Experience in public health good for med school?

[Starphia]

Hi, I've looked through some similar threads but haven't really found any which address my specific questions. I have just recently to return to my dream of becoming a primary care physician. I have experience doing public health research in indigenous communities in Costa Rica and have been offered an internship in my local health department's epidemiology department. ( I haven't accepted the position yet because I'm waiting to here back on a research internship at a local hospital.) Would these experiences look good on a med school application and would they be label as medical experiences?

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[LizzyM]

Hi, I've looked through some similar threads but haven't really found any which address my specific questions. I have just recently to return to my dream of becoming a primary care physician. I have experience doing public health research in indigenous communities in Costa Rica and have been offered an internship in my local health department's epidemiology department. ( I haven't accepted the position yet because I'm waiting to here back on a research internship at a local hospital.) Would these experiences look good on a med school application and would they be label as medical experiences?

They aren't really clinical experiences because there are no patients; but it certainly counts as research. It is related to public health which is closely alligned with medicine so that's a plus.

If you haven't had experiences around patients, you need that experience but your past experiences and the opportunity with the health department are good for med admission.