How IMportant is Teaching Experience?

[testace]

I wanted to get an idea of how important showing teaching experience is to med schools? Unlike research, I feel like any university medical school, big or small, research heavy or not, needs good teachers. How many premeds do some form of teaching?

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[Jolie South]

I wanted to get an idea of how important showing teaching experience is to med schools? Unlike research, I feel like any university medical school, big or small, research heavy or not, needs good teachers. How many premeds do some form of teaching?

don't think it's that important, but i don't have any statistics to back that up either.

 

[BeAdmitted]

I think it's very important to show that you have teaching experience. My personal statement focused on the ways in which doctors serve as educators for their patients. When you think about it, this is really true. Also, being a teacher requires strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills. Good luck.

I wanted to get an idea of how important showing teaching experience is to med schools? Unlike research, I feel like any university medical school, big or small, research heavy or not, needs good teachers. How many premeds do some form of teaching?

 

[DeadCactus]

I think it's pretty safe to say that only GPA and MCAT are "important". Everything else is just selling yourself and making yourself stand out. Teaching, research, volunteering, clinical experience: these are all just tool at your disposal to say "Hey! Look at me! I'm different from those other guys and here's why it makes me a better applicant!".

Certain tools are more useful (ie clinical experience; because after all one of the main things you have to convine them is that you know what you're getting into and you still want it). Learning to sell yourself is more important than what you're trying to sell (though the better the product, the easier the sell)...

 

[Quix]

Good stats open the door to interviews; the rest makes the case for admission. Teaching is important, given the amount of patient teaching you will be doing as a physician (for both patients as well as those who you will be training in residencies and beyond).

 

[ADeadLois]

I think it's pretty safe to say that only GPA and MCAT are "important". Everything else is just selling yourself and making yourself stand out. Teaching, research, volunteering, clinical experience: these are all just tool at your disposal to say "Hey! Look at me! I'm different from those other guys and here's why it makes me a better applicant!".

Clinical experience is as close to a requirement as you can get in the application process. Teaching, research and non-medical volunteering are the peripheral characteristics that make you stand out.

 

[nick_carraway]

I think it's very important to show that you have teaching experience. My personal statement focused on the ways in which doctors serve as educators for their patients. When you think about it, this is really true. Also, being a teacher requires strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills. Good luck.

That was my PS statement too! And the theme of many of my secondary applications. Boy, I'm glad that you aren't applying with me.