Good jobs for Premeds

[Maali]

What are some good jobs for premeds. A job that can be balanced w/ school and studies.

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[cerno]

Some of my friends are EMTs, and PCAs. I work as a pharmacy tech. I like being able to be familiar with frequently dispensed drugs.

You can search around the web to find the kind of training you need for each...

 

[eleveneleven]

I recommend scribing. Paid, excellent clinical experience, and flexible hours.

 

[Cambino]

I recommend scribing. Paid, excellent clinical experience, and flexible hours.

i'm a scribe

do it

 

[tiedyeddog]

I worked in research labs. I had to volunteer at first but eventually got paid.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Study fulltime. "Balancing" might still mean that you will sacrifice grades or the last bits of fun you'll have before medical school.

The way I see it, entry-level clinical jobs aren't blazing any new trails. Almost everyone and their mother has done them to get into medical schools. Considering the time you must invest into them, you aren't getting some ground-breaking EC that will rock the socks off an ADCOM member.

Your time can probably be better spent elsewhere. Just my thoughts.

 

[BABSstudent]

What are some good jobs for premeds. A job that can be balanced w/ school and studies.

In reality, almost any part time job will do. Here are a few of my jobs in college.

I was a janitor for a few years. The pay was awesome and I worked at nights.

During the summers I worked for the county doing road construction, storm water maintenance, etc. It had a full 40 and even got overtime.

When I was a junior I started to volunteer in a research lab. After being there 9 months it became a paying job.

I was also a TA for a few classes, getting paid to teach anatomy (both human and comparative).



Now, having a job where you get clinical experience would be ideal, but you can include other work on the AMCAS.

 

[jm192]

Any job that will work with your schedule.

People get caught up in it's not medical enough. A job is supposed to show that you can balance school and work. Once you hit rotations, you'll spend 40+ hours in the wards and then be expected to go home and study. A job at least to some degree indicates you can make the grades without having 24/7 to study.

I did McDonalds for 2 years. Interviewers honestly seemed impressed with it. I heard McDonalds to med school several times. No one ever said "Why don't you have any health care work experience?! Don't you like medicine?!"

 

[amazing tekkers]

There's always jobs around the campus. You can check your school's website.

 

[DrEnderW]

Tutoring.

I did it for my last 2 years of undergrad and it brought in some decent change, but not like a serious part time job. With that experience, I'm now getting $30 an hour to tutor during my gap/research year while applying. It's something you could maintain while in med school as well.

 

[mcloaf]

Hall staff/RA is the way to roll. Pretty easy, pays well, leadership experience.


Sent from my iPhone.

 

[Eiot]

Would someone be able to work 10 hours a week as a scribe or would that be considered too little?

 

[Acoustica]

I took a year off. During my gap year I got hired as a medical assistant, and because I was prehealth/bio major I didn't have to get a cert or anything. Great hands on work and you get to learn about insurance/paperwork...basically all things behind the scene. It's a full time job, so probably not something you could do while you have school.

Love the job though. You meet tons of patients, but they remember you because they come back for follow up visits.

 

[eleveneleven]

Would someone be able to work 10 hours a week as a scribe or would that be considered too little?

Most part-time scribe commitments require 2 shifts per week, and since most shifts are 8-10 hours, most require 16-20 hours/week.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Any job that will work with your schedule.

People get caught up in it's not medical enough. A job is supposed to show that you can balance school and work. Once you hit rotations, you'll spend 40+ hours in the wards and then be expected to go home and study. A job at least to some degree indicates you can make the grades without having 24/7 to study.

I did McDonalds for 2 years. Interviewers honestly seemed impressed with it. I heard McDonalds to med school several times. No one ever said "Why don't you have any health care work experience?! Don't you like medicine?!"

Bingo! You hit the nail on the head... When I was in undergrad, I worked as a pizza delivery driver. I worked once or twice a week at most. The shift was typically 4-6 hours, and I walked away with $60+ in cash a night. This definitely left me enough time to either study or spend the rest of the evening hanging out with friends, which is what people our age are supposed to be doing (just not those on SDN, haha).

