How many of you guys worked during UG?

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I'm wondering how many of you guys worked jobs not related to healthcare throughout undergrad whether it was to help pay tuition, living expenses or just to get by with food and other necessities? Or did you all only work during the summer? I'm asking because I rarely see people mention them when asking to be assessed. If one works some number of hours per week it can be hard to clock in a ****ton of hours for other activities I'm assuming?
 
It's all about time managements. Plenty of people work in undergrad - many clock 20+ hr/week, less so in med school but I bet a decent amount does it (by decent amount, I refer maybe 10%)
 
I worked in the IT industry throughout the majority of my undergrad career from 25-30 hours a week. I was on top of my courses, ECs, and had time to spend with friends and be a bum. Time management.
 
I worked 20-30 hrs/wk in undergrad, some weeks 40 hours if there were no exams that week. Realistically, it can be done if you budget your time extremely well and you don't care that you have no social life.
 
I understand it can be done lol; I've done it myself and am happy with my grades thus far. I was just trying to get a general idea of how many other people do it or how common it is rather.
 
I worked at one of my school's libraries, usually around 8-10 hours a week. I did this for pocket money after dealing with some financial hardship. I had more than enough time outside of that job to participate in other ECs (like research, clubs, etc.), study for classes and have fun. There was one semester where I worked 10 hours a week in the library and 10 hours a week in research and that was pretty stressful, but otherwise you should have more than enough time to take care of other things when you work 10 hours a week.
 
I worked two jobs simultaneously in undergrad and was able to get good grades. Time management is everything!
 
I've worked as a police officer, paramedic and mental health tech and several part time jobs. Average about 36-56 hours a week. Work night shifts and school in the day.
 
yeah, tons of us have done it. time management. way to do it:
1) For a week, actually plot out your whole day. Just see how long everything takes.
2) Find how much BS time you have.
3) Make a schedule based on that.

usually college schedules will allow you to work. Shouldn't be that impossible.
 
I did a handful of different tutoring jobs for about 20 hours per week for two semesters and I managed a 4.0 both of those semesters. It just takes time management, determination and discipline. I probably would have worked more but my path through undergrad was full of weird twists and turns.
 
I did (or rather, am doing) for all 4 years. Had to suffer a little freshman year to get the position created, but in exchange, sitting around nowadays getting paid to watch anime and do homework rocks.
 
I worked 10 hours/week while in classes (at an office of psychological testing) and then full-time every summer/break since I was 15 (camp counselor, and then data entry into EMR at a pediatric office).
 
I work twice a week, volunteer 4 hours weekly, and train BJJ 3-4 times a week.
 
moisne said:
It's all about time managements. Plenty of people work in undergrad - many clock 20+ hr/week, less so in med school but I bet a decent amount does it (by decent amount, I refer maybe 10%)
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I'd be surprised if even 10% do. 3rd and 4th year would be very difficult to work unless you had incredibly flexible hours. The only people in my class that worked were pharmacists, because they could get decent money for a shift and they only did it in first two years. In undergrad I worked 15-25 hours most weeks and 40-50 hours in summer.

Sadly my residency program doesn't allow moonlighting, I'd have plenty of time to work. I've done a few shifts working maintenance at a golf course and do some medical surveys. It really doesn't affect my income. Another resident bar tends on occasion.
 
FT then up to 70 hours per week. Cutting back b/c of postb course work/prepping.
 
I got a job for this summer that will easily require me to work 60-80 hours/week I'm told. Can't wait honestly. Sometimes it's nice to make a little money and lay off the books for a while.
 
Usually had 5-10 hours a month of DJing events (karaoke/dance) and I was in a band that played 3-5 shows a month, so that was about 10-20 hours a month (plus all of the time practicing, of course). The DJing was for a little extra money, but the band just so happened to be a lucky 2-in-1 experience where I got paid to do something I absolutely love doing. I also worked in the lab as a clean-up employee this past Fall, and that was around 2-4 hours a week.

I went to SMDEP after my freshman year, so I was unable to work. Last summer I received a research internship at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and will be going back again this summer and working until next year on a few papers. I have to work in the summer to support myself.

I have over 400 hours of non-clinical volunteering, 90 hours of clinical volunteering, have maintained a 3.91 GPA, and had a social life that met my expectations.

I worked much more than a few of my classmates, but I've also worked far less than the majority, I would say.
 
Because I was willing to scoop horse poop for 8 hours every Saturday I didn't really have to worry about working during the week (aside from being a tutor and TA but these are both minimal hrs/wk). I was lucky enough to find a reliable job that payed $20+/hr to pay the bills. The draw back is that scooping poop isn't exactly an awesome resume booster. But I had fun doing it and made decent money. I absolutely encourage looking outside the box when it comes to work. I scooped poop to pay the bills, which left more time for actually doing the things I wanted to do during the week.
 
