Advice needed: the undocumented summer or largely pointless summer course

[philosonista]

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Hello, SDN-ers,

As we all know, summer does not permit the wise pre-med to slack off. Rather, summer time is meant to be productive. Specifically: summer must be documented as being productive.

Let me tell you my dilemma.

I recently aced Calc I in the first summer session and was signed up for Calculus II in the second summer session. However, after attending the first day of Calc II with a different professor, I dropped the course due to some alarming things he told us that seemed like a sure predictor of a low GPA (As one example, have you ever had a professor that curves down?! This one did!) By that time, it was too late to sign up for another course.

Instead, I signed up for another course that lasts two weeks and starts in about ten days that is neither needed for my major, nor all that beneficial to me: Film Genre. I did this out of the fear that if I don't do something over the second half of summer that is "official" and documented in some way, Med Schools would think less of my application's rigor.

I'm NOT being unproductive in these weeks off, rest assured. I'm reviewing Gen Bio I so that I may be a Biology tutor this semester, reviewing the gen chem material relevant to Orgo before I started the Orgo sequence this Fall, writing articles for my school paper, creating cartoons for my school paper (It takes me about a day to do each one; I am a VERY serious cartoonist that will be competing in a national cartoon competition), training to become a collegiate cyclist, and tying up loose ends (Financial aid, etc).

So, I can't decide whether I should take this largely useless class as a way to have a documented account of the second half of my summer, or if I should simply take the second half of the summer to do these productive, yet undocumented things.

A second, smaller question! Would volunteer programs -- not necessarily hospital volunteering -- find it rude if I were to only volunteer for a month before school starts up again? I am very busy during the semester and I don't think I could devote the time to volunteering.

Thank you all in advance. 🙂

 

[Jennyfishy]

A lot of volunteer places won't even take people who won't commit to them for at least a quarter (many prefer at least 2). It's kind of a waste of a lot of the staff's time to train someone who doesn't plan on coming back, but many other places expect/are used to a high student turnover. It depends on what you're talking about.

Just because you don't take summer school doesn't mean you're being unproductive. If it ever came up that they asked why you dropped the class, you could just tell them whatever reason it was (financial aid didn't work out, you had other things to commit to, etc.)

I was registered for a second summer session my junior year, and I dropped all of my classes due to financial aid reasons. It shows up as a 2 "WC"s on my transcript, but otherwise mean nothing.

I mean, if money isn't an issue, you can just take that class. But for folks like me, a summer class costs $200 a unit + 1000 in registration fees, so I wouldn't take a class that wasn't worth it 😉

 

[TheBossDoctor]

I don't think you HAVE to be productive. People just encourage pre-meds to take advantage of summer to boost EC's and get difficult pre-reqs out of the way since its hard enough to do that during the regular school year.

I literally didn't do s**t during one of my summers and I can honestly say that I'm not worried about it since I've made up for it in other ways.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Dude, I literally did nothing one summer and adcoms didn't bring it up once.

 

[milkphlegm]

Hello, SDN-ers,

As we all know, summer does not permit the wise pre-med to slack off. Rather, summer time is meant to be productive. Specifically: summer must be documented as being productive.

Let me tell you my dilemma.

I recently aced Calc I in the first summer session and was signed up for Calculus II in the second summer session. However, after attending the first day of Calc II with a different professor, I dropped the course due to some alarming things he told us that seemed like a sure predictor of a low GPA (As one example, have you ever had a professor that curves down?! This one did!) By that time, it was too late to sign up for another course.

Instead, I signed up for another course that lasts two weeks and starts in about ten days that is neither needed for my major, nor all that beneficial to me: Film Genre. I did this out of the fear that if I don't do something over the second half of summer that is "official" and documented in some way, Med Schools would think less of my application's rigor.

I'm NOT being unproductive in these weeks off, rest assured. I'm reviewing Gen Bio I so that I may be a Biology tutor this semester, reviewing the gen chem material relevant to Orgo before I started the Orgo sequence this Fall, writing articles for my school paper, creating cartoons for my school paper (It takes me about a day to do each one; I am a VERY serious cartoonist that will be competing in a national cartoon competition), training to become a collegiate cyclist, and tying up loose ends (Financial aid, etc).

So, I can't decide whether I should take this largely useless class as a way to have a documented account of the second half of my summer, or if I should simply take the second half of the summer to do these productive, yet undocumented things.

A second, smaller question! Would volunteer programs -- not necessarily hospital volunteering -- find it rude if I were to only volunteer for a month before school starts up again? I am very busy during the semester and I don't think I could devote the time to volunteering.

Thank you all in advance. 🙂

Stopped reading here. A Film Genre class is not going to help your application any more than taking the month off. You'll document all of your activities and commitments in your AMCAS application when you apply. How many people do you think have complete "documented" hours of volunteering, hobbies, etc? Outside of school, most of these things are taken on your word or your listed reference.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

You're being ridiculously paranoid. Nobody cares what you do during your summers as long as you're generally involved in ECs throughout your undergraduate career. If they required you to take a class every summer session what happens to all the people who can't afford to drop 2000-3000 every summer for two summer school classes? Or the people who move back home for the summer? Just enjoy one of your last real summers...

