Worried About Lack Of Clinical Volunteering...

[HCHopeful]

So, I have posted many times about the lack of clinical volunteering opportunities around where I live. There simply isn't a need for low-income clinics and hospitals aren't willing to let people have patient exposure due to insurance reasons. I have finally found an opportunity at a retirement village (not sure if it's a definite go, yet). My only worry is that it's a bit late.

My EC's include:

-SMDEP at UNMC Summer of 2013 (6-week program)
-U.S. Meat Animal Research Center internship summer of 2014 (poster presentation at conclusion of program) (520 hours)
-150 hours of volunteering for two peer education groups on campus (PHIVE-O and BACCHUS)
-30 hours volunteering for Red Cross
-20 hours as a volunteer ref for pee-wee sports
-140 hours of shadowing
-Local hospital internship (basically shadowing/hospital immersion) during January of 2014 (120 hours)
-Will be doing research again this summer at the Meat Animal Research Center, but this time will be a co-lead which will lead to a co-author (probably not published until Spring of 2016)
-150+ hours of involvement in a band that opened for Chiddy Bang (world-record holder and artist with 20+ million views on YouTube)
-300 hours of running a karaoke business. Self-employed. Run during school as well as summer. Mostly weekends.
-Achievements include: Alpha Chi (top 10% of class at college), ODK (leadership honorary), BBB (Biology Honor Society), and one of three selected in my class to receive a full-tuition scholarship focusing on community service and leadership capabilities (named after a well-known business man from Nebraska).

Now, clearly there is a lack of clinical volunteering. My excuse is that there simply aren't opportunities around here, but I know excuses won't fly when looking over an application or during an interview. Therefore, I am just going to try to get as many hours as I can at the retirement village I have applied to and hope for the best. This place is near to my heart because my grandma lives there and she has recently complained about the lack of activities/interaction with people.

My question is, will this be enough "patient" interaction to really make a difference on my medical school application? I still plan to go through with the opportunity regardless, but will medical schools look at this as too little too late? My goal is 100 hours from now until the end of the summer (hopefully more if time allows, but full-time jobs :/)

Any constructive criticism or advice is welcome.

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[tea guzzling traveler]

I feel actually like I'm in a similar boat to you, so feel free to PM me if you want to hear what I'm doing.

Suggestions that come to mind:
Would it be untenable to temporarily move, maybe just for the summer, stay at relatives where they do have more clinical opportunities?
I believe that as long as you get started before you submit your primary, you can list future projected hours
try one more time to see if there are any other clinical opportunities, really from everything to any type of hospital to being a physician assistant or a scribe.
Potentially do an EMT/CNA course, and volunteer with that?

Ps, you sound like a fun person, best of luck!

 

[HCHopeful]

I feel actually like I'm in a similar boat to you, so feel free to PM me if you want to hear what I'm doing.

Suggestions that come to mind:
Would it be untenable to temporarily move, maybe just for the summer, stay at relatives where they do have more clinical opportunities?
I believe that as long as you get started before you submit your primary, you can list future projected hours
try one more time to see if there are any other clinical opportunities, really from everything to any type of hospital to being a physician assistant or a scribe.
Potentially do an EMT/CNA course, and volunteer with that?

Ps, you sound like a fun person, best of luck!

I appreciate the reply! I can't move, unfortunately, because the research I'll be doing this summer is 40 minutes away from my residence :/

There are no scribe or physician assistant positions in my hometown, and I couldn't do the whole EMT/CNA employment line simply because I will have a full-time job doing the research this summer.

I really think the retirement village is my only option for clinical hours. Hopefully I can get 50+ before I submit my app and then put projected hours on there.

P.S. I don't know if I'm a fun person. I just do what I do. Good luck to you as well!

 

[Doctor Dream]

So, I have posted many times about the lack of clinical volunteering opportunities around where I live. There simply isn't a need for low-income clinics and hospitals aren't willing to let people have patient exposure due to insurance reasons. I have finally found an opportunity at a retirement village (not sure if it's a definite go, yet). My only worry is that it's a bit late.

