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Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? I mean you really don't learn anything.. doctors are usually to be busy to talk to you etc.. I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.
Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? I mean you really don't learn anything.. doctors are usually to be busy to talk to you etc.. I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
To have your application appeal to the most schools, it is important to get clinical experience where you interact with patients, whether that be through volunteerism, employment, for class credit, or through clinical patient research. There are many places this can happen other than a hospital, like a skilled-nursing care facility, hospice, rehab, clinics (free-, family-planning, low income, VA, sport med, or even private), as an EMT, in certain camp environments, etc.Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? . . . I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
To have your application appeal to the most schools, it is important to get clinical experience where you interact with patients, whether that be through volunteerism, employment, for class credit, or through clinical patient research. There are many places this can happen other than a hospital, like a skilled-nursing care facility, hospice, rehab, clinics (free-, family-planning, low income, VA, sport med, or even private), as an EMT, in certain camp environments, etc.
Regardless of how you acquire patient experience, nonmedical community service is also highly desirable. So is physician shadowing.
thank you so much , my next question was where could i get hours . I'm going to try a clinic
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.I have gotten two acceptances so far, along with 7 interviews, and I have zero clinical volunteer hours. The only clinical activity I have is shadowing (~50 hours). Do what you're passionate about and you'll be fine
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.
His shadowing is still clinical experience. I had started hospital volunteering the same month I applied, averaged <4 hours per week from that time until my interview in September, and had those hours volunteering and a couple shadowing hours as the entirety of my clinical experience. Would a ton of hours improve your chances? Sure. Should you be worried because you don't meet the SDN-proclaimed "average" number of hours? Not at all.Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.
x3, I'm the only volunteer on my shift and I stay busy with patients and get more than enough exposure to things. So it's all about finding a good spot and sticking with it, be it a free clinic, hospital or in private practice.I second that ER volunteer, I basically shadow residents and doctors
It's really a good experience
That's ridiculous, and why is 'it takes' bounded by apostrophes?Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
That's ridiculous, and why is 'it takes' bounded by apostrophes?
OP, you need clinical experience. Without something that you can spin as meaningful patient contact your application is dead. You also need volunteer experience to show that you care, are empathetic, whatever. But clinical volunteer experience is not explicitly needed.
I have 200+ shadowing hours
I coached baseball for 2 years for underprivileged kids
basketball for 1 year for boys and girls club
I'm going to try a free clinic and volunteer there
Clinical experience (or any other service) is kind of state dependent too. In texas, I know a lot of people with very few volunteering hours (but good/decent stats) who all get in.
I'd recommend a free clinic though.
It is certainly a benefit, but by no means is it a requirement. I never stepped foot in a hospital in a volunteering capacity and have only shadowed a family physician.
Without any clinical experience, it is difficult to convey what you know about medicine as a profession.
His shadowing is still clinical experience. I had started hospital volunteering the same month I applied, averaged <4 hours per week from that time until my interview in September, and had those hours volunteering and a couple shadowing hours as the entirety of my clinical experience. Would a ton of hours improve your chances? Sure. Should you be worried because you don't meet the SDN-proclaimed "average" number of hours? Not at all.
My mind is officially blown. I always thought that if you didn't have more than 100+ hours of clinical experience, your app was dead, which is why I was so worried about starting so late in November. If that's not the case, that's a huge weight off my back.It definitely isn't a requirement. I did all of my shadowing this Feb/march, applied in June/july and just got some acceptances. Prior to this I had zero clinical experience. Don't stress over it too much, do what you can in the time being. I did and at one point thought that it would keep me out of medical school. It didn't. Shadowing is much more important than hospital volunteering. Make sure in your AMCAS you write about what it meant to you. This is all just my opinion from my experience though...
My mind is officially blown. I always thought that if you didn't have more than 100+ hours of clinical experience, your app was dead, which is why I was so worried about starting so late in November. If that's not the case, that's a huge weight off my back.
Do you feel comfortable talking about your clinical experiences? Do you feel knowledgeable (or at least as knowledgeable as you can be) about the field? If so, then you probably don't need to do the volunteering unless you want to.