The pizza delivery, as stupid as it sounds, was actually a wonderful talking point at one of my interviews for a full-time job which I worked before doing a post-bacc. As jm192 said, working at McDonald's gave the application a far more unique perspective than yet another pre-med that worked as an EMT, scribe, CNA, phlebotomist, or other similar entry-level position.

As jm192 also mentioned, "People get caught up in it's not medical enough." Once again, this is a huge point. What are you doing as a pre-med? Do you want to become a physician one day, or are you working to become a career EMT, scribe, CNA, phlebotomist, or other similar entry-level position. Most pre-meds do not aspire to do these jobs for the rest of their lives. They will probably quit the moment they are accepted. So what's the point of investing so much time, often at the expense of grades or your social life to learn a skill-set that will be completely irrelevant toward doing what a physician does on a daily basis. If four hours a week of clinical volunteering is enough to get the non-SDN applicant a ticket to medical school, then this is definitely saying something about how much medical schools value the skills that pre-meds learn on these jobs.

Now a counter argument often presented is that as an entry-level clinical worker, you'll have the opportunity to have so many meaningful patient-worker interactions. Okay, great. That's a good thing, but don't forget that as a physician, you will have THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO HAVE THESE INTERACTIONS! There is a time and place for everything. Just because you might have meaningful things take place as such a worker does not mean you are obligated to do that job. As a college student, we should be exploring the world and having fun. Not attempting to juggle things by working a time-intensive entry-level clinical job or doing as many volunteer gigs as a retired stay-at-home mom. There's a time and place for everything, and maybe college just isn't the right time for these things.

 

[galaxyx]

Bingo! You hit the nail on the head... When I was in undergrad, I worked as a pizza delivery driver. I worked once or twice a week at most. The shift was typically 4-6 hours, and I walked away with $60+ in cash a night. This definitely left me enough time to either study or spend the rest of the evening hanging out with friends, which is what people our age are supposed to be doing (just not those on SDN, haha).

The pizza delivery, as stupid as it sounds, was actually a wonderful talking point at one of my interviews for a full-time job which I worked before doing a post-bacc. As jm192 said, working at McDonald's gave the application a far more unique perspective than yet another pre-med that worked as an EMT, scribe, CNA, phlebotomist, or other similar entry-level position.

As jm192 also mentioned, "People get caught up in it's not medical enough." Once again, this is a huge point. What are you doing as a pre-med? Do you want to become a physician one day, or are you working to become a career EMT, scribe, CNA, phlebotomist, or other similar entry-level position. Most pre-meds do not aspire to do these jobs for the rest of their lives. They will probably quit the moment they are accepted. So what's the point of investing so much time, often at the expense of grades or your social life to learn a skill-set that will be completely irrelevant toward doing what a physician does on a daily basis. If four hours a week of clinical volunteering is enough to get the non-SDN applicant a ticket to medical school, then this is definitely saying something about how much medical schools value the skills that pre-meds learn on these jobs.

Now a counter argument often presented is that as an entry-level clinical worker, you'll have the opportunity to have so many meaningful patient-worker interactions. Okay, great. That's a good thing, but don't forget that as a physician, you will have THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO HAVE THESE INTERACTIONS! There is a time and place for everything. Just because you might have meaningful things take place as such a worker does not mean you are obligated to do that job. As a college student, we should be exploring the world and having fun. Not attempting to juggle things by working a time-intensive entry-level clinical job or doing as many volunteer gigs as a retired stay-at-home mom. There's a time and place for everything, and maybe college just isn't the right time for these things.

Being a scribe is not completely irrelevant to what a physician does on a daily basis. You're doing part of the physicians job for them.

 

[BABSstudent]

Being a scribe is not completely irrelevant to what a physician does on a daily basis. You're doing part of the physicians job for them.

