Do medical missions help in residency apps?

[forsparta]

Do medical missions [in medical school] help in residency apps? Are they worth doing or is it better to spend time elsewhere?

I know when applying TO medical school, schools looked for volunteers and altruism. Do they also look for that in residency apps or would it just be filler?

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[KinasePro]

Do medical missions [in medical school] help in residency apps? Are they worth doing or is it better to spend time elsewhere?

I know when applying TO medical school, schools looked for volunteers and altruism. Do they also look for that in residency apps or would it just be filler?

I think it depends on the nature of the missions trip. If your an M1 on a 2 week surgery trip to ethiopia, the trip is not so much about "volunteering and altruism" as it is about professional experience. Now, it's a different story if you're an M3/M4 doing a month-long global health elective, which I think would look more interesting on an application.

That being said, a missions trip is better than sitting on your ass playing xbox during summer break. But don't expect it to be your ace in the hole. I think PD's bullsh:t detectors are more sensitive than med school adcom's.

 

[TallScrubs]

Am I the only one who thinks it makes you look pretentious to do medical mission? Or at the very least post pictures to FB?

 

[Bojack Horseman]

Am I the only one who thinks it makes you look pretentious to do medical mission? Or at the very least post pictures to FB?

It depends on how you talk about it. Nothings wrong with pictures.

 

[forsparta]

I think it depends on the nature of the missions trip. If your an M1 on a 2 week surgery trip to ethiopia, the trip is not so much about "volunteering and altruism" as it is about professional experience. Now, it's a different story if you're an M3/M4 doing a month-long global health elective, which I think would look more interesting on an application.

That being said, a missions trip is better than sitting on your ass playing xbox during summer break. But don't expect it to be your ace in the hole. I think PD's bullsh:t detectors are more sensitive than med school adcom's.

So one or two of those two week trips wouldn't help? I'm not counting on it being a game-changer, but was hoping it would help make me stand out.

 

[KinasePro]

So one or two of those two week trips wouldn't help? I'm not counting on it being a game-changer, but was hoping it would help make me stand out.

I wouldn't count on them making you stand out unless they take place in M3/M4 for longer periods of time. Do them if you're interested in global health and plan on building on those experiences later. Don't do them just to get a chance to sew lacs, hold retractors before clinical rotations, or worse yet, to augment your CV.

 

[forsparta]

Do many medical students do these medical missions?

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Do many medical students do these medical missions?

A group from my school is heading to the Dominican Republic next week for a mission trip, and my friends who attend other medical schools have been on trips this summer as well. From my observations, it seems like a pretty common practice.

 

[RestoreSight]

Am I the only one who thinks it makes you look pretentious to do medical mission? Or at the very least post pictures to FB?

Yes it makes you pretentious. What's wrong with doing something altruistic.

 

[GOMERE]

A few collegues of mine, they came to America from China, India, Bandgladesh to do American Medical Missions because they hear there's so many uninsured people here, and of the impending obamacare that will destroy our health care system. And they're getting paid a ton too! Like 10 to 1000x more than in their home country.
I would recommend doing a medical mission to America if I were you.

 

[Nomdeplume]

A few collegues of mine, they came to America from China, India, Bandgladesh to do American Medical Missions because they hear there's so many uninsured people here, and of the impending obamacare that will destroy our health care system. And they're getting paid a ton too! Like 10 to 1000x more than in their home country.
I would recommend doing a medical mission to America if I were you.

This sounds relevant to me. 😉

 

[GoSpursGo]

As others have said, I wouldn't do it to augment your CV. It's not so "unique" that it's going to make you stand out on its own.

I would recommend you do SOMETHING with your free time outside of sitting on your butt playing xbox; you want to have something to talk about in your interviews other than, "Uh, so I see you got honors on your sub-I..." But I think that what that "something" is can be pretty much entirely up to you--so find something worthwhile that you find enjoyable, and do it. I doubt that almost anything you could do would be truly "unique" or make you stand out, just make sure it's meaningful to you and that will come across in the interview.

 

[gail]

If going on a medical mission is solely for a residency position it would be very foolish.

 

[sanityonleave]

Do medical missions [in medical school] help in residency apps? Are they worth doing or is it better to spend time elsewhere?

I know when applying TO medical school, schools looked for volunteers and altruism. Do they also look for that in residency apps or would it just be filler?

I'll give you the short answer and the long answer.

Short answer: No.
Long answer: No.

 

[TallScrubs]

Yes it makes you pretentious. What's wrong with doing something altruistic.

Yeah, you're right. All med students are, 'on a mission from God'

Why not help the impoverished HERE, in this country? If it's someone's TRUE intention to go do good, then that is cool with me. Just saying that many I know are doing these trips for all the wrong reasons.

 

[eeyoreish]

I highly doubt anyone cares.

Maybe it matters if it's part of your schtick, like "I want to come to your IM residency program because it includes the option of extending the residency to do a MPH, I am really interested in global health initiatives blah blah blah" but otherwise no.

 

[doopdidoop]

i think it depends - i did one medical mission trip after my 1st year and plan to do another my 4th year in spanish speaking countries where i learned a ton of medical spanish. that's a very cool marketable skill that you can put on your app. your reasons are pretty important...and even more important is how you can convey those reasons to PDs without sounding like a d-bag. but...i havent actually applied for residency so this is all theoretical haha. just my 2 cents.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Yes it makes you pretentious. What's wrong with doing something altruistic.

It's not altruistic if you did the activity in the hopes of securing a better residency. That's why it looks pretentious. Most who go on these trips have no real interest in helping others overseas. It's a quick resume booster because it looks good at a glance.

 

[Valadi]

I'm sure you've heard the term voluntourism.

To prevent being a voluntourist, I generally encourage M1s to not pursue these opportunities UNLESS

1. They are going with someone who is well-known
2. They will be doing something unique and of more benefit than, "Medical student volunteer." ie, I met one guy who got a grant to send cell phones to an African village and set up a healthcare hotline.
3. You are going there to do something that will get published

 

[Wordead]

Might help a little more if you come back with fluency in medical Spanish.

In general, though, no. It's a lot of fun though - I did one my M1 summer to S.America instead of research and don't regret it in the least. Admittedly, the amount of medicine learned was miniscule but my Spanish is pretty good now. And since there's no HIPAA or much in the way of regulation you're allowed to scrub in, throw some stitches, hold some after C-sections, which is all pretty neat.