Has anyone worked as an SI instructor?

[Student2390]

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I got an email saying that I was recommended to be an SI for bio. So far, I think I’d like to do it. Having an on campus job, being able to solidify my understanding of the material, and a professor to maybe ask for a lor sounds pretty good.

My biggest concern is that I don’t know if I have the personality to do it, I’m usually more introverted and don’t like public speaking. I’m afraid that I’ll appear too uncomfortable and awkward to the students. But I also see this as a way to get more experience with that though.

Does anyone have any experience with being an SI? And how do med schools view it?

 

[Catalystik]

I got an email saying that I was recommended to be an SI for bio. So far, I think I’d like to do it. Having an on campus job, being able to solidify my understanding of the material, and a professor to maybe ask for a lor sounds pretty good.

My biggest concern is that I don’t know if I have the personality to do it, I’m usually more introverted and don’t like public speaking. I’m afraid that I’ll appear too uncomfortable and awkward to the students. But I also see this as a way to get more experience with that though.

1) Does anyone have any experience with being an SI?
2) And how do med schools view it?

1) Like you, I was an introvert who preferred not to stand in front of a group pontificating. As a premed student, I found the experience to be a great confidence builder. I enjoyed it so much I continued for a total of 2.5 years, taking on a lead role after the first year.

2) Positively!

 

[chemdoctor]

I'll be doing it this Fall for General Chemistry I and II!

It's a lot of fun and is a cool thing to have on your app!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I’ve done it before. I hate public speaking, so it was good practice. Also, no one cares if you look awkward or nervous if you know what you’re talking about. After the first time, the only things people said to me were thanks for making the material understandable. That was a big relief and made it easier to keep doing it.

 

[Llamadoc]

I was an SI for Bio 1 and Calc-based Physics 1, and it was so great. My main motivation for doing it was to strengthen my own understanding of those subjects by having to break it down and teach it to others, plus I was a teacher (kindergarten) in public schools so I was looking forward to teaching older students this go around- and particularly subjects I actually liked.

Would 100% recommend especially if you're on campus a lot as it is. It fit in super well with my study and class schedule, I just spread my own classes out from 8am to 6pm and used my breaks to hold SI sessions and do my own studying. Kept my time management on point.

 

[Wayfinder]

I also did SI for Microbio and Biochem, and loved it! It helps you get to know and support a lot of students in your pre-med community, and it also is a great opportunity to build a more in-depth understanding of the material. The confidence building is also great, I am from a large university and it gave me a chance to become comfortable talking in front of a 400+ student body. It really can give you a chance to become a leader in your community. A lot of students might come to you outside of you sessions asking for help. So know where your boundaries are, but I would always help with test taking strategies questions, or how to get into certain extracurricular's.
Like mentioned above it is a great on campus job with reasonable hours! The only thing I would say is make sure you get a head start for finals week. You typically are leading an overview in between your finals and saving writing that overview for the last minute is a nightmare I have seen too many SI leaders go through.
It also really helped me understand my professors more because I used to write practice exams and have them read over them. I not only got closer to them, I also think I became a better student myself after the experience. Understanding the thought process of how test questions are made, and why certain things should be tested on.

 

[Doctor-S]

I got an email saying that I was recommended to be an SI for bio. So far, I think I’d like to do it. Having an on campus job, being able to solidify my understanding of the material, and a professor to maybe ask for a lor sounds pretty good.

My biggest concern is that I don’t know if I have the personality to do it, I’m usually more introverted and don’t like public speaking. I’m afraid that I’ll appear too uncomfortable and awkward to the students. But I also see this as a way to get more experience with that though.

Does anyone have any experience with being an SI? And how do med schools view it?

I was an SI for physics, chemistry and English (not at the same time). All of these classes were taught in large lecture auditoriums (250-400 students). Nearly all of the students were pre-med, pre-dental, or pre-veterinary medicine. Many of them welcomed the extra teaching assistance, but a few of them also showed some "attitude" because they paid tuition to be taught/mentored by a "real professor" and not by a newbie-SI. Don't let that bother you: you can do this.

Initially, I felt unsure of myself because I did not have any teaching experience. I'm pretty sure most SIs might say the same thing if you ask them "how" they felt as a newbie. It's okay to feel anxious - it's a new experience - you'll adjust to it.

After about 2-3 weeks, I felt more confident and "in tune" with the students enrolled in the classes.

* It required the exercise of good time management and interpersonal communication skills.

* It definitely reinforced my own knowledge of physics and chemistry.

* I wanted the students to be successful in their classes; and that was very motivating.

* If I was unsure of something, I checked with professors and made a point to be communicative with the students.

* I knew what it felt like to be a student in those classes: they deserved my best efforts, time and support. They needed me to be an SI and not their best bud. So boundary-setting was important and I learned a lot about the importance of setting appropriate boundaries (and that's something you will continue to do with patients).

Slowly but surely, my newbie-ness melted away and I enjoyed my SI experiences, as well as the on-campus compensation.

I have no idea *how* med schools viewed my SI experience. It wasn't discussed in interviews. Go figure. I'm reasonably certain med schools were much more attentive to sGPA, MCAT and research experience at that time - especially since I was interested in medicine and science degree programs. FWIW, I listed my SI jobs as work/leadership.

 

[Eleithyia]

I worked as an SI instructor for organic chem, but it seems like my experience was different from other posters'. At my undergrad, SI sessions were separate from lecture and entirely optional so there tended to be a very small group of regulars at each session, not huge groups of 400+. Right before exams we would get an influx of students who wanted to review for the test, and we tried to plan for that.

Nobody ever commented on my SI experience during interviews, but I was able to draw on the experience in several secondaries, especially the ones that asked about future goals/plans, since I am interested in med ed.