I think you missed the point he was making. Any job shows that you can handle the balance between work and school. It doesn't need to be medically related. That can be a plus, but it is not necessary at all.

 

[galaxyx]

I think you missed the point he was making. Any job shows that you can handle the balance between work and school. It doesn't need to be medically related. That can be a plus, but it is not necessary at all.

I understand his point, but enforcing his point with false claims isn't helpful to the OP or others that are considering jobs to do. Yes, it's true that you don't NEED clinical employment, but saying that a scribe is the same as a med tech/CNA/phlebotomist in terms of learning about what a physician does is inaccurate. Plus, being a scribe isn't an entry level job into become a professional scribe. Its a job that's shaped for people planning to go into nursing/PA/Med school. There is not expectation that you're becoming a scribe because your endgoal is scribe. The expectation is that your becoming a scribe because you have a greater goal in mind. I think this philosophy gets them a much more dedicated workforce, but something is lost in the turnover each year.

 

[Ost3oclast]

Maybe a work-study position on campus?

 

[Barcu]

I think you missed the point he was making. Any job shows that you can handle the balance between work and school. It doesn't need to be medically related. That can be a plus, but it is not necessary at all.

Agreed. People get hung up on it being medically-related because they think that is the only valuable experience. It is definitely not. As long as you do have some other clinical experience, the rest of your ECs or jobs can be anything.

I'll say it again: you will be amazed how often non-medical things can dominate an interview. Sure, getting some good clinical experience as an EMT can help in interviews. However, your interviewer would much rather hear about a funny pizza delivery story. Seriously. You can apply what you learned from those jobs to medicine (working with customers=dealing with patients, communication, working as part of a team, etc). If you can make those connections, and you have experiences that are non-medical (and therefore more unique), you can make a great impression on essays or interviews. DO NOT get hung up on needing a medical job. Most of those skills are useless once you hit med school (or give you a small edge when everyone learns how to draw blood, but everyone catches up quick). Many of the skills you learn in non-medical jobs are the ones that adcoms are looking for- things like balance, work ethic, communication skills, etc. Adcoms do not care if you know how to draw blood and take vitals. Those jobs aren't bad to have, but they really aren't going to give you a huge edge over any other job.

 

[jm192]

I understand his point, but enforcing his point with false claims isn't helpful to the OP or others that are considering jobs to do. Yes, it's true that you don't NEED clinical employment, but saying that a scribe is the same as a med tech/CNA/phlebotomist in terms of learning about what a physician does is inaccurate. Plus, being a scribe isn't an entry level job into become a professional scribe. Its a job that's shaped for people planning to go into nursing/PA/Med school. There is not expectation that you're becoming a scribe because your endgoal is scribe. The expectation is that your becoming a scribe because you have a greater goal in mind. I think this philosophy gets them a much more dedicated workforce, but something is lost in the turnover each year.

You're REALLY missing the point. Even if you disagree with that 1 line out of the 50 he wrote, the greater message is that you don't have to be employeed in a clinical scenario.

If you want to say there's value in scribing because it gives you clinical exposure and shows you what doctors do--phenomenal. But, you can also shadow.

Is there value in it, sure. Is it going to put you over the top more than another job? Realistically, no. You already go in with hundreds of shadowing hours, hundreds of clinical volunteering hours. You really think the extra clinical exposure makes a difference at that point?

 

[WTEngel]

your interviewer would much rather hear about a funny pizza delivery story. .

As opposed to say, a funny baby delivery story?

Any job is going to be what you make of it. You have to make something of it though.

There is no job out there that you will waltz into and, just by the simple virtue of possessing that job, gain valuable life experience.

Valuable life experience comes from synthesis of what that position was able to teach you, opportunity for interaction with those who can affect you positively, and open mindedness on the experiences you gain and their value in shaping who you are.

It may sound cliche, corny, whatever...but I think you would be well advised to find a position that interests you, no mater what it is, and then stay switched on while performing that job, and absorb everything you can.

