Hospice Research - Unique EC?

[rgatt2]

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I'm a junior. It's been hard to find a doctor to work with that will give a **** and give me meaningful work.
I've been involved in cancer research in a hospice setting for over 1 yr. I've published a short abstract, and am involved in a 1st authored, longer publication for a project I designed myself, to test effects of mood-enhancing drugs on hospice patients?

Will hospice research help me stand out, or will I get laughed at in thinking that this is unique?
I don't know how to stand out in terms of doing a groundbreaking clinical research, and I don't want to be fake and volunteer in a 3rd world country or join peace corps for the summer (nor can I afford it)!

 

[TexasPhysician]

I'm not sure hospice is entirely unique, but a publication will certainly stand out.

 

[witness23]

if it was unique to you, then you should portray it that way. you might want to be careful with your wording of somethings though.

 

[rgatt2]

I'd like to think that hospice ideals are different than say, a regular hospital.

I don't want to sound cocky or ignorant, but I really don't know a lot of people that would choose to work with dying people as their first choice, and my persistence in this hopefully shows that I care to help people that I will only get to know for even a week or 2.

Do a lot of people choose to work/volunteer in hospice?

Is this less impressive than say, going to 3rd world country for the summer to help children with cholera?

 

[witness23]

I'd like to think that hospice ideals are different than say, a regular hospital.

I don't want to sound cocky or ignorant, but I really don't know a lot of people that would choose to work with dying people as their first choice, and my persistence in this hopefully shows that I care to help people that I will only get to know for even a week or 2.

Do a lot of people choose to work/volunteer in hospice?

yes, a lot actually. including myself.

 

[Appless]

Its certainly more unique then the I volunteered in the ER and ICU like probably 99% of all applicants do. But its not going to make or break you. More importantly is that something you are interested in? If it is by all means go for it, if you are doing it for the sake of "standing out" then you are just wasting your time.

 

[witness23]

don't get me wrong. what you are doing sounds cool to me. if you have a pub out of it, it is productive too. just enjoy it and it will show

 

[rgatt2]

I guess I'm just pressured to do something really unique, bc I heard that schools like UCSF (one of my top choices) usually prefer students that have gone through enormous hardship, or have done something amazing. We're just undergrads, not doctors yet!

I like what I'm doing and hope that as long as I'm true to myself and have something to show i.e. publications, they won't reject me bc I wasn't more ambitious. All along I've only worked with 1 type of doctor though.

 

[Appless]

I guess I'm just pressured to do something really unique, bc I heard that schools like UCSF (one of my top choices) usually prefer students that have gone through enormous hardship, or have done something amazing. We're just undergrads, not doctors yet!

I like what I'm doing and hope that as long as I'm true to myself and have something to show i.e. publications, they won't reject me bc I wasn't more ambitious. All along I've only worked with 1 type of doctor though.

In the end dont worry about it dude. continue doing what your doing and w/e your GPA, MCAT, and ECs are its fine. Everyone and their mother wants to go to UCSF and theres no magic formula on how to get in. If there was then trust me everyone in cali would be doing it. I think you just shouldnt get too hung up on a school like UCSF knowing that even amazing applicants get rejected from there on a consistant basis. We all cant overcome impossible odds, we all didnt win olympic gold and its not going to kill you if you didnt😉. When you get closer to applying you will probably start to get rid of these ideas of I have to go to UCSF or something...at least I did.🙂

 

[TexasPhysician]

I guess I'm just pressured to do something really unique, bc I heard that schools like UCSF (one of my top choices) usually prefer students that have gone through enormous hardship, or have done something amazing. We're just undergrads, not doctors yet!

I like what I'm doing and hope that as long as I'm true to myself and have something to show i.e. publications, they won't reject me bc I wasn't more ambitious. All along I've only worked with 1 type of doctor though.

A couple good publications will make that experience quite amazing. Keep that up.

However my opinion hospice < aiding 3rd world countries