How important is participating in school free clinic?

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I've heard from ppl that it doesn't matter to residency. I've also heard that it's one of those things that looks average if you do it, and not so good if you don't. Anyone has any experience with this? Personally, I don't think it's important but I want to know you guy's opinions too.

I'm wondering because almost everyone in my school does it. Our lottery selection is coming up, b/c not everyone can be taken since there are too many volunteers..

Meh. The way I've had it explained to me is that they expect that you've done SOMETHING with your free time during med school, but you certainly don't have to be involved in everything like maybe you were as a pre-med. So if it's something you're interested do it, and if not find something that you are interested and do that instead.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

I've heard from ppl that it doesn't matter to residency. I've also heard that it's one of those things that looks average if you do it, and not so good if you don't. Anyone has any experience with this? Personally, I don't think it's important but I want to know you guy's opinions too.

I'm wondering because almost everyone in my school does it. Our lottery selection is coming up, b/c not everyone can be taken since there are too many volunteers..

Much less important than focusing on your clinical grades and board scores. Do well on those and this becomes pretty irrelevant IMO.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

I've heard from ppl that it doesn't matter to residency. I've also heard that it's one of those things that looks average if you do it, and not so good if you don't. Anyone has any experience with this? Personally, I don't think it's important but I want to know you guy's opinions too.

I'm wondering because almost everyone in my school does it. Our lottery selection is coming up, b/c not everyone can be taken since there are too many volunteers..

I didn't do it at all during med school, didn't affect me one bit.

Originally Posted by drizzt3117

I didn't do it at all during med school, didn't affect me one bit.

Then again, didn't you have like 30 publications?

/..

Yeah, don't get carried away with this sort of thing. Its probably helpful to do **something** other than just go to class and study, but it's not like being a pre-med. I have several classmates who matched to competitive fields at good programs who didn't do anything else during school. There's a survey of program directors about what they value in applicants (I think its on the Careers in Medicine website) and volunteer work is almost dead last in every specialty.

Just try and do what you enjoy, to a large extent. It'll keep you sane. I enjoy working with patients and playing doctor - I volunteer at a homeless clinic and a different free clinic. I don't enjoy yard work, so I don't volunteer with habitat for humanity planting bushes in an urban area.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi

I've heard from ppl that it doesn't matter to residency. I've also heard that it's one of those things that looks average if you do it, and not so good if you don't. Anyone has any experience with this? Personally, I don't think it's important but I want to know you guy's opinions too.

I'm wondering because almost everyone in my school does it. Our lottery selection is coming up, b/c not everyone can be taken since there are too many volunteers..

Didn't do it. Still awesome.

I did it because there were some benefits to it initially but I also liked it and found it fun. It's nice being the head of a patient team and essentially being the "resident" for that patient.

Extra curricular activities really only matter to the more competitive specialties and a small minority of primary care programs. Research is going to matter a lot more than humanitarian stuff to the competitive specialties. So it depends a lot on what you plan on going into. If you're thinking derm, ortho, plastics, et al I'd probably spend my free time in a research lab or studying for step 1 rather than going down to a free clinic. Like was said before, residency programs are looking for completely different things than medical schools look for. Applying to residency is applying for a job. Humanitarian stuff is always good to have but I'd say there are very few programs who are going to fault you for not spending any time at a free clinic.

Having that said, if you want to spend your time at a free clinic because you enjoy the way it makes you feel to volunteer your time, then by all means go to the free clinic. If you're just looking for something to put on your resume though, it's probably not going to help you a great deal. Worry more about your grades/board scores..

Originally Posted by SnakeOil

Having that said, if you want to spend your time at a free clinic because you enjoy the way it makes you feel to volunteer your time, then by all means go to the free clinic.

Good point. Not everything you do in Medical School has to be resume focused. My experience has been that unless your volunteer experience has been truly distinctive programs don't care. That being said many of the doctors I went to medical school with felt that the free clinic let them practice their skill and prepared them better for their clinical years.

My take on this matter is that medical school is time consuming enough. People should not be expected to do extra curricular activities.

In reality they still probably care a little about extra curricular activities. Probably research is the only one they care a lot about. Probably because its one of the few things that isnt a bunch of tripe.

Originally Posted by Guillemot

My take on this matter is that medical school is time consuming enough. People should not be expected to do extra curricular activities.

In reality they still probably care a little about extra curricular activities. Probably research is the only one they care a lot about. Probably because its one of the few things that isnt a bunch of tripe.

I would hardly call helping to run a free clinic a "bunch of tripe". You are providing actual healthcare for the underserved. Even if it doesn't get you that coveted derm residency you're still doing a good thing. I hope medical students and doctors aren't THAT jaded that they can't do at least a little public service for the underserved...