How important is volunteer work?

[ice_23]

SDN'ers,

I am currently a senior in college who is planning on attending med. school in the fall. My question is as follows: how important is having volunteer work in attaining a competitive residency (such as opthalmology or orthopedic surgery)? I have two options this summer, one being to research, the other being to volunteer in a developing nation. Both sound pretty enjoyable to me, so I'd just like to know which activity would benefit me more in the long run. Any help would be appreciated! 🙂

Thanks,

Ice

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[ckent]

Research is far more important then volunteer work for most competetive residencies. It's a very different process then med school app's, it's no longer about proving that you are a caring person because your med school evals through patient interaction should reflect that. The academic powerhouses in residency programs (the most competetive ones) are looking to train people who are going into academics, and research is more a part of academics then working in a homeless shelter.

 

[fourthyear]

I did a bunch of volunteer stuff in med school, mostly b/c they were projects that interested me and i had fun doing and my med school just always seemed to be involved in a lot of things. Guess what? None of the surgery programs I interviewed at seemed the least bit interestedor impressed really. Like I said, I did it b/c I wanted to, not to help with getting into residency, but it would have been nice to have them at least notice something I put a lot of time into.

It is important, however, to do somethign besides just schoolwork. I'm sure if I didn't do any extracurriculars they would have taken notice.

Bottom line, go with research if you are interested in a competetive field. It doesn't matter what the research is in really, as long as you show an interest in an academic project of some kind. Try to get your name on a publication or two if you can though - no sense being a lab rat and not having something to show for it.

 

[madcadaver]

Do volunteer work because you want to make the world a better place, not because "it will benefit you more in the long run".

Ugh.

Just do the research.

 

[Lccjblu]

I realize that this thread is from more than half a decade ago but...

it seems that the general consensus was that research is a better use of time rather than community service. I'm really interested in helping out at a community clinic (either spanish or chinese/asian-related), but this thread almost makes its inconsequential on an app. Do ppl do community clinics just to enhance their own clinical knowledge (eg differential diagnosis and your knowledge of various common ailments and their treatment procedures)?

 

[voidlogin]

(1) The problem with working in a clinic is that most people fudge the truth on their application about # hrs worked, what they did, what they learned, and there's no way for admission committee to verify any of it. I have never heard of AdCom calling up a doctor. Research is research. You either wrote a paper or you didn't. You knowledge can be easily determined by just asking you a few questions.

(2) Also you'll probably learn basic sciences, read journals etc while doing research, which will help you a lot in 1st 2 yrs of med school.

(3) working in a clinic is important for *you* so you can decide if you like the medical field at all. Ever see someone throw up bloody vomit? Had to interview a coughing pt? You wouldn't want to get into med school than find out you hate it all.

FIRST volunteer to see if you like the medical field at all. Then do research.

 

[Lccjblu]

(1) The problem with working in a clinic is that most people fudge the truth on their application about # hrs worked, what they did, what they learned, and there's no way for admission committee to verify any of it. I have never heard of AdCom calling up a doctor. Research is research. You either wrote a paper or you didn't. You knowledge can be easily determined by just asking you a few questions.

(2) Also you'll probably learn basic sciences, read journals etc while doing research, which will help you a lot in 1st 2 yrs of med school.

(3) working in a clinic is important for *you* so you can decide if you like the medical field at all. Ever see someone throw up bloody vomit? Had to interview a coughing pt? You wouldn't want to get into med school than find out you hate it all.

FIRST volunteer to see if you like the medical field at all. Then do research.

I get what you're saying. very good points. I hope that most people who got into med school know that they want to be in the medical field though!

 

[J-Rad]

Moving to pre-allo

 

[Soulstice]

Any EC is only worth the amount that you can discuss it.. basically, you have to ask yourself with any EC why you're doing it and what you're getting from it. If you can answer those two questions with enough certainty, then you are in good shape.

 

[McGillGrad]

The real value to volunteering is your own experience in today's medical establishment.

That is why it is favoured by admission committees. Once you throw off the romanticised veil of TV/movie medicine, you see the real down and dirty grind of modern medicine.