 

[jm192]

As opposed to say, a funny baby delivery story?

Any job is going to be what you make of it. You have to make something of it though.

There is no job out there that you will waltz into and, just by the simple virtue of possessing that job, gain valuable life experience.

Valuable life experience comes from synthesis of what that position was able to teach you, opportunity for interaction with those who can affect you positively, and open mindedness on the experiences you gain and their value in shaping who you are.

It may sound cliche, corny, whatever...but I think you would be well advised to find a position that interests you, no mater what it is, and then stay switched on while performing that job, and absorb everything you can.

I'll be honest, I didn't take a job in college for valuable life experience. I wanted $$. I would have rather not have done McDonalds, but no one else was going to hire me.

The synthesis of what that position was able to teach you? Is that english? I literally don't know what you're trying to say.

And again, I don't know that the interviewer is thinking, how much valuable life experience did you get out of delivering pizza or being a scribe. He's thinking wow, this guy worked 30 hours a week and got good grades.

 

[nysegop]

Research if possible, EMT, Janitorial

 

[UTKpreMD]

Work as a tutor if you can sell yourself as worth the money. I work as a Supplemental Instruction leader and get paid $9 / hr by my school, but then charge $20/hr for private tutoring and get a lot of people interested. It's a good way to get a client base.

 

[Barcu]

As opposed to say, a funny baby delivery story?

Any job is going to be what you make of it. You have to make something of it though.

There is no job out there that you will waltz into and, just by the simple virtue of possessing that job, gain valuable life experience.

Valuable life experience comes from synthesis of what that position was able to teach you, opportunity for interaction with those who can affect you positively, and open mindedness on the experiences you gain and their value in shaping who you are.

It may sound cliche, corny, whatever...but I think you would be well advised to find a position that interests you, no mater what it is, and then stay switched on while performing that job, and absorb everything you can.

I know that. Did you read the rest of what I wrote?

This is so typical. I'm not saying that you don't need to get a medical job. I'm not saying go out and get a non-medical job for novelty's sake. Go out and work as a scribe or EMT if you want to. Just don't think that it will be your ticket to med school compared to a job at McDonald's.

My point was exactly what you are saying. It's not the job itself. Just like it isn't being in a club or doing research. It's the experiences and lessons you get out of it, and the important thing is to convey those to adcoms. But you can get those same lessons out of a medical or non-medical job.

The reason I point out that a non-medical job or activity can actually help you in an interview over a medical job is that people refuse to believe it. Adcoms sit there all day hearing about the same types of clinical encounters (even if they are unique and meaningful to you). They like to talk about other things, and it can lead to memorable discussions. That is not an endorsement to just run out and do non-medical things. Do medical things if you want. Most do who get in. However, don't be afraid to do something non-medical if you want to. It will not hurt you, and it can very well help you.

 

[kmp0410]

Depends on what your looking for, I highly advise waiting tables to anyone in college. It is very flexible with great money, work with people, etc. Especially if you work at a decently higher end place.

That said you will probably have to work more, and is more for people who are trying to pay bills not just spending money.

 

[WTEngel]

I know that. Did you read the rest of what I wrote?

This is so typical. I'm not saying that you don't need to get a medical job. I'm not saying go out and get a non-medical job for novelty's sake. Go out and work as a scribe or EMT if you want to. Just don't think that it will be your ticket to med school compared to a job at McDonald's.

My point was exactly what you are saying. It's not the job itself. Just like it isn't being in a club or doing research. It's the experiences and lessons you get out of it, and the important thing is to convey those to adcoms. But you can get those same lessons out of a medical or non-medical job.

The reason I point out that a non-medical job or activity can actually help you in an interview over a medical job is that people refuse to believe it. Adcoms sit there all day hearing about the same types of clinical encounters (even if they are unique and meaningful to you). They like to talk about other things, and it can lead to memorable discussions. That is not an endorsement to just run out and do non-medical things. Do medical things if you want. Most do who get in. However, don't be afraid to do something non-medical if you want to. It will not hurt you, and it can very well help you.

