General Pre-Med Course Work Questions

[Bowchickawowwow]

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Hey guys, I had a few questions.

Volunteering:
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1. So, clinical volunteering is shadowing and non-clinical is like candy-striping?
2. And is it better to have more clinical or non-clinical?
3. Can I stay with the same doctor forever?
4. And how do you go about "proving" that you actually volunteered on AMCAS?

Req's:
​

1. Is it okay if I take half of my reqs before I apply? Ex. Physics 1 before, Physics 2 after? Or is it "highly recommended" and therefore basically necessary that I complete them all before I apply?

Research:​

1. Are Adcoms looking for publications or involvement?

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it!​

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

1.Clinical-Volunteering is volunteering at a hospital, nursing home, or similar healthcare giving facility.
Non-clinical volunteering is exactly that volunteering that has nothing to do with health care. Like cleaning up a park, washing cars to raise money for charity, etc.

2.You should have both clinical and nonclinical volunteer work.
As far as shadowing vs volunteering at hospital. You should have more clinical volunteering then shadowing. The purpose of shadowing is so that you are familiar with the work involved with being a physician. Most schools just won't you to have a some but after some many hours (I'd say about forty) they probably won't care. I would like to say that the amount of time spent volunteering isn't set in stone but you should try to get as much as possible/reasonable.

3. You should definitely try to shadow a couple of different doctors. While it isn't mandatory, it is more beneficial to the student. This way you get a sense of the diversity within the field of medicine.

4.Hmmm.. I'm not sure about that one 😛

Req's

I think this could possibly be school dependent. But most of the schools I've researched say they won't most of the pre-req's done BEFORE MATRICULATION. But it is more practical to do them before you apply.
A. It's good to have them don for the MCAT.
B. You don't want to take pre-req while your traveling across the US doing med school interviews. Can you see how that would kinda screw with you a little?
BUT still possible to take your pre-req's after med school and do well.

Research

Funny thing while research isn't a requirement it (like volunteering and shadowing) has become a pseudo-requirement because most applicants have the experience.

I believe just having a decent sum research present in your app is good. But having a publication will give you brownie points.

Any supplements or criticisms to this advice is appreciated.

 

[PressPforPi]

1.Clinical-Volunteering is volunteering at a hospital, nursing home, or similar healthcare giving facility.
Non-clinical volunteering is exactly that volunteering that has nothing to do with health care. Like cleaning up a park, washing cars to raise money for charity, etc.

2.You should have both clinical and nonclinical volunteer work.
As far as shadowing vs volunteering at hospital. You should have more clinical volunteering then shadowing. The purpose of shadowing is so that you are familiar with the work involved with being a physician. Most schools just won't you to have a some but after some many hours (I'd say about forty) they probably won't care. I would like to say that the amount of time spent volunteering isn't set in stone but you should try to get as much as possible/reasonable.

3. You should definitely try to shadow a couple of different doctors. While it isn't mandatory, it is more beneficial to the student. This way you get a sense of the diversity within the field of medicine.

4.Hmmm.. I'm not sure about that one 😛

Req's

I think this could possibly be school dependent. But most of the schools I've researched say they won't most of the pre-req's done BEFORE MATRICULATION. But it is more practical to do them before you apply.
A. It's good to have them don for the MCAT.
B. You don't want to take pre-req while your traveling across the US doing med school interviews. Can you see how that would kinda screw with you a little?
BUT still possible to take your pre-req's after med school and do well.

Research

Funny thing while research isn't a requirement it (like volunteering and shadowing) has become a pseudo-requirement because most applicants have the experience.

I believe just having a decent sum research present in your app is good. But having a publication will give you brownie points.

Any supplements or criticisms to this advice is appreciated.

Wait, so me doing nothing but talking to the residents, rolling them around, and playing bingo counts as clinical? If so, then all my volunteering so far as been nothing but clinical. 😕

 

[NewEngland21]

[*]And how do you go about "proving" that you actually volunteered on

List what you have done... If you lie adcoms will call out your bs in an interview, if you get one.

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

Wait, so me doing nothing but talking to the residents, rolling them around, and playing bingo counts as clinical? If so, then all my volunteering so far as been nothing but clinical. 😕

Internet sarcasm is such a hard thing to decipher. I stacked boxes for the hospital and organized their cabinets. I just volunteered in a clinical setting. Therefore it's clinical volunteering. But you know what, think the nursing home is something you could probably get away with as non-clinical volunteering. But surprisingly, you don't perform any medical procedures as a clinical volunteer.

 

[NewEngland21]

LizzyM will tell you "if you can smell patients, it's clinical."

 

[PressPforPi]

Internet sarcasm is such a hard thing to decipher. I stacked boxes for the hospital and organized their cabinets. I just volunteered in a clinical setting. Therefore it's clinical volunteering. But you know what, think the nursing home is something you could probably get away with as non-clinical volunteering. But surprisingly, you don't perform any medical procedures as a clinical volunteer.

Not trying to be sarcastic so sorry that it came off that way. I already have a position lined up for hospice and hospital volunteering because I reasoned that it (nursing home volunteering) would still be considered non-clinical. Guess I need to re-evaluate some things lol.

 

[LizzyM]

Nursing homes are a gray zone, if you'll pardon the pun. The people there are called "residents" not "patients" and with a few exceptions, you won't find doctors there very often. It is good experience, but I also like to see shadowing and some employment or volunteering in a setting where medical care is being delivered by people who are licensed to write prescriptions (so I'd go beyond MDs but you know what I mean).

Non-clinical volunteering that I frequently see on applications includes service to the poor through soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters, big brother/big sister or similar mentoring for at-risk kids, sports coaching of kids, meals on wheels & friendly visitors to the elderly.

 

[PressPforPi]

Nursing homes are a gray zone, if you'll pardon the pun. The people there are called "residents" not "patients" and with a few exceptions, you won't find doctors there very often. It is good experience, but I also like to see shadowing and some employment or volunteering in a setting where medical care is being delivered by people who are licensed to write prescriptions (so I'd go beyond MDs but you know what I mean).

Non-clinical volunteering that I frequently see on applications includes service to the poor through soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters, big brother/big sister or similar mentoring for at-risk kids, sports coaching of kids, meals on wheels & friendly visitors to the elderly.

Thanks for clarifying this for me!🙂