Individual Pre-Health Stories
Alpha Epsilon Delta vs. Phi Delta Epsilon: How do I know which one (or if one) is right for me? – One Pre-Med’s View
About Marissa
Marissa is a recent graduate of Clemson University where she received her B.S. in Health Sciences. During the summer of 2019, Marissa participated in the Atlantis shadowing program in Trento, Italy, and now works as an Alumni Representative with the company. She is currently applying to medical school where she hopes to become a primary care physician.
If you are a student interested in medical school, then you are probably looking for opportunities to stand out during the application process. Depending on where you go to school, you may have heard of pre-medical societies, organizations that exist to help students navigate and stand out during the path to medical school. Before deciding if joining a society is right for you, take the time to learn about each organization!
Alpha Epsilon Delta vs. Phi Delta Epsilon: What is the difference?
Alpha Epsilon Delta (commonly known to students as “AED”) is a national health professional honors society that is dedicated to helping students develop as future healthcare professionals. AED functions to prepare and expose students to medicine and other healthcare-related fields, such as dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy. Depending on the chapter, there are a variety of events and opportunities for students. For instance, at my university’s chapter, they often host informational sessions with local healthcare professionals. This is a great way for students to engage with physicians outside of a shadowing setting. If you are a student who is still open to other careers in healthcare, AED can provide a wide-range of exposure. In addition, as an honors society, AED offers four different scholarships each year to students in the organization. Earning a scholarship is a way to help pay for medical school, which can be expensive.
Phi Delta Epsilon (commonly known to students as “PhiDE”) is an international medical fraternity that aims to shape students into physicians who are passionate about creating positive impacts for those around them. Unlike AED, PhiDE is an organization strictly for aspiring physicians. Uniquely, the fraternity also has chapters available for students currently in medical school. As a fraternity, PhiDE is dedicated to providing service to members in the community. Their main philanthropic partner is Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Each chapter of PhiDE works with a local CMN Hospital to volunteer and help fundraise. Events that chapters may host include bake sales or 5K races. Participating in philanthropy events through PhiDE is a great way to gain important service hours that medical school admissions are looking for. Additionally, PhiDE provides other fun opportunities such as an immunology study abroad program in London and Leadership Institute Conventions in major cities across the United States.
Commonalities
Both AED and PhiDE are organizations that provide pre-med students with the ability to network with other students of similar interest. Making friends with other pre-meds is a great way to share resources and tips for success. For example, if you were interested in another pre-medical experience, such as Atlantis shadowing programs, but do not want to participate alone, reaching out to other students in AED or PhiDE is a great place to start. The journey to medical school is often difficult and demanding, so having peers to study with and lean on are excellent ways to maintain positivity and resilience. Furthermore, being a part of societies like AED and PhiDE are great opportunities to seek out leadership positions. Learning how to lead teams and projects is a very valuable skill that medical schools look for when they review applicants.
It is important to note that you will have to apply to join both of these societies. For more information on the application process, I recommend reaching out to your specific university chapter, as each application may vary between universities. If your school does not have a chapter of AED or PhiDE, you can check out the national websites (listed above) for more information on how to start your own chapter, should you be interested!
Takeaway
When choosing extracurricular activities, it is important to select opportunities that are interesting to you. Joining a pre-medical society may not be the best idea if you are only doing it to look good on applications. In order to get the true benefits of any program, you have to be passionate about their missions and what they aim to serve. I do want to stress that your ability to get accepted into medical school is never contingent on your participation in a pre-medical society.
Even though I chose not to join AED or PhiDE, that does not mean that you shouldn’t take the time to see if these organizations are right for you. There are many benefits that can come from serving in an honors society or fraternity. At the end of the day, medical schools are looking for three main things: healthcare exposure, high academic performance, and specific core competencies. Participating in a pre-medical fraternity is a great way to become a strong applicant for medical school. If you are concerned about balancing a fraternity with your academic load, there are other extracurricular opportunities, such as Atlantis shadowing programs that occur over school breaks. Ultimately, what you choose to pursue should be something that you enjoy. Taking the time to find unique experiences is a great way to embody the qualities medical schools are looking for.
Our Alumni Enter Great Medical Schools
John Daines
- Atlantis '17
- Brigham Young University '19
- Washington U. in St. Louis MD '23
Zoey Petitt
- Atlantis '17
- U. of Arizona '18
- Duke MD '23
Zoey Petitt
Hungary ’17 || University of Arizona (undergraduate) ’18
Completed Atlantis Program Location and Date:
Hungary, Summer 2017
Do you believe your Atlantis experience helped you get into your graduate program?
I believe it was very helpful.
Generally, why do you think Atlantis helped you get into your graduate program?
For me, my Atlantis experience played a key role in confirming my decision to go into medicine. This was important for me to discuss during the admissions process.
Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews?