I was agreeing with you, and supporting what you said. I guess my joke fell a little flat, but my comment about delivering pizza as opposed to delivering a baby was in jest.

No need to be so touchy man, I wasn't trying to be divisive.

 

[Lys Ile Glu Leu]

Phlebotomy

In my state no licensure is required.

Just did a quick 6 week course/ 2 nights a week and got certified

I second that. Tons of hands on patient experience (obviously), you can learn a lot about the field of medicine and about lab tests themselves (indications, applications, etc), and nobody will question your communication skills when, for example, you have to routinely put parents of your infant victims at ease with the process.

Win x3 + ___.

 

[An MD Hopeful]

I worked as a part time CRA, which gave me a combination of research experience, publications, lots of patient interactions, and LORs. Have to admit though, it was pretty busy.

 

[galaxyx]

Here's the thing:

You need clinical exposure. You need volunteering. You need a job.
Time is valuable

So you can
1. a. Get a non clinical job
b. Volunteer at a hospital (can be of great or dubious value)
c. Shadow Physicians
d. Volunteer in a non clinical setting because you still need to show your altruistic side

2. a. Get a clinical job
b. Volunteer in a non clinical position in a wide variety of areas and choose make a direct impact on others.
c. Shadow Physicians

Just like you don't "need" a clinical job to get clinical exposure and get into medical school, you don't "need" to work as a delivery driver or at McDonald's to have unique things to talk about at an interview.

 

[Barcu]

I was agreeing with you, and supporting what you said. I guess my joke fell a little flat, but my comment about delivering pizza as opposed to delivering a baby was in jest.

No need to be so touchy man, I wasn't trying to be divisive.

I didn't see that as a joke, which is why I said what I did. I'm not touchy, just making sure the right info gets out there.

Glad you agree

 

[Lys Ile Glu Leu]

Before anybody categorizes me as a premed --> clinically relevant job, it went the other way around. I worked phleb before I ever even thought about medical school.

Med school advantages aside (which I know there will be few), my experience has helped my grow in many other ways far beyond the small skill set I've acquired. Good job, fun, challenging and informative.

That said, I agree that some of the really important stuff is not specific to phleb or other clinical jobs. However, I think it does remove some doubt about your motivation for pursuing medicine, i.e., helps adcoms answer the question of whether or not you know what you're getting yourself into.

 

[Mel Belle]

I work at my college's library in the administration office. Until I saw this thread I was planning on going for EMS as a summer job, if I could. I'm sure I'd be okay with the other medical jobs, as well. I think they would all have something interesting to teach me.

Should I scrap that idea and apply to work somewhere else like... Express? Or do you guys think it's sufficient for me to just have the work study as a non-medical thing? As it stands right now, my overall is 3.9 and my sGPA is 4.0. I know that can change. But let's, for the sake of curiosity, assume that they'll stay pretty much the same. Would my plan for being an EMT as a summer job be okay? I'm also trying to get into some research because I'm contemplating MD/PhD. And when I have transportation I'll do some volunteering and shadowing.

I know you guys said it's not necessary to have either type of job. But I was just wondering, assuming my grades stay relatively similar, if doing something like working at Express (or some other non-medical job, I just know I can get hired there) would help my application any more. If you think I would need it to, anyways.

Thanks!

 

[galaxyx]

I work at my college's library in the administration office. Until I saw this thread I was planning on going for EMS as a summer job, if I could. I'm sure I'd be okay with the other medical jobs, as well. I think they would all have something interesting to teach me.

Should I scrap that idea and apply to work somewhere else like... Express? Or do you guys think it's sufficient for me to just have the work study as a non-medical thing? As it stands right now, my overall is 3.9 and my sGPA is 4.0. I know that can change. But let's, for the sake of curiosity, assume that they'll stay pretty much the same. Would my plan for being an EMT as a summer job be okay? I'm also trying to get into some research because I'm contemplating MD/PhD. And when I have transportation I'll do some volunteering and shadowing.