My EC's include:

-SMDEP at UNMC Summer of 2013 (6-week program)
-U.S. Meat Animal Research Center internship summer of 2014 (poster presentation at conclusion of program) (520 hours)
-150 hours of volunteering for two peer education groups on campus (PHIVE-O and BACCHUS)
-30 hours volunteering for Red Cross
-20 hours as a volunteer ref for pee-wee sports
-140 hours of shadowing
-Local hospital internship (basically shadowing/hospital immersion) during January of 2014 (120 hours)
-Will be doing research again this summer at the Meat Animal Research Center, but this time will be a co-lead which will lead to a co-author (probably not published until Spring of 2016)
-150+ hours of involvement in a band that opened for Chiddy Bang (world-record holder and artist with 20+ million views on YouTube)
-300 hours of running a karaoke business. Self-employed. Run during school as well as summer. Mostly weekends.
-Achievements include: Alpha Chi (top 10% of class at college), ODK (leadership honorary), BBB (Biology Honor Society), and one of three selected in my class to receive a full-tuition scholarship focusing on community service and leadership capabilities (named after a well-known business man from Nebraska).

Now, clearly there is a lack of clinical volunteering. My excuse is that there simply aren't opportunities around here, but I know excuses won't fly when looking over an application or during an interview. Therefore, I am just going to try to get as many hours as I can at the retirement village I have applied to and hope for the best. This place is near to my heart because my grandma lives there and she has recently complained about the lack of activities/interaction with people.

My question is, will this be enough "patient" interaction to really make a difference on my medical school application? I still plan to go through with the opportunity regardless, but will medical schools look at this as too little too late? My goal is 100 hours from now until the end of the summer (hopefully more if time allows, but full-time jobs :/)

Any constructive criticism or advice is welcome.

Aye "somebody tell Roth that I don't love college" lol

100 hours is better than nothing though in my opinion. If you're really concerned about it you could always take an EMT or CNA class and work as one for a year and then apply. It might be inconvenient to take a gap year but you definitely want all your ducks in a row the first time you apply.

 

[HCHopeful]

Aye "somebody tell Roth that I don't love college" lol

100 hours is better than nothing though in my opinion. If you're really concerned about it you could always take an EMT or CNA class and work as one for a year and then apply. It might be inconvenient to take a gap year but you definitely want all your ducks in a row the first time you apply.

My application is so sound otherwise that I would hate to take a gap year. I have a 3.91 cGPA and 3.94 sGPA with an MCAT of 31 (12/9/10). For my in-state school, those are almost shoe-in numbers. I am just missing one piece of the puzzle, and I'd hate to take an entire year to do that. But I may end up having to anyway. Thanks for the advice.

 

[acquiescing]

I don't think that will necessarily hold you back. You have time in clinic, and time volunteering. Although it can be interesting/helpful/beneficial to have those overlap, I don't think it is a 100% necessary thing. Hopefully you can get somebody else to come in here and comment, but I think the point of all these experiences is to learn about yourself and be able to comment about your motivations for going into medicine. If you can talk about your experiences in clinic and your experiences putting the interest of others in front of your own, I am not of the opinion that they have to be the same experiences, if you catch my drift. Maybe someone else can comment more thoroughly, but I personally know people without clinical volunteering experiences who have gotten into medical school. So it's obviously not a binary necessity.

 

[Goro]

100% correct.
Now, clearly there is a lack of clinical volunteering. My excuse is that there simply aren't opportunities around here, but I know excuses won't fly when looking over an application or during an interview.

Not all volunteer work needs to be done in a hospital. Think clinics, Planned Parenthood, hospice, nursing homes, camps for sick children, or suicide/crisis lines.

Therefore, I am just going to try to get as many hours as I can at the retirement village I have applied to and hope for the best. This place is near to my heart because my grandma lives there and she has recently complained about the lack of activities/interaction with people.

As of right now, no.
My question is, will this be enough "patient" interaction to really make a difference on my medical school application?

It's possible, but sometimes one has to apply with the app onbe has, warts and all, and see how the app cycle shakes out.
I still plan to go through with the opportunity regardless, but will medical schools look at this as too little too late? My goal is 100 hours from now until the end of the summer (hopefully more if time allows, but full-time jobs :/)

 

[HCHopeful]

100% correct.
Now, clearly there is a lack of clinical volunteering. My excuse is that there simply aren't opportunities around here, but I know excuses won't fly when looking over an application or during an interview.

