Good balance of volunteering, shadowing, and MCAT prep for the summer?

[randombetch]

I'm planning on devoting my next summer (well, at least 9 weeks of it) on the above three items (mostly on MCAT though), and I was wondering if this would be a good balance (ie: enough volunteering and shadowing): 10 hrs/wk volunteering at a medical center, about 8 hours a week on average (probably would do 3 days worth once every 3 weeks, I just want to shadow 3 doctors) of shadowing, and the rest (I guess 30 hours a week) on MCAT prep. Would that be sufficient to have a solid volunteer experience, solid shadowing experience, and solid preparation for the MCAT?

Thanks for your opinions.

Might as well make this a poll.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dr zaius]

I volunteered 10 hrs/wk and worked full time in the lab while studying for the MCAT over the summer. If you're good about staying on task you won't have a problem.

 

[JJMrK]

I don't know if it's worth it to just volunteer for the summer. It seems like adcoms want continuity. Is there any way you can continue the volunteering during the next school year? If not, it might be better just to start a volunteering experience after summer break is over and continue for 2+ semesters. I'm assuming you are planning on applying for the 2012 cycle?

You could also get rid of the shadowing and do ~18 hours of volunteering/week, which turns into a very solid 160 hours over 9 weeks.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I thought you were a frosh? seems a bit early to study for MCAT.. if soph, right on.. 50hr weeks seem to me like a bit much.

 

[J ROD]

I would recommend volunteering continuously over the whole yr about 3-4hrs/wk. Stepping it for the summer is fine as long as you continue to do it. Schools like to see a commitment.

Shadowing can be worked in whenever. Just try and get a total of 60-80hrs in.

I spent about 25-30hrs/wk on the MCAT for 8 weeks so that seems right.

 

[randombetch]

Hi guys -

Thanks for the responses. I am a sophomore and I am going to take it in September right before I start my junior year.

I currently do volunteer during the year (3 hrs/wk) - I just thought I could get some more clinical experience by doing 80 hours or so during the summer.

I didn't mention this, but I think there's a good chance I might spend the first 6 weeks of my summer taking biochemistry (there'll still be 9 weeks left after - my summers are nice and long).

 

[J ROD]

Hi guys -

Thanks for the responses. I am a sophomore and I am going to take it in September right before I start my junior year.

I currently do volunteer during the year (3 hrs/wk) - I just thought I could get some more clinical experience by doing 80 hours or so during the summer.

Sounds good! Just dont let the extra volunteering interfere with the MCAT prep.

 

[Catalystik]

You'd be fine continuing your clinical volunteerism at the rate of 3-4 hours per week; there is no need to bump it up for the summer since you'll be time-challenged as it is.

Shadowing need not be a consistent activity and you can do it in lumps of time over breaks in the summer, winter, and spring.

Doing 30-40 hours per week of MCAT prep should be enough for 9 weeks. This should come first, like it's your job, using the other activities for a mental break to keep you fresh. Don't forget to schedule a bit of time with friends, but not too much.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

you might also want to take a diag soon to figure out how much studying you need to do to reach your goals. that can make a sizable difference in your schedule.

 

[dw2158]

You'd be fine continuing your clinical volunteerism at the rate of 3-4 hours per week; there is no need to bump it up for the summer since you'll be time-challenged as it is.

Shadowing need not be a consistent activity and you can do it in lumps of time over breaks in the summer, winter, and spring.

Doing 30-40 hours per week of MCAT prep should be enough for 9 weeks. This should come first, like it's your job, using the other activities for a mental break to keep you fresh. Don't forget to schedule a bit of time with friends, but not too much.

i totally disagree with this. trying to study 40 hours per week for 9 weeks is a recipe for burn out city. if you study smart (i.e. take a couple of diagnostics and lots of practice tests along the way, and target your weak spots) you do not need to study NEARLY that much to do well on the MCAT.

FWIW, i think shadowing is not important for applications. it's important for you, if you want to get a sense of what different doctors' jobs are like or whatever. but i wouldn't kill yourself trying to do a crapload of it because you think you need it for AMCAS activities... i didn't, and things turned out okay.

