Extracurriculars to Consider as a Pre-Med

With 15 slots to fill under the Work and Activities Section of the AMCAS application, it can seem quite overwhelming to find the best extracurricular opportunities and experiences. When compounded by the heavy course load that all pre-meds must bear during the academic year, the stress of creating a quality medical school application can seem quite impossible to manage. As a result, exploring the opportunities Columbia-affiliated clubs and organizations offer can be helpful and allow you to refine your own interests in the medical field. In this article, we’ll break down the different types of pre-med based extracurriculars to help you choose the right fit for you! 

Pre-Medical Based Societies:

• American Medical Student Association (AMSA):
  • Contact: [email protected]

It would be impossible to explore extracurriculars for pre-med students without mentioning AMSA. Open to all undergraduates, AMSA provides an amazing opportunity to connect with other pre-med students and learn from their mentorship and support. Furthermore, AMSA’s three committees (Events, Outreach, Website) allow members to participate in a diverse array of activities within the club itself, be it connecting with healthcare professionals or disseminating information about medical education and global health issues on their website premedpaths.com. 

• Columbia Women in Medicine Society:
  • Contact: [email protected]

Dedicated to uplifting women in their medical career aspirations, this organization is also another wonderful opportunity to find community with like-minded individuals as well as explore pressing health issues as they pertain to women across the globe.

• Charles Drew Pre-Medical Society:
  • Contact: [email protected]

This extracurricular organization is another awesome opportunity for students of underrepresented minorities in the medical field to connect with other individuals and benefit from mentoring opportunities. 

Scientific Literature:

• Columbia Undergraduate Journal of Global Health:
  • Contact: [email protected]

With one issue published every semester, CU Journal of Global Health provides students with several opportunities to engage with global health literacy, as an editor, an illustrator, or another integral member of the production team. From original research studies on topics ranging from COVID-19 to HPV vaccination, along with perspective pieces on matters including the mental health implications of immigration, this journal provides exposure to diverse worldviews. 

• Science Review:
  • Contact: [email protected]

This publication offers the freedom to explore the specific aspects of scientific study that interest you. From topics such as deep brain stimulation to novel cancer therapeutics, you can engage with the particular niche of health studies most fascinating to you as a student writer for the online blog or print journal. As an editor or a member of the executive board, you could also have the opportunity to benefit from the collaboration that accompanies the production of a scientific journal. 

• Columbia University Science Journal:
  • Contact: [email protected]

Through publishing accounts of ground-breaking scientific research, CUSJ will provide you with the opportunity to stay up-to-date on research developments while familiarizing yourself with the scientific publishing process. Furthermore, through becoming involved with the associated Columbia Junior Science Journal, you can help the next generation of scientists flourish through the submission of their own novel research.

• Columbia Undergraduate Journal of Gynecology and Women’s Health:
  • Contact: [email protected]

Through the collaboration of both undergraduate and graduate students, this journal is a great opportunity to explore the intersection of sex, gender, and health, examining how women are underrepresented in current medical research and working to eliminate this gap.

Community Outreach:

• Student Health Outreach Program (SHOUT):
  • Contact: [email protected]

Volunteering with SHOUT provides an amazing chance to work within local underserved populations, providing information concerning health services, basic necessities, and educational opportunities. Students participate in one shift per week, volunteering at local food kitchens and humanitarian organizations. 

• Columbia Public Health Club:
  • Contact: [email protected]

As a part of this club, you’ll have the opportunity to encounter local medical and healthcare inequity. Not only will you be responsible for researching these issues, but you will also help develop sustainable solutions to them—which you will implement throughout the year.

• GlobeMed:
  • Contact: [email protected]

Through partnering with Gulu, Uganda, this organization works to uplift those struggling with poverty. You will have the opportunity to engage with developing health services through organizing fundraisers and educational opportunities (such as the Hilltop Conference) that aim to improve healthcare services (e.g. HIV education and care) within and around the Gulu community. 

• Health Education Awareness League: 
  • Contact: [email protected]

As part of Columbia’s Health Education Awareness League, you will have the opportunity to improve the spread of health-based information—including topics such as drug awareness, nutrition, and pathways to healthcare careers—to middle school students in Harlem schools. 

Keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all health-based extracurriculars at Columbia; to explore more opportunities, check out https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/life/here/clubs/listings. Furthermore, while engaging with pre-med based extracurriculars is a critical component of your AMCAS application, it is also essential to follow your passions: activities that make you unique. This could mean engaging in a music or drama organization, a diversity-based initiative, or an off-campus job. In this manner, you will not only be able to develop a competitive medical school application, but also improve your understanding of yourself, have fun, and create a rewarding college experience!