Yes
Yong-hun Kim
- Atlantis '17
- Stanford '19
- Mayo Clinic MD '24
Yong-Hun Kim
Budapest, Hungary ’17 || Stanford University
Program:
Budapest, Hungary – Winter 2017
Undergraduate:
Stanford University class of 2019
Major:
Computer Science
Honors:
Bio-X Grant (award for research)
Undergraduate Activities:
President and Founder of Stanford Undergraduate Hospice and Palliative Care, Volunteer for Pacific Free Clinic, Research Assistant in Wernig Pathology Lab, President of Hong Kong Student Association, violin performance
Describe Atlantis in three words:
Eye-opening. Spontaneous. Exhilarating.
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I chose the Atlantis program because it combines opportunities to shadow physicians and travel abroad, both of which I had little prior exposure to.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
My favorite experience as an Atlantis participant came in the stories exchanged over meals or excursions and the breadth of conversation that reflected the diversity of backgrounds within our cohort and site managers.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I appreciated the chance to speak with physicians in Budapest and hear their personal motivations for pursuing medicine because it really helped better contextualize and validate my own interest in medicine. The physicians were also just really welcoming, relatable, and down-to-earth people.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
The Atlantis program has equipped me with a better understanding of what a career in medicine looks like, which I think is an invaluable gift considering the long road ahead of those who aspire to be a physician.
How has Atlantis equipped you for active leadership in the medical field?
The ability to interact and empathize with patients of diverse backgrounds and communities is a necessity to be a leader in the medical field. I think the Atlantis program, through my interactions with mentors and their patients, has helped me take my first steps toward attaining the cultural vocabulary and literacy required of a physician.
Megan Branson
- Atlantis '18
- U. of Montana '19
- U. of Washington MD '24
Sarah Emerick
- Atlantis '19
- Eckerd College '20
- Indiana U. MD '25
Snow Nwankwo
- Atlantis '19
- Catholic U. of America '21
- Georgetown U. MD '26
Tiffany Hu
- Atlantis '16
- U. of Maryland '17
- U. of Michigan MD '22
Tiffany Hu
Tereul, Spain ’16 || U Michigan Medical School
Program:
Teruel, Spain – Summer 2016
Undergraduate:
University of Maryland class of 2017
Admitted medical student at:
University of Michigan Medical School
Major:
Neurobiology
Honors:
Honors Integrated Life Sciences Program, Banneker/Key Scholarship
Extracurricular Activities:
American Medical Student Association Co-President & Advocacy Day Liaison, Alternative Breaks Experience Leader, Health Professions Advising Office Student Advisory Board, Biology Teach Assistant, Health Leads, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, NIH Research Intern, Physicians for Social Responsibility Environment & Health Intern
Describe Atlantis in Three Words:
Educational. Eye-opening. Exhilarating.
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I wanted to expand my horizons and understand a culture of health different from the ones I am accustomed to. I had shadowed doctors in the United States and Taiwan prior to my Atlantis program experience, and being able to see first-hand the healthcare system in Spain allowed me to draw comparisons between the different complex healthcare systems.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
Bonding with the other participants and celebrating our time together along with the doctors we shadowed. We would discuss our interests, passions, and motivation for medicine, and it was an incredible experience to learn from and alongside them.
What was your experience with the doctors you were shadowing?
Because of the pre-established relationships with the hospitals in which we shadowed, all the doctors were very welcoming and accommodating. They were willing to translate for us and explain in detail all of their medical decisions. My doctors and I had wonderful conversations about the differences between life in Spain vs. the United States.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I was excited to scrub in on surgeries and watch as the doctor explained what he was doing throughout the operation. Before and after surgeries, as well as in my other rotations, I observed how the doctors reassured and communicated with their patients. I was able to glean insight into differences between the experience of health in Spain versus the United States through observation as well as conversations with the doctors.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
Besides the wealth of medical knowledge I gained from shadowing the doctors, I challenged myself to step outside of my cultural comfort zone and explore more than I thought I was capable of. Atlantis allowed me to make connections with people from all around the United States and abroad, and the friendships I gained helped me learn so much more than I would have on my own.
Lauren Cox
- Atlantis '18
- Louisiana Tech '20
- U. of Arkansas MD '24
Lauren Cox
Libson, Portugal ’18 || Louisiana Tech
Completed Atlantis Program Location(s):
Lisbon, Portugal
Year of most recent program:
Fall ’17 – Summer ’18
Season of most recent program:
Summer
Do you believe your Atlantis experience helped you get into your graduate program?
Extremely helpful
Generally, why do you think Atlantis helped you get into your graduate program?
It exposed me to shadowing that was hard to come by in the states. It also gave me a chance to see other systems of healthcare.
Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews? If so, how much relative to other topics?
Yes – they wanted to know about my experience, and specifically how the healthcare I saw in another country compared to what I had seen in the USA.
Kayla Riegler
- Atlantis '18
- U. of Kentucky '20
- U. of Kentucky MD '24
About Atlantis
Atlantis is the leader in pre-health shadowing and clinical experience, offering short-term programs (1-10 weeks) over academic breaks for U.S. pre-health undergraduates. Medical schools want 3 things: (1)healthcare exposure, (2)GPA/MCAT, and (3)certain competencies. Atlantis gives you a great version of (1), frees you to focus on (2), and cultivates/shows (3) to medical school admissions committees.
Watch Video: The Atlantis Shadowing Experience and How it Helps In Your Med/PA Admissions Future
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