate the things you’re passionate about and have actively chosen to invest your time into.
2️⃣ CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
There is a huge variety of ways in which you can gain clinical experience! All of them generally involve working, in some capacity, in healthcare. Some of the most common ways to do sO involve gaining experience in an entry-level position such as working as a medical scribe, medical assistant (MA), patient caregiver, certified nursing assistant (CNA) or emergency medical technician (EMT). These roles all differ from each other slightly, so it’s important to pick one that you feel you will excel most in! Additionally, EMTs, CNAs and MAs generally require training/certification. Clinical experience can also be gained through roles in clinical research or as a medical lab technician, though direct patient contact as a part of the care team is generally preferred. Pursuing this type of extracurricular gives you a deep, personal understanding of the many challenges that healthcare personnel work through regularly. Frequently, it helps people solidify their desire to pursue a career in medicine and will help you articulate specifically what you most appreciate about the field. Something to keep in mind regarding clinical experience is that it can be very different depending on the environment you’re working in. Taking a role in a field that is more broad or general, such as the emergency department or a primary care clinic, will give you the opportunity to be exposed to really diverse medical experiences and can be a great place to start.
3️⃣ RESEARCH
Conducting a research project can give you a profound understanding of the scientific process. It teaches you to develop a question, hypothesize, and then test that hypothesis in a systematic way to determine the outcome of an experiment. Though we generally follow tried-and-tested protocols in healthcare based on our understanding of pathophysiology and previous research, these skills can be hugely helpful in determining the best treatment for more complex patients. Additionally, participating in research can give you a good understanding of the immense amount of time and effort that goes into scientific discoveries. However, it is most important to conduct research on something you’re genuinely interested in! Remember that not all research has to be bench research, and you can have incredibly impactful experiences in fields like quality improvement, diversity and equity, etc. Picking research you’re interested in enables you to be actively engaged and invested in the process.
4️⃣ SHADOWING
Shadowing consists of essentially following a physician around in the clinic or at the hospital to observe their process and daily work life. Through shadowing experiences, you can gain an understanding of what the role of physician specifically entails. Additionally, you may learn about certain characteristics or skills that help physicians be successful. Frequently, people will get a feel for the type of medicine they may be more interested in practicing. Shadowing experiences can reaffirm that medicine is the right field for you, as well as help you articulate the type of physician you want to be in the future.
5️⃣ VOLUNTEERING
This is another extracurricular that can take many forms, but the most important aspect is picking something you’re personally invested and interested in. As with most experiences, it’s not about the quantity, but the quality and continued dedication, in addition to your personal reflection on what you learned from it. Examples include those that are healthcare related, such as volunteering at a hospital, on a text help line, on a medical mission trip, etc; as well as those not related to healthcare, such as volunteering in the community at soup kitchens, housing shelters, charity events, etc.
CONCLUSION
It’s important to remember that no one can be involved in absolutely everything! Instead, you’ll be most successful by choosing to do extracurricular activities that are oriented to things you enjoy and skills you’d like to develop as a future physician. Additionally, many of these experiences can be somewhat combined, or reflected upon in similar ways to demonstrate characteristics and skills you’ve developed. Ultimately, be intentional about how you’re spending your time and be sure to pursue clinical experiences to confirm that healthcare is the field for you.
Rhianne Dr. H and others have already given you excellent advice, I hope this was also helpful.
1️⃣ LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
healthcare professionals are generally considered to be the leaders of the healthcare team. As such, gaining experience in leadership roles can facilitate personal skills and characteristics to help you succeed. These include developing expertise in communication, listening, motivating people, etc. Don’t underestimate the importance of these “people skills”! Leadership roles can additionally help you demonstrate the things you’re passionate about and have actively chosen to invest your time into.
2️⃣ CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
There is a huge variety of ways in which you can gain clinical experience! All of them generally involve working, in some capacity, in healthcare. Some of the most common ways to do sO involve gaining experience in an entry-level position such as working as a medical scribe, medical assistant (MA), patient caregiver, certified nursing assistant (CNA) or emergency medical technician (EMT). These roles all differ from each other slightly, so it’s important to pick one that you feel you will excel most in! Additionally, EMTs, CNAs and MAs generally require training/certification. Clinical experience can also be gained through roles in clinical research or as a medical lab technician, though direct patient contact as a part of the care team is generally preferred. Pursuing this type of extracurricular gives you a deep, personal understanding of the many challenges that healthcare personnel work through regularly. Frequently, it helps people solidify their desire to pursue a career in medicine and will help you articulate specifically what you most appreciate about the field. Something to keep in mind regarding clinical experience is that it can be very different depending on the environment you’re working in. Taking a role in a field that is more broad or general, such as the emergency department or a primary care clinic, will give you the opportunity to be exposed to really diverse medical experiences and can be a great place to start.
3️⃣ RESEARCH
Conducting a research project can give you a profound understanding of the scientific process. It teaches you to develop a question, hypothesize, and then test that hypothesis in a systematic way to determine the outcome of an experiment. Though we generally follow tried-and-tested protocols in healthcare based on our understanding of pathophysiology and previous research, these skills can be hugely helpful in determining the best treatment for more complex patients. Additionally, participating in research can give you a good understanding of the immense amount of time and effort that goes into scientific discoveries. However, it is most important to conduct research on something you’re genuinely interested in! Remember that not all research has to be bench research, and you can have incredibly impactful experiences in fields like quality improvement, diversity and equity, etc. Picking research you’re interested in enables you to be actively engaged and invested in the process.
4️⃣ SHADOWING
Shadowing consists of essentially following a physician around in the clinic or at the hospital to observe their process and daily work life. Through shadowing experiences, you can gain an understanding of what the role of physician specifically entails. Additionally, you may learn about certain characteristics or skills that help physicians be successful. Frequently, people will get a feel for the type of medicine they may be more interested in practicing. Shadowing experiences can reaffirm that medicine is the right field for you, as well as help you articulate the type of physician you want to be in the future.