I know you guys said it's not necessary to have either type of job. But I was just wondering, assuming my grades stay relatively similar, if doing something like working at Express (or some other non-medical job, I just know I can get hired there) would help my application any more. If you think I would need it to, anyways.

Thanks!

See, this is one of the problems with SDN. No, you don't have to have some crappy retail job to get into medical school. Will it hurt your chances? No. Will it help you? Debatable. What will help you is having ANY job where you show initiative, responsibility, and dedication. If you want to be an EMT, do it, especially if you'll have actual EMT experience, not just taking the course. If you would prefer to work at Express do that. All other things being equal, someone who folded clothes at Express does not have an advantage over someone who worked as an EMT. Having clinical experience is NEVER a negative, it's just not necessarily a magic ticket. Working at Express won't be a magic ticket either.

You will benefit from having something non-medical to talk about, but it definitely does not have to be a job. It could be anything from playing the ukulele to hiking the highest peak in every state

 

[gmcguitar4]

write articles on ehow.com soooo easy to do and yuo can make a ton of them. If you write a good one you can get a nice little sum..not much still. But if you write a bunch it def all adds up. Also, my gf found this website that links people up with editors. So she is editing this womans book. This woman is a terrrrible writer(as most people in the US are) so she just touching up this horror of a book and making $600...and that is on the lower end of what you can get paid. I am definitely going to try to keep that stuff up on the side during medical school or during breaks...do that until I can moonlight as a resident.

 

[Brownshorts]

Search craigslist for things like "medical assistant." During my job search I found that most of the jobs in hospitals (which are the ones advertising in newspapers, monster, etc) were looking for certifications like cna. By contract doctors offices often don't care about these, and a lot are excited about having someone around who is actually interested in medicine and progressing in the field, rather than someone for whom it would be just a job.

 

[Lamel]

Search craigslist for things like "medical assistant." During my job search I found that most of the jobs in hospitals (which are the ones advertising in newspapers, monster, etc) were looking for certifications like cna. By contract doctors offices often don't care about these, and a lot are excited about having someone around who is actually interested in medicine and progressing in the field, rather than someone for whom it would be just a job.

I can't support this post enough. I mean craigslist isn't the only way, you can also cold call private clinics. But being an MA is just as good as a scribe, or maybe even better. You get shadowing, patient care, and learn about administrative aspects of medicine, all while getting paid.

 

[FratPharmD]

work PRN as a pharmacy tech (requires CPhT, which is easy self-study) at a teaching hospital. you make ~$15/hr for work that is directly translatable to the field of medicine. to glean more clinical experience from the position, be sure to express your interest in a medical career to your manager.you will likely be given opportunities to shadow on the hospital floors, attend grand round lectures etc. and being familiar with the top 200 drugs never hurt anybody.

 

[silverturtle]

What are some good jobs for premeds. A job that can be balanced w/ school and studies.

A job. A FLEXIBLE job.

 

[Astharia]

Hospital switchboard.... I work at 2 hospitals doing switchboard PRN at both. I get to do my homework and I get some patient experience. (At one hospital I actually dispatch the ambulances and check in ER patients, at another I work in the ER registration side and switchboard. The patient experience there is going to the room to register the patients after they've been treated.)

 

[Astharia]

Hospital switchboard.... I work at 2 hospitals doing switchboard PRN at both. I get to do my homework and I get some patient experience. (At one hospital I actually dispatch the ambulances and check in ER patients, at another I work in the ER registration side and switchboard. The patient experience there is going to the room to register the patients after they've been treated.)

Oh and I set my own hours. The schedule comes out, and I pick the open shifts up that I want to work. I usually work like 2 days a week... if I want I can easily do 40 hours for spring break or summer and if I want vacation I don't really have to have it approved, I just have to work once a month to stay on payroll.

