How to go about gaining clinical experience? And a few other tidbits.

[Tarasaurusrex]

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This seems to be the place to go for honest, straightforward advice to those of us with a rockier road to travel 🙂.

Let me introduce myself quickly, my name is Tara and I'll be 26 in August (sorry if that sounded like the beginning to a narcotics anonymous meeting). I always did very well in school and surprisingly am a stellar test-taker. I even got a scholarship to the University of NC back when I was 17. I started out as a math major and continued to progress grade-wise until...well until I basically lost control. I had to work, which is not a problem, but I started doing jobs that were, well a bit unsavory that paid more (nothing illegal), just nothing that would look fabulous on a resume. I then dropped out of school because I figured I was earning enough at 18 that, what did I need school for? I really lost my way.

Basically the next 7 years continued in the same vein. I would sometimes take some prerequisites at the local community college, but it was not even considered half-time. I became pretty heavily addicted to a few things and I am not proud of that. Somehow I managed to get my Pharmacy Technician certification and once I began dating someone who really wanted to settle, I started working steadily in a compounding lab.

Well now I've finished my prereqs and have decided on a chemistry major, so I am currently taking courses toward that goal. After that I want to be a pathologist since I enjoy working alone, or in a small group, and am very hands-on. I also enjoy research of all types and am more interested in working on solving a problem that is ongoing, or has happened and needs to be prevented as oppose to emergency care. I am not cut out for the hustle, bustle and pressure of an ER doctor. I'd rather be in the morgue, or examining tissue samples, thank you.

Getting to the meat of this post:

1) I have credits from 5 different schools (bad, I know), but my degree will be from Georgia Tech. Do medical schools look at the fact that my prereqs were taken at a hodgepodge of places? I'm sure they do. How negative is that?

2) My GPA is not fabulous, it's a 3.5, so it's about average, or a bit below for someone wanting to pursue an MD. I have taken practice MCAT's and done well on them (test-taking is a strong suit of mine...I'm just lazy when it comes to homework). Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not a bit terrified of the actual test, because you can do great on all the practice tests in the world, but it doesn't mean a thing if you don't perform when it counts.

3) There is no volunteer experience in my background, aside from my job as a pharmacy technician. This is problematic I know, so what are some suggestions as to how to break into a volunteer position in a clinical setting? I'm a bit unsure as to how to go about that, but as I round the end of my undergrad I really need to do something to ingratiate myself with MD's and MD hopefuls. Suggestions?

4) The only charge against my record is a DUI I got when I was 20 (I know, NOT good), and I have no credit since I never felt the need for a credit card and preferred paying cash and have only begun learning this past year the value of credit, therefore my credit score is low. Do admissions personnel check that? I know some jobs do, so I wouldn't be surprised if they did a cursory inspection at certain schools. I also have a few years that are "unaccounted for." How bad is that going to look? I am not going to explain the work I was doing at the time (because although it's not illegal, but it's nothing to boast about, that's for sure). How negatively will that affect me? Also, this may seem trivial, but I get mistaken for a high school freshman much too frequently. This has caused me problems when trying to be taken seriously for a job. It doesn't help that my voice is on par with that of a cracking pre-pubescent. I try to lower it when in serious conversation, but I can only do so much. I'm really fearful that this will negatively impact me?

 

[BB8730]

Hi Tara. I can chime in on a few things:

Also, this may seem trivial, but I get mistaken for a high school freshman much too frequently. This has caused me problems when trying to be taken seriously for a job. It doesn't help that my voice is on par with that of a cracking pre-pubescent. I try to lower it when in serious conversation, but I can only do so much. I'm really fearful that this will negatively impact me?

My wife thinks she has literally the exact same problem so I'll tell you the same thing I tell her. Firstly, most people either won't care or they'll see those as attractive qualities. Secondly, your fear of not sounding/appearing seriously is going to cause more problems than your young looks and higher voice. Have confidence and be yourself! These "problems when trying to be taken seriously for a job" you speak of either came from unusually judgmental interviewers or you are being too hard on yourself. I never thought I'd quote Lady Gaga on here, but as she says, you were born this way! Embrace it and don't feel bad about it. If you walk into an interview with intelligence and confidence, you will be taken seriously. I don't think those qualities will hurt your chances one bit. Sorry if that was too peppy - I'm used to giving that speech. 🙂

3) There is no volunteer experience in my background, aside from my job as a pharmacy technician. This is problematic I know, so what are some suggestions as to how to break into a volunteer position in a clinical setting? I'm a bit unsure as to how to go about that, but as I round the end of my undergrad I really need to do something to ingratiate myself with MD's and MD hopefuls. Suggestions?