5️⃣ VOLUNTEERING
This is another extracurricular that can take many forms, but the most important aspect is picking something you’re personally invested and interested in. As with most experiences, it’s not about the quantity, but the quality and continued dedication, in addition to your personal reflection on what you learned from it. Examples include those that are healthcare related, such as volunteering at a hospital, on a text help line, on a medical mission trip, etc; as well as those not related to healthcare, such as volunteering in the community at soup kitchens, housing shelters, charity events, etc.
CONCLUSION
It’s important to remember that no one can be involved in absolutely everything! Instead, you’ll be most successful by choosing to do extracurricular activities that are oriented to things you enjoy and skills you’d like to develop as a future physician. Additionally, many of these experiences can be somewhat combined, or reflected upon in similar ways to demonstrate characteristics and skills you’ve developed. Ultimately, be intentional about how you’re spending your time and be sure to pursue clinical experiences to confirm that healthcare is the field for you.
Rhianne Dr. H and others have already given you excellent advice, I hope this was also helpful.
Thank You Michelle. Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
Doc Frick
Thank You Dr. H. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Doc Frick
Hello Doc Frick. I would love to ask you a question as a senior to a senior. How do you do this? How do you make the time to give remarkable feedbacks to mentors and also wouldn't you want it in return? How would you feel about someone else feedbacks your support? And lastly may I ask how long you have been on careervillage and what inspired you here and what is it you don't like about here. I am new here but I have only been upvoting and giving as little and possible knowledge I can. You are really wise and this is really fascinating to me.
Uran James
Thank you Uran,
Everyone's volunteering journey is different, mine started as an Eagle Scout (Do a good turn Daily). I've always believed in giving back to my community that I Live, Work and Play in. When the Pandemic hit in 2020 I could no longer volunteer onsite, this is when I found CareerVillage. If everyone could donate just five hours a week, it would equal the impact of over twenty million full-time volunteers giving back to their communities.
Doc Frick
Doc Frick, that’s the kind of wisdom that really sticks. Do a good turn daily—simple but powerful. Love how you’ve carried that mindset through everything, and CareerVillage is lucky to have you.
And five hours a week? That’s some real perspective. If more people did even half of that, imagine the impact. Appreciate you sharing your journey, Doc—you make this place better!
Dr H
Updated
Maureen’s Answer
Hey Rhianne,
Getting a jump on your career in high school is a great way to see if nursing is for you. Approximately one quarter of my nursing school colleagues left the field within the first year of school as they had no exposure to healthcare prior to enrolling in nursing school.
Volunteering in the healthcare field would be my recommendation. I volunteered at a local hospital from freshmen through senior year of high school on an inpatient surgical unit most Sundays racking up over 1000 hours of volunteer time. I was interested in becoming a registered nurse. It gave me a great exposure to patient care, nursing, specific knowledge and skills needed to commit to this profession.
During nursing school, I became a nursing assistant (similar to a health tech today) in a busy Emergency Department (ED) in Chicago. I was exposed to a great number of patients, diseases, trauma, etc. The nurses quizzed me on why they were ordering certain labs and tests to see if I understood the pathophysiology behind certain diagnoses. As a result, I became an RN in that very ED, what a great first nursing position.
A volunteer position is a great way to gain exposure to healthcare and the many careers available to you. Good luck.
Maureen
Getting a jump on your career in high school is a great way to see if nursing is for you. Approximately one quarter of my nursing school colleagues left the field within the first year of school as they had no exposure to healthcare prior to enrolling in nursing school.
Volunteering in the healthcare field would be my recommendation. I volunteered at a local hospital from freshmen through senior year of high school on an inpatient surgical unit most Sundays racking up over 1000 hours of volunteer time. I was interested in becoming a registered nurse. It gave me a great exposure to patient care, nursing, specific knowledge and skills needed to commit to this profession.
During nursing school, I became a nursing assistant (similar to a health tech today) in a busy Emergency Department (ED) in Chicago. I was exposed to a great number of patients, diseases, trauma, etc. The nurses quizzed me on why they were ordering certain labs and tests to see if I understood the pathophysiology behind certain diagnoses. As a result, I became an RN in that very ED, what a great first nursing position.
A volunteer position is a great way to gain exposure to healthcare and the many careers available to you. Good luck.
Maureen
Updated
Martin’s Answer
There aren't any particular extracurricular activities you need to focus on. Just be yourself and get involved in things you love. By simply attending school, joining activities, working, or doing anything that helps you grow as a person, you'll have a lot to offer in healthcare. This approach will really help you succeed.
Updated
Fanna’s Answer
Dr. H’s advice is truly wonderful—so thoughtful and packed with valuable insights! Every point is practical and helps build not only a strong application but also a genuine foundation for a future in healthcare.
One last little thought: beyond structured activities, never underestimate the power of small, meaningful moments. Simple acts of kindness, taking care of loved ones, or even educating yourself on healthcare topics in your free time can shape your passion and perspective in ways no resume can fully capture. Keep following your heart, and your dedication will shine through naturally!
One last little thought: beyond structured activities, never underestimate the power of small, meaningful moments. Simple acts of kindness, taking care of loved ones, or even educating yourself on healthcare topics in your free time can shape your passion and perspective in ways no resume can fully capture. Keep following your heart, and your dedication will shine through naturally!
Updated
Jocelyn’s Answer
Hi Rhianne! Have you thought about exploring volunteer opportunities with the American Red Cross? They offer both in-person and virtual options that could be a great fit for you.
Give it a try!
Give it a try!