 

[Mel Belle]

See, this is one of the problems with SDN. No, you don't have to have some crappy retail job to get into medical school. Will it hurt your chances? No. Will it help you? Debatable. What will help you is having ANY job where you show initiative, responsibility, and dedication. If you want to be an EMT, do it, especially if you'll have actual EMT experience, not just taking the course. If you would prefer to work at Express do that. All other things being equal, someone who folded clothes at Express does not have an advantage over someone who worked as an EMT. Having clinical experience is NEVER a negative, it's just not necessarily a magic ticket. Working at Express won't be a magic ticket either.

You will benefit from having something non-medical to talk about, but it definitely does not have to be a job. It could be anything from playing the ukulele to hiking the highest peak in every state

Okay, no need to be rude. I read the damn posts.

I'm wondering what sort of "non-medical" things I might wanna look into for the possibility of looking more unique. Not just to improve my application, but I know that I need to expand my horizons. I don't really do anything besides studying and relaxing with my boyfriend. I've played music since middle school but I stopped in college because I didn't feel I had the time for it. So I was thinking of actually getting proper instruction for piano. Literally ever since I was born people have been like, "You have such long fingers! You'd be great at piano!" Plus, I've always wanted to learn it anyways. But would it look bad to just start new things in college such as this? You know, since that could look like I only did those things for my app. Some of these things I've just never had an opportunity to do. I couldn't do sports because I was needed for marching band which was the same season a the sports I liked. I'm thinking of joining intramural volleyball. I mean, I suppose it makes sense for a college student to start new things. But I'm wondering if it's bad that I'll probably not have any activities on my app that are more than 3-4 years. I mean I guess if that's the case I can't do anything about it. I'm just wondering.

I'm sorry. I just don't have any ideas besides those mentioned of what sort of things to do. Does running count? Perhaps this question is too broad.

 

[galaxyx]

Okay, no need to be rude. I read the damn posts.

I'm wondering what sort of "non-medical" things I might wanna look into for the possibility of looking more unique. Not just to improve my application, but I know that I need to expand my horizons. I don't really do anything besides studying and relaxing with my boyfriend. I've played music since middle school but I stopped in college because I didn't feel I had the time for it. So I was thinking of actually getting proper instruction for piano. Literally ever since I was born people have been like, "You have such long fingers! You'd be great at piano!" Plus, I've always wanted to learn it anyways. But would it look bad to just start new things in college such as this? You know, since that could look like I only did those things for my app. Some of these things I've just never had an opportunity to do. I couldn't do sports because I was needed for marching band which was the same season a the sports I liked. I'm thinking of joining intramural volleyball. I mean, I suppose it makes sense for a college student to start new things. But I'm wondering if it's bad that I'll probably not have any activities on my app that are more than 3-4 years. I mean I guess if that's the case I can't do anything about it. I'm just wondering.

I'm sorry. I just don't have any ideas besides those mentioned of what sort of things to do. Does running count? Perhaps this question is too broad.

My anger wasn't directed at you, it was for the people that like to take one small thing to the extreme such as "I talked about delivering pizzas in my interview = delivering pizzas is the best job. "

You should in general only put things on your app that you've done after hs so having your activities be new in college is normal. If you want some longitudinal experiences join a pep band at school

 

[torshi]

Morgue tech, you work long hours though, but can end up making hundreds in one night alone. You'll see things that make the nurses leave the room. This can be done during school

 

[Lollygag]

I just wanted to say that I get that its not NECESSARY to get a "medically related" job and that we tend to get caught up in that.

But honestly... I hate doing stuff that I don't like and has nothing to do with where I'm going in life. And I'm a driven person so if I feel like I'm not accomplishing something worthwhile everyday I will hate it. And working at mcdonalds would simply make me miserable every day. I would only do it if it was necessary.

I'm not saying there isn't value in working at mcdonalds, working with people, dealing with crap will definitely build character and make for interesting conversations at an interview but I feel like there are several jobs out there where I can do the same thing but in the setting that I would enjoy because I aspire to be in it one day.

