How to: Second Year Medical Sciences at Western, Part 3 — The Pursuit of Extracurriculars

This article is the third instalment of the “How to: Second Year Medical Sciences at Western” series co-authored by Jason Wang and Liangchi Zhou . To see the rest of the series and learn more about the purpose/authorship of these articles, click here.

Many of the articles in this series discuss different aspects of education- but what about beyond the scope of your academics?

After all, there’s more to university than just doing well in your classes. This brings us to the topic of extracurriculars, which encompass quite a large range of activities. In this instalment, we give a background on both science and non-science related extracurricular opportunities, as well as a few pointers on how to get started in finding one that’s right for you.

We’ll be bringing up a lot of different helpful resources/links throughout this article. The links to all of them will be provided at the end (as well as a few additional ones).

How and why to get involved in science-related extracurricular opportunities…

There are numerous science extracurricular activities (“ECs”) you can get involved in on-campus. These opportunities include volunteering in hospitals, working in research labs on campus (this one seems to interest a lot of students these days), being a part of advocacy clubs that spread awareness of issues in the science field, and much more.

Since you will likely be entering a career in science, it is important to understand what you like and dislike. Participating in these types of ECs will give you an idea of which areas of science you’re passionate about. Many students in the past have discovered their interest in research, medicine, healthcare systems, etc. through the ECs they participate in throughout university. Just like with other aspects of life, you’ll never know if you like something until you give it a try!

Opportunities like this are also useful for career development. If you were to plan on going into optometry school, having experience working in an optometry clinic would be valuable to you when you apply. The earlier you engage in science-related ECs the better; you can continue to build your connections and potentially amass more useful skills and experience over your undergraduate years.

What are some specific science extracurriculars can I get involved in on campus? A good place to start is the USC clubs list, which allows you to search for student-run science clubs (often centered around promoting awareness or mentorship) that may peak your interest. There are also student governments like the Science Student’s Council (SSC) and numerous other undergraduate societies you can join to host science-related events/workshops for other students.

If you’d like to get involved in scientific research, the easiest way is to get into contact with a principal investigator (PI) you’d like to work with. This may be a professor at Western, or a doctor/researcher at a hospital or external organization. You can find PIs on hospital and Western faculty websites. Simply read some excerpts from their published work, decide if you are interested, and shoot them an email letting them know you’d like to help out. Many of them will also support a Work-Study student or apply for a summer research grant with you, providing you some payment for your time with them.

There are countless other science extracurriculars you can find on campus. If you can’t find that intrigues you, you could always start your own club, organization, or activity too!

How and why to get involved in other high-yield extracurricular opportunities…

Non-science ECs are a great way to become more well-rounded! We know that students in Med Sci enjoy the sciences and are naturally inclined to get involved in science ECs, but non-science ECs are just as fun and rewarding. Not only are they important for helping you develop passions outside of science, but they also help your professional development which may prove to be useful in grad schools and the workplace.

Getting started with finding your non-science passion can be tough. Past students gave the advice of looking back to high school for inspiration. What clubs/teams were you involved in in high school? Which ones did you enjoy the most? For example, if you enjoyed playing a certain sport, do some research on teams or clubs where you can continue that enjoyment. Research can be searching up an organization on social media, going through the university clubs list (similar to science ECs), or reaching out to people in your network.

If you want to expand your interests, you could pursue an activity that combines something you already enjoy with a new activity. For example, if you enjoyed playing hockey and skating, but you wanted to see what helping children with disabilities is like, you could look for opportunities that involve teaching children with disabilities how to skate. There are many rewarding opportunities out there, so do some introspection, get yourself motivated, and pursue something you’re interested in!

One final disclaimer on extracurricular activities.

An important detail to keep in mind with ECs of all varieties is that your main motivation for getting involved in an EC should not be to “resumé-build” or “impress your employers”. Whether it’s working in a research lab or joining a sports team, make sure you do something that genuinely interests you! Naturally, strengthening your resumé will be a motivator, but it shouldn’t govern your decisions. The more you enjoy an EC, the more time and effort you will put into it, and the higher yield it will be in the end.

Okay, everything you’ve said makes sense and I want to pursue more extracurriculars this year (yay, you!). Where can I get started?

Great to hear that you’re interested in expanding your horizons! To sum it up, getting involved in a high-yield extracurricular activity usually begins with identifying something you’d like to pursue, and then using the resources at your disposal to find an opportunity that fits that criteria. You can use the resources we’ve mentioned throughout this article (links are provided below), or it could be as simple as a quick Google search of what you’re interested in.

Of course this is just the first step, but with some due diligence you’ll find yourself getting much more out of your years here at Western!

Helpful links (general)

List of USC Clubs: http://westernusc.ca/clubs/

On-Campus Employment at Western: https://www.uwo.ca/hr/working/staff/

Information on Work-Study: https://registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/bursaries_workstudy.html

Varsity Sports: https://westernmustangs.ca/

Start your own club: http://westernusc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Ratification-Application-2019_2020-PowerPoint.pdf

Science-specific links

Get involved with the Science Student’s Council (and affiliates): https://westernmustangs.ca/

Schulich Departments: https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/departments/index.html

Faculty of Science Departments: https://www.uwo.ca/sci/departments/index.html

Summer Research Opportunities at Western: https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/bmsc/research/summer_opportunities.html

Volunteer at the London Health Sciences Center: https://www.lhsc.on.ca/volunteer-services/welcome-to-volunteer-services

This was part 3 of the “How to: Second Year Medical Sciences at Western” article series. To jump to part 4, which includes an FAQ as well as other miscellaneous details, click here.