Also, yes they will be upset if you only stay a month. Remember that it takes a whole week just to train you. Most places I volunteered at required a 100 hour commitment, and wouldn't schedule you for more than 3-6 hours a week.

 

[Arkaine]

From your description it sounds like a few weeks off may be good for you OP...from your post it sounds like you are likely starting your sophomore year this fall (correct me if I'm wrong). As you begin to tackle tougher coursework, like organic chemistry, it becomes more and more important to take some time to breathe. One of the most common questions addressed on your secondary applications or interviews concerns your life outside of academics and medicine. What do you do for fun? In your free time, etc? From what I gather, you already have all of that covered--being a cartoonist, your training as a cyclist or preparing to be a tutor are all real experiences. ADCOMs will not have your application in hand and a timeline in the other plotting all of your experiences to look for loose ends.

But if you absolutely must do something, you could schedule shadowing of some sort and easily earn 40+ hours.

 

[LizzyM]

Another easy 40 hours over the month before school starts would be to tutor HS kids for fun and profit or as a volunteer for kids who can't afford a tutor. If there's a way to contact some of your teachers from HS or ask around the neighborhood to find younger kids in need of an ACT/SAT, math or chem tutor, you're the man.

 

[philosonista]

Thanks, everyone. Advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[plumhill]

On the plus side, a Film Genre class might not be a bad way to get a couple of extra points to your GPA. Additionally, since school is starting soon anyways, you can start looking at things to line up during fall. In my area a lot of application processes for fall volunteering or other programs start in the summer, and there are some training sessions for more involved volunteering programs that are offered during the summer as well.

 

[gettheleadout]

You're being ridiculously paranoid. Nobody cares what you do during your summers as long as you're generally involved in ECs throughout your undergraduate career. If they required you to take a class every summer session what happens to all the people who can't afford to drop 2000-3000 every summer for two summer school classes? Or the people who move back home for the summer? Just enjoy one of your last real summers...

Also, yes they will be upset if you only stay a month. Remember that it takes a whole week just to train you. Most places I volunteered at required a 100 hour commitment, and wouldn't schedule you for more than 3-6 hours a week.

👍

 

[DaenarysDuhh]

From your description it sounds like a few weeks off may be good for you OP...from your post it sounds like you are likely starting your sophomore year this fall (correct me if I'm wrong). As you begin to tackle tougher coursework, like organic chemistry, it becomes more and more important to take some time to breathe. One of the most common questions addressed on your secondary applications or interviews concerns your life outside of academics and medicine. What do you do for fun? In your free time, etc? From what I gather, you already have all of that covered--being a cartoonist, your training as a cyclist or preparing to be a tutor are all real experiences. ADCOMs will not have your application in hand and a timeline in the other plotting all of your experiences to look for loose ends.

But if you absolutely must do something, you could schedule shadowing of some sort and easily earn 40+ hours.

I agree with this. I started my pre-reqs late in college and ended up taking summer courses for three years. I was completely burned out by senior year and it hurt my GPA a bit, and more importantly I was miserable. Learn how to take your breathers when you can so you are on your game when it really matters. This approach has been essential in my career.

This could also be a good chance to do some reading about medicine or a specialty you are interested in. Do you know all the top issues? Advances? No, this is not at all a requirement at your stage but hey, if you have the time, get savvy and enjoy it. It might inspire or influence activities you pursue for the rest of college.

 

[orderofthescar]

I agree with this. I started my pre-reqs late in college and ended up taking summer courses for three years. I was completely burned out by senior year and it hurt my GPA a bit, and more importantly I was miserable. Learn how to take your breathers when you can so you are on your game when it really matters. This approach has been essential in my career.

This could also be a good chance to do some reading about medicine or a specialty you are interested in. Do you know all the top issues? Advances? No, this is not at all a requirement at your stage but hey, if you have the time, get savvy and enjoy it. It might inspire or influence activities you pursue for the rest of college.

+1

A couple weeks with some good reading material does wonders for personal growth.

As a senior in college, I've never taken summer school and I spent all my summers at home (aka no lab job / campus volunteering). Do I have less clinical hours and "rigor" on my app? Yeah.

But I also had some great times -- taking a road trip and visiting friends at other schools, reading a **** ton of classics and psychology journals, teaching myself how to code. I also used my summers to explore different career options and while very few of this would make it to my primary app, I find it necessary to have a life outside of the med school game.

My mentor is in her first year of residency and she constantly advises me to enjoy free time while I still have it -- once you hit the later stages in your career you no longer have that luxury.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

On the plus side, a Film Genre class might not be a bad way to get a couple of extra points to your GPA. Additionally, since school is starting soon anyways, you can start looking at things to line up during fall. In my area a lot of application processes for fall volunteering or other programs start in the summer, and there are some training sessions for more involved volunteering programs that are offered during the summer as well.

Definitely this. Some places don't do background checks and TB tests at the same time, meaning you have to wait 2 weeks for the background check, 2 weeks for the TB test, then another 2 weeks for training before you can even start volunteering.

Like others said, use the time to read or something. If you want to read about medicine Atul Gawande is my favorite.