Not all volunteer work needs to be done in a hospital. Think clinics, Planned Parenthood, hospice, nursing homes, camps for sick children, or suicide/crisis lines.

Therefore, I am just going to try to get as many hours as I can at the retirement village I have applied to and hope for the best. This place is near to my heart because my grandma lives there and she has recently complained about the lack of activities/interaction with people.

As of right now, no.
My question is, will this be enough "patient" interaction to really make a difference on my medical school application?

It's possible, but sometimes one has to apply with the app onbe has, warts and all, and see how the app cycle shakes out.
I still plan to go through with the opportunity regardless, but will medical schools look at this as too little too late? My goal is 100 hours from now until the end of the summer (hopefully more if time allows, but full-time jobs :/)

Goro, as you are an adcom member, I clearly value your opinion. If I start my hours at the beginning of next week and accrue over 50 through the rest of this semester while stating I plan to gain at least 100 more over the summer, how would you view this on my application? Would it be reason enough to pre-reject me before an interview?

Thank you everyone for the responses. Advice is always appreciated.

 

[DrPerrla]

I don't think you need to take a gap year just to have clinical experience. From what you mentioned you already have ample shadowing hours and have done a local hospital internship. Your numbers are very competitive. Being an EMT/CNA would certainly be impressive but is not necessary as long as you have decent medical exposure in which you had interactions with physicians and patients, enough for an admissions committee to feel that you have seen enough to be pursuing medicine for the right reasons. Of course every school looks at an applicant a little differently and values each aspect of the applicant differently but from what I see you are competitive numbers wise and have interesting/unique experiences to bring diversity to a med school class. Hopefully this retirement home experience works out for you but even if it doesn't I don't think it would hold you back too much from being at least invited for an interview. As long as you can explain this small deficiency during the interview, without making excuses, I think you'll be fine.

 

[Goro]

Well, in context, my school doesn't pre-screen, so you'd get an II from us. However @LizzyM in other posts has, I believe, expressed skepticism about people who pile all their clinical volunteering right up at the end of their UG tenure. if one comes to Medicine late, this would be OK, but an Adcom might also think how can this id know s/he wants to be a doctor with so little experience with patients.

I'm a firm believer in applying with the strongest possible app, even if it means waiting out a cycle.

Goro, as you are an adcom member, I clearly value your opinion. If I start my hours at the beginning of next week and accrue over 50 through the rest of this semester while stating I plan to gain at least 100 more over the summer, how would you view this on my application? Would it be reason enough to pre-reject me before an interview?

Thank you everyone for the responses. Advice is always appreciated.

 

[HCHopeful]

Well, in context, my school doesn't pre-screen, so you'd get an II from us. However @LizzyM in other posts has, I believe, expressed skepticism about people who pile all their clinical volunteering right up at the end of their UG tenure. if one comes to Medicine late, this would be OK, but an Adcom might also think how can this id know s/he wants to be a doctor with so little experience with patients.

I'm a firm believer in applying with the strongest possible app, even if it means waiting out a cycle.

Once again, I appreciate your insight. I suppose at this juncture all I can do is attempt to relate in my personal statement and activities where the desire emanates from (to become a doctor, I mean). I believe my story is a bit different than most (not many are truly unique, though, myself included) and I hope some of my past experiences speak to my willingness and desire to succeed in medical school and become a physician.

For now! Onward with attempting to improve myself and my application.

 

[tea guzzling traveler]

Once again, I appreciate your insight. I suppose at this juncture all I can do is attempt to relate in my personal statement and activities where the desire emanates from (to become a doctor, I mean). I believe my story is a bit different than most (not many are truly unique, though, myself included) and I hope some of my past experiences speak to my willingness and desire to succeed in medical school and become a physician.

For now! Onward with attempting to improving myself and my application.

I really think this is a great attitude to take, self improvement is one of the things I strive for above all else, so it's good to hear other people espouse similar points of view. Best of luck!