advice on Extracurricular activities

[faz29]

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Hi guys! I just needed some advice on some extracurricular activities for the application. I'm applying for 2014 cycle so have this year off. I've been working as a pharmacy tech. for 3 years now, I've shadowed a doctor for about 500 hours and now just joined Red Cross disaster action team. I wanted to get some lab/research work in but cant find anything (most of them are summer internship programs), so wanted to know if I should keep looking or whatever I have is good enough?
My gpa is not that great (3.3) and haven't taken the MCAT's yet but will be very soon!
Should I join the hospital as a volunteer and specifically work in the ER department? I do have some hours as a volunteer in the radiation and surgical oncology departments as well.

Any advice would be great, Thank you! 🙂

 

[Columbia09]

Hi guys! I just needed some advice on some extracurricular activities for the application. I'm applying for 2014 cycle so have this year off. I've been working as a pharmacy tech. for 3 years now, I've shadowed a doctor for about 500 hours and now just joined Red Cross disaster action team. I wanted to get some lab/research work in but cant find anything (most of them are summer internship programs), so wanted to know if I should keep looking or whatever I have is good enough?
My gpa is not that great (3.3) and haven't taken the MCAT's yet but will be very soon!
Should I join the hospital as a volunteer and specifically work in the ER department? I do have some hours as a volunteer in the radiation and surgical oncology departments as well.

Any advice would be great, Thank you! 🙂

Out of curiosity, how did you manage 500hrs of shadowing ?

 

[advair250]

Follow up question, how beneficial was the shadowing after the first 40 hours? I never get why (or how) some pre-meds shadow hundreds of hours :S Seems like a whole lot of standing around..

 

[faz29]

I was first shadowing a PA from which I got to know a doctor. He let me shadow him from like 8am-3pm for like 3 months.

Advair250- definitely beneficial. The doctor was a hospitalist so I got to see new things everyday and learned a lot. Lol yes a lot of standing!

 

[mappingmedicine]

I would say you're doing good on your extra-curricular activities, and you're in an ideal spot with your clinical experience as a pharmacy tech. Try looking at some non-medically related e.c.s, volunteer at a homeless shelter, food bank, clean-up crews, or events you're interested in to maybe add some diversity to what you've got.

 

[LiamNeesons]

Try emailing professors and offer to be a slave. Every lab has tedious work that needs to get done.

 

[rzoo14]

Try emailing professors and offer to be a slave. Every lab has tedious work that needs to get done.

+1. That's how I got in and once the professor saw I was serious about the work, he helped me set up my own project. Its gonna be two years in Oct this year and I have two publications and several posters. Definitely worth it.

Go through the list of research professors at your school in whatever field you're interested in. Email everyone.