45 - 50 hours a week; carry solid GPA; volunteer on Saturdays at rescue/rehab for horses and disabled children and adults; I sleep ALL DAY on Sunday 😉 and eat lots of pasta
 
I have worked assorted minimum wage jobs about 20 hours per week throughout undergrad thus far.
 
The key is to find a work study job where you can do just that - study while you get paid. There are TONS of these on campus. Library, gym, mailroom, IT, etc. Worked very well for me. In fact, being stuck at work and having nothing better to do than study was good for me at times.
 
g gnome said:
The key is to find a work study job where you can do just that - study while you get paid. There are TONS of these on campus. Library, gym, mailroom, IT, etc. Worked very well for me. In fact, being stuck at work and having nothing better to do than study was good for me at times.
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With my A and A+ in both semesters of Organic, I'm attempting to find a tutoring position on campus to do for my source of income next year.
 
I would make for a good case study.

I never worked during undergrad until now (junior year), when I ran out of my college fund and had to pay for all utilities and car insurance (parents paid my rent). This year I started working as a barista at Starbucks ~ 20 hrs/wk. IT IS EXHAUSTING work... don't underestimate that job. I break a sweat back there at bar making drinks lol
Anyways, I got my first B in a science course this semester, lost my fitness routine, and could not volunteer on the weekends anymore.

No. I don't think it is optimal for the traditional premed. Do everything to try and earn scholarships!!!
 
onyisraw said:
I got a job for this summer that will easily require me to work 60-80 hours/week I'm told. Can't wait honestly. Sometimes it's nice to make a little money and lay off the books for a while.
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What's the job?
 
onyisraw said:
I understand it can be done lol; I've done it myself and am happy with my grades thus far. I was just trying to get a general idea of how many other people do it or how common it is rather.
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Probably should have thrown a poll up then. 😉
 
Oncie said:
Is it worth it? You can probably find a better job.
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For me it is. I'm basically expected to pay cost of living & all utilities since its summer break plus I'm paying them for my junior year too. Starts at $11 an hour and time and a half over 40 hours a week. I'm guaranteed at least 60 hours per week. This job also allows me to make decent money in a short time before I apply to medical school. I got this Oncie!

Edit: I need to make money to save that money to apply to medical school as well.
 
Yup, worked 25-23 hours a week all throughout college to pay the bills. Did my gpa suffer? Yeah in the begging, but then I learned from my mistakes and became better at time management.
 
I worked a minimum of 36 to a maximum of 72 (gulp) hours a week at 3 different jobs during school. Most of my work was as a paramedic, which allowed me to get some school work done while on the clock, but I did pick up an adjunct job at my local community college during the last year of my postbacc. Time management is definitely key, and I found weekends were a great way to get in hours (I worked a 24 hour shift nearly every Saturday.)
 
Deranged Medic said:
I worked a minimum of 36 to a maximum of 72 (gulp) hours a week at 3 different jobs during school. Most of my work was as a paramedic, which allowed me to get some school work done while on the clock, but I did pick up an adjunct job at my local community college during the last year of my postbacc. Time management is definitely key, and I found weekends were a great way to get in hours (I worked a 24 hour shift nearly every Saturday.)
Click to expand...

Your avatar is fantastic BTW.
 
UNMedGa said:
Your avatar is fantastic BTW.
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It's my one of my passive-aggressive ways of expressing my job frustrations. When people actually need my help, my job is the third coolest job in the world. The first? Killing people for money. The second? Being a physician (hopefully doing different things than #1.)
 
Deranged Medic said:
It's my one of my passive-aggressive ways of expressing my job frustrations. When people actually need my help, my job is the third coolest job in the world. The first? Killing people for money. The second? Being a physician (hopefully doing different things than #1.)
Click to expand...

"Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too."
-Anton Chekhov

Not sure I agree with him but I found it entertaining!
 
I worked between 28 and 60 hours a week in undergrad, depending on the week. Averaged around 36-40. It did make ECs virtually impossible, but whatever, things turned out okay for me in the end anyway.
 
Mad Jack said:
I worked between 28 and 60 hours a week in undergrad, depending on the week. Averaged around 36-40. It did make ECs virtually impossible, but whatever, things turned out okay for me in the end anyway.
Click to expand...
What were your EC's then?
 
10 hrs/week all throughout undergrad and full time during summers (except I took one summer to study for MCAT and take classes).
 
I worked 20 hours a week to help with finances, volunteered ~4 hours a week at hospitals, research about 4-12 hours a week, went to see my significant other ~2 hours away every weekend, got my money's worth of netflix and went out to party 1-2x a week. My GPA came out at around a 3.7, although I'm sure it could've been better had I stayed in to study more than go out or work. I kept my job since I worked in a clinic and figured I might as well get paid while getting the clinical experience.

on a side note- I think keeping up a social life drained my time and energy more than anything else tbh.
 
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