Volunteering can be done anywhere. Help out at some fundraisers for your local non-profit organizations, tutor kids for a few hours after school, walk dogs at the animal shelter, etc. Being involved in the community is just as important as volunteering in clinical settings. Find something you're interested in and make some phone calls. It's pretty easy to get involved.

To get involved in clinical settings, shoot for some job shadows. Call hospitals, clinics, private practices, etc and tell them you're a pre-med student looking to shadow a physician. This works for volunteering, too. If you're persistent you shouldn't have a problem here either.

It looks like you overcame a lot of obstacles and are now setting the bar high, which is awesome. Best of luck to you. I'm sure you'll do just fine. 🙂

 

[katiemaude]

Welcome to SDN! I found the nontrads on this forum very helpful when I was working on my postbacc and I still find their advice to be top-notch. Much of it has born out to be true.

1) I have credits from 5 different schools (bad, I know), but my degree will be from Georgia Tech. Do medical schools look at the fact that my prereqs were taken at a hodgepodge of places? I'm sure they do. How negative is that?

They will know where you took your classes, because you have to submit transcripts from each place. Is it a negative? <shrug> I honestly don't know but it's not uncommon. Even the trad students often have two or more transcripts, if they went to another school over the summer or took a few credits at a CC somewhere. Don't sweat it. Just get your degree.

2) My GPA is not fabulous, it's a 3.5, so it's about average, or a bit below for someone wanting to pursue an MD. I have taken practice MCAT's and done well on them (test-taking is a strong suit of mine...I'm just lazy when it comes to homework). Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not a bit terrified of the actual test, because you can do great on all the practice tests in the world, but it doesn't mean a thing if you don't perform when it counts.

Is your question about your GPA or what you should aim for on the MCAT? Obviously getting as high as you can in both is the goal. Also, don't underestimate the MCAT. I rocked every other standardized test in my life until that point. The combination of the hard (for me) test matter, the weird high-security setting, the length of the test and the insanely fast pace made it way more difficult for me than any other test. Keep taking practice tests and do it as close to test conditions as possible - i.e. no interruptions, no water, no nose blowing (they made me leave the room to blow my nose!), etc.

3) There is no volunteer experience in my background, aside from my job as a pharmacy technician. This is problematic I know, so what are some suggestions as to how to break into a volunteer position in a clinical setting? I'm a bit unsure as to how to go about that, but as I round the end of my undergrad I really need to do something to ingratiate myself with MD's and MD hopefuls. Suggestions?

Many hospitals have volunteer offices. Find one that will let you volunteer in an ED and don't get discouraged if you have to call several times, get a background check, fill out an application, come to training, and so on. Another great experience some friends had was with inner-city clinics (because like busy EDs, they need all the help they can get) and hospice. In my area, we have a group of volunteers that sit with dying patients so they don't die alone and another group that sits with kids whose parents have to work while the kid is in the hospital. The first few ideas I mentioned will get you more contact with healthcare providers; the latter two are also worthwhile for volunteer experience that can be very eye-opening, perhaps life-changing.

4) The only charge against my record is a DUI I got when I was 20 (I know, NOT good), and I have no credit since I never felt the need for a credit card and preferred paying cash and have only begun learning this past year the value of credit, therefore my credit score is low. Do admissions personnel check that? I know some jobs do, so I wouldn't be surprised if they did a cursory inspection at certain schools. I also have a few years that are "unaccounted for." How bad is that going to look? I am not going to explain the work I was doing at the time (because although it's not illegal, but it's nothing to boast about, that's for sure). How negatively will that affect me?

WHOA, two totally different types of "charges" here! First, with the DUI, hopefully you've matured and can show that in your application, and perhaps this is a good entree for you to pursue some kind of SADD group work to show others what you've learned. It's not good, it's pretty bad actually, but people have gotten into medical school with a DUI on their records. Have you learned from it?

As for the credit card thing, this is an easy fix. Get a secured card, pay it off regularly, eventually get a regular credit card, make small charges and pay them off. You'll start a nice credit trail.

Also, this may seem trivial, but I get mistaken for a high school freshman much too frequently. This has caused me problems when trying to be taken seriously for a job. It doesn't help that my voice is on par with that of a cracking pre-pubescent. I try to lower it when in serious conversation, but I can only do so much. I'm really fearful that this will negatively impact me?

I had a voice teacher who trained people to speak differently (more resonantly) as well. Maybe look into that? As you said, it's the least of your concerns right now.

Good luck!