If I was a business/hospitality management major, then sure, mcdonalds all the way.

Just my 2 cents

 

[EmergencyMonkey]

I got a job as a PCA and it was one of the best experiences I could have had going into medical school. There is no substitute for direct patient care experience. I couldn't believe the number of my med school classmates that had not had direct patient care. That being said, you have to like yoyr job too. You don't have to start out at the bottom of the hospital rung to work your way up. Get a job that you enjoy and the rest falls into place.
______________
visit the monkey at EmergencyMonkey.com

 

[Planes2Doc]

Okay, no need to be rude. I read the damn posts.

I'm wondering what sort of "non-medical" things I might wanna look into for the possibility of looking more unique. Not just to improve my application, but I know that I need to expand my horizons. I don't really do anything besides studying and relaxing with my boyfriend. I've played music since middle school but I stopped in college because I didn't feel I had the time for it. So I was thinking of actually getting proper instruction for piano. Literally ever since I was born people have been like, "You have such long fingers! You'd be great at piano!" Plus, I've always wanted to learn it anyways. But would it look bad to just start new things in college such as this? You know, since that could look like I only did those things for my app. Some of these things I've just never had an opportunity to do. I couldn't do sports because I was needed for marching band which was the same season a the sports I liked. I'm thinking of joining intramural volleyball. I mean, I suppose it makes sense for a college student to start new things. But I'm wondering if it's bad that I'll probably not have any activities on my app that are more than 3-4 years. I mean I guess if that's the case I can't do anything about it. I'm just wondering.

I'm sorry. I just don't have any ideas besides those mentioned of what sort of things to do. Does running count? Perhaps this question is too broad.

The moral of the story is unless you're an Olympic athlete, astronaut, state congressman, or something similar, then you won't have much luck playing the "UNIQUENESS CARD." You should do what you like, as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies, or as I've learned as a medical student, the last bits of social life you have left.

As galaxyx and others too have mentioned, having a clinical job will not necessarily be that Golden Ticket to medical school like some people believe it to be. I'm highly against this clinical work because it's extremely difficult to find once or twice a week positions which would not affect grades. If your grades and MCAT suck, then a clinical experience which is a dime a dozen among pre-meds will NOT help you in any way when it comes to getting into medical school.

My anger wasn't directed at you, it was for the people that like to take one small thing to the extreme such as "I talked about delivering pizzas in my interview = delivering pizzas is the best job. "

You should in general only put things on your app that you've done after hs so having your activities be new in college is normal. If you want some longitudinal experiences join a pep band at school

I never said that pizza deliver was the best job in the world. I think in a sense it is "superior" to most clinical jobs not because of the technicalities of delivering a pizza, but because it takes up a FRACTION OF THE TIME compared to a clinical job. A four to five hour shift on a Friday night had virtually no impact on my grades, and still allowed me to go out with friends. This is a far cry from an EMT position where people might put in 20+ hours a week, which can sacrifice grades. If your grades and MCAT take a hit as a result, I doubt medical schools will give two $h!ts about your EMT experience when just about every other applicant was either an EMT or other entry-level clinical worker.

At the end of the day, being a pizza delivery driver isn't going to make you special. Being an EMT isn't going to make you special. Folding clothes at the Express isn't going to make you special either. In fact, I'm guessing close to 99% of the people applying during a given medical school admissions cycle aren't going to be special either. Everyone tries to be unique, but probably 99% are following in the footsteps of countless other people who did the same exact thing.

It's just that some people are making far more unnecessary sacrifices which can end up hurting them, whether in one way or another. And if they don't end up getting hurt, then they probably weren't helped the way they thought either.

 

[StudyShy]

Morgue tech, you work long hours though, but can end up making hundreds in one night alone. You'll see things that make the nurses leave the room. This can be done during school

That would be awesome!

 

[chillaxbro]

Tips for getting a scribe job? How long does training take? When should I start looking if I want to begin work in the summer?