Crossing over from the "dark side"

[MisterMukwa]

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[deleted1005514]

I would advise 50 hours of shadowing, some in primary care, and 150 hours of non-clinical volunteering to those less fortunate than yourself. I would consider your clinical experience sufficient, but I’m a med student and not an adcom.

 

[esob]

Agreed with the above poster that you still want a minimum 50 hrs of shadowing, as well as a nice chunk of community service hours. Direct shadowing lets adcoms know you have an acute awareness of medicine from the perspective of the physician, which is often different from the perspective of anyone else in the room and often you are only privy to that perspective in the spaces between patients when you can speak candidly with the physician.

 

[MisterMukwa]

Thanks! That's a valid point about shadowing, especially in regards to a PCP. For volunteering, I am going to reach out to a couple free clinics to see how I can help and also try to get involved in a conservancy group.

Anybody have feedback about LoR? I assume it's a pretty unique situation.

 

[notretired]

I don't think your work experience in industry will be looked upon negatively, probably more of a positive. The key is framing it right - you've spent more time in the hospital/OR than the vast majority of premeds (outside of those coming from nurse, PA, etc), use that experience to show you know what you're getting yourself into. As for shadowing - probably not a bad idea to shadow a couple people outside of surgery. I didn't have much clinical/non-clinical volunteering, but also had a lot of direct contact with patients included as part of my industry job so up to you. I can't understate the importance of absolutely crushing the mcat - will open more doors than anything else. Also, asked two of the docs I worked with for my LOR's so you should be fine there - will likely need the usual science prof. LOR's as well though.

 

[MisterMukwa]

I don't think your work experience in industry will be looked upon negatively, probably more of a positive. The key is framing it right - you've spent more time in the hospital/OR than the vast majority of premeds (outside of those coming from nurse, PA, etc), use that experience to show you know what you're getting yourself into. As for shadowing - probably not a bad idea to shadow a couple people outside of surgery. I didn't have much clinical/non-clinical volunteering, but also had a lot of direct contact with patients included as part of my industry job so up to you. I can't understate the importance of absolutely crushing the mcat - will open more doors than anything else. Also, asked two of the docs I worked with for my LOR's so you should be fine there - will likely need the usual science prof. LOR's as well though.

Thanks for the response! It sounds like fewer volunteering hours wasn't a deal breaker for you? I have a couple of volunteer opportunities lined up for organizations I am interested in, but neither would be considered clinical. I figure my clinical experience (+exposure) is plenty but I just am a little hesitant about putting a big fat 0 in the clinical volunteering section.

 

[notretired]

Thanks for the response! It sounds like fewer volunteering hours wasn't a deal breaker for you? I have a couple of volunteer opportunities lined up for organizations I am interested in, but neither would be considered clinical. I figure my clinical experience (+exposure) is plenty but I just am a little hesitant about putting a big fat 0 in the clinical volunteering section.

I had about 150 hrs of non-clinical volunteering, but spread out over multiple years starting long before I was ever considering med school. I volunteered doing things that were important to me (in this case working with underserved/low SES hs students) because I saw it as a way to pay it forward to those who came from my own background. I think doing things you actually care about is >>> than doing things that look good on a med school app. I wouldn't worry about not having any clinical volunteering if the volunteering you are doing provides meaning to you, because that passion will show itself in interviews and on secondaries.