 

[randombetch]

don't shadow for more than about 40 hours total. That's quite enough, and if you have a mix of 3 different doctors, hopefully one in a hospital, one in a private setting, and all 3 different specialities including at least 1 primary care, then you should be fine. Don't go waste time after that just following around a doctor once you get the general idea, have things to talk about in an interview from it, etc.

Wow, thanks for this advice... Never thought about it that way.

I guess I could just shadow for 2 days instead of 3 and it'd be just as good.

i totally disagree with this. trying to study 40 hours per week for 9 weeks is a recipe for burn out city. if you study smart (i.e. take a couple of diagnostics and lots of practice tests along the way, and target your weak spots) you do not need to study NEARLY that much to do well on the MCAT.

FWIW, i think shadowing is not important for applications. it's important for you, if you want to get a sense of what different doctors' jobs are like or whatever. but i wouldn't kill yourself trying to do a crapload of it because you think you need it for AMCAS activities... i didn't, and things turned out okay.

I think studying 40 hours a week for 9 weeks is totally do-able, but I'll probably end up studying closer to 30 hours a week depending on how much I feel I need to study when I actually get to it. I think you're right about being able to do well on the MCAT without studying nearly as much, but I need to absolutely kill the MCAT - it's got to be a part of my application that stands out. My GPA/extracurriculars/LORs/essays are all going to be good I think, but I'm hoping my MCAT score will be the X factor that brings me acceptances 🙂.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i totally disagree with this. trying to study 40 hours per week for 9 weeks is a recipe for burn out city. if you study smart (i.e. take a couple of diagnostics and lots of practice tests along the way, and target your weak spots) you do not need to study NEARLY that much to do well on the MCAT.

FWIW, i think shadowing is not important for applications. it's important for you, if you want to get a sense of what different doctors' jobs are like or whatever. but i wouldn't kill yourself trying to do a crapload of it because you think you need it for AMCAS activities... i didn't, and things turned out okay.

disagree, i think it's quite alright, as long as you keep yourself sane with other activities. 40 hours spread over 6 days ~6 hours a day, which is a block of morning, a block of afternoon studying, and nights are free.

 

[BennieBlanco]

disagree, i think it's quite alright, as long as you keep yourself sane with other activities. 40 hours spread over 6 days ~6 hours a day, which is a block of morning, a block of afternoon studying, and nights are free.

Lol. Agreed.

What day and age are we in that, working 40 hrs a week is seen as excessive!? People say studying is different, well? There are many jobs in the world that require immense focus.

Lets do the math...

Available = 24x7 = 168 hrs
Sleep 8x7 = 56 hrs

some people don't even sleep 8 hrs

Waking hours = 112 hrs
Volunteer/Shadow: 18 hrs
MCAT: 40 hrs

"recipe for burnout" = 40 hrs / 112 hrs AND 18 hrs / 112 hrs = 35% + 16% of waking hours.

Rephrased:

Working half of the hours you are awake is a recipe for burnout.

Hmmm. What happened to that old school American work ethic? PLUS, shadowing and volunteering is hardly working. It is an activity, like going to a museum or park. Work involves work. So, really rephrased:

Working a third of the hours you are awake is a recipe for burnout.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

^^^^ chillax son. dw is right in that there is a ceiling for efficient studying. we merely differ on the height of this ceiling, not whether or not it exists. studying for the mcat isn't like making hay, invoking the american work ethic may not be the best argument...

 

[JJMrK]

i totally disagree with this. trying to study 40 hours per week for 9 weeks is a recipe for burn out city. if you study smart (i.e. take a couple of diagnostics and lots of practice tests along the way, and target your weak spots) you do not need to study NEARLY that much to do well on the MCAT.

FWIW, i think shadowing is not important for applications. it's important for you, if you want to get a sense of what different doctors' jobs are like or whatever. but i wouldn't kill yourself trying to do a crapload of it because you think you need it for AMCAS activities... i didn't, and things turned out okay.

I tend to agree with this. A lot of people seem to be all about shadowing, but I'm not a huge fan of it and don't really think it's necessary.

 

[dw2158]

Lol. Agreed.

What day and age are we in that, working 40 hrs a week is seen as excessive!? People say studying is different, well? There are many jobs in the world that require immense focus.

Lets do the math...

Available = 24x7 = 168 hrs
Sleep 8x7 = 56 hrs

some people don't even sleep 8 hrs

Waking hours = 112 hrs
Volunteer/Shadow: 18 hrs
MCAT: 40 hrs

"recipe for burnout" = 40 hrs / 112 hrs AND 18 hrs / 112 hrs = 35% + 16% of waking hours.

Rephrased:

Hmmm. What happened to that old school American work ethic? PLUS, shadowing and volunteering is hardly working. It is an activity, like going to a museum or park. Work involves work. So, really rephrased:

oh my god, you're so right. i have no idea what hard work is. that must be why i got into medical school 🙄

for the record, bleargh is right. all i meant was that at a certain point you max out on how worthwhile your MCAT studying is going to be. maybe i exaggerated a little by saying "burnout city," but i still stand by my point.

 

[BennieBlanco]

^^^^ chillax son. dw is right in that there is a ceiling for efficient studying. we merely differ on the height of this ceiling, not whether or not it exists. studying for the mcat isn't like making hay, invoking the american work ethic may not be the best argument...

I'm chillax.😀

I don't know if there is a ceiling. I think ceilings are man made.

Do you need to break the ceiling for the MCAT? Nope.

The ceiling is just an imposed limit.

Maybe American is no longer a good prefix.

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” -Bruce Lee

Having no limitation as limitation. - Don't be confined by anything, achieve true freedom. - Bruce Lee

 

[BennieBlanco]

oh my god, you're so right. i have no idea what hard work is. that must be why i got into medical school 🙄

Getting into medical school doesn't mean a person knows what hard work is.

lol.

It just means you had a great application: GPA/MCAT/LORs/etc

If you know you wanted to be a doc from day 1 of college, and are decently smart and organized, I imagine you could never work more than 45 hrs a week and have a 3.8-4.0 and excellent MCAT. This yields acceptances for over 80% of applicants.

So, I can't assume medical student = hard worker. Medical student = Medical Student.

You may have worked hard, but it certainly isn't proof.

maybe i exaggerated a little by saying "burnout city," but i still stand by my point.

And I by mine.

 

[BennieBlanco]

He's Benny Blanco.....from the Bronx.

 

[dw2158]

Getting into medical school doesn't mean a person knows what hard work is.

lol.

It just means you had a great application: GPA/MCAT/LORs/etc

If you know you wanted to be a doc from day 1 of college, and are decently smart and organized, I imagine you could never work more than 45 hrs a week and have a 3.8-4.0 and excellent MCAT. This yields acceptances for over 80% of applicants.

So, I can't assume medical student = hard worker. Medical student = Medical Student.

You may have worked hard, but it certainly isn't proof.

are you for real?

 

[BennieBlanco]

are you for real?

lol, are you? The Internet = Serious Business.

lets rephrase, do you need more than 30-35 hrs of disciplined effort per week to get a 3.8 or better?

As I said:
I can't assume medical student = hard worker.
Medical student = Medical Student.

I don't know your story, so I'm obviously not talking about you.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

avatar.
let's get back to the topic at hand here guys.

 

[BennieBlanco]

avatar.
let's get back to the topic at hand here guys.

lol. My apologies. Last comment:

T or F Every single MD/DO in America is a hard worker.

hmmmm.

ok, I'm done.🙂

I liked your old avatar better, or this:

or maybe:

 

[randombetch]

Been waiting to use that one. 🙂

 

[DendWrite]

Sounds good! Just dont let the extra volunteering interfere with the MCAT prep.

Or, even better, find a "volunteering" job where you can sit at a help desk or something (or work in the volunteer office) so you can volunteer AND MCAT prep at the same time! Or volunteer at a retirement home and host "science bingo."