I need some expertise

[dtown5887]

I'm worried about my application. Prior to this summer I had little clinical experience (like 50 hours in a hospital). Although I am doing a lot now with this medical internship i'm doing, I'm worried med schools are going to question my motivation because I had so little before I submitted AMCAS (even though I believe I did an adequate job spelling out my motivation in my personal statement). Will the significant amount of clinical experience I am having now make up for the little amount I had prior to my AMCAS submittal? Will this affect my chance of admission?

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[Caesar]

I'm worried about my application. Prior to this summer I had little clinical experience (like 50 hours in a hospital). Although I am doing a lot now with this medical internship i'm doing, I'm worried med schools are going to question my motivation because I had so little before I submitted AMCAS (even though I believe I did an adequate job spelling out my motivation in my personal statement). Will the significant amount of clinical experience I am having now make up for the little amount I had prior to my AMCAS submittal? Will this affect my chance of admission?

It can make up. I doubt it's going to make or break you. Just emphasize what you are doing now, and highlights from what you did before. It's too late to change it now, so there's really no use focusing on it. Hardly anyone who applies is a perfect applicant and schools know that. You'll be fine, and good luck.

 

[HumidBeing]

You'll have opportunities to talk about what you're doing now during interviews, and possibly in secondaries.

By continuing to be involved in activities, you are also opening the door for sending update letters later in the cycle.

 

[SketchLazy]

I was in a similar situation with only about 125 hrs clinical experience and about the same in community experience before I applied, but ended up doing a lot more (medical mission, outreach and phlebotomist) during my application year. If that 50 hours is 50 hours in the hospital with no shadowing, it might be difficult for you to garner interviews without that experience. Most schools will question your motivation or whether you really know what you're getting yourself into. It's one thing to be committed and another thing to know what you are committing to. During your interviews, you not only have to shine through on your intentions to go through the rigors of medicine, but you also have to confidently show that you know about the field. Be prepared for this to come up repeatedly during interviews. Good luck.

 

[AlexMorph]

being involved is always good

 

[blargh]

I'm worried about my application. Prior to this summer I had little clinical experience (like 50 hours in a hospital). Although I am doing a lot now with this medical internship i'm doing, I'm worried med schools are going to question my motivation because I had so little before I submitted AMCAS (even though I believe I did an adequate job spelling out my motivation in my personal statement). Will the significant amount of clinical experience I am having now make up for the little amount I had prior to my AMCAS submittal? Will this affect my chance of admission?

no. chill out, you're fine.

 

[rowerlauren]

I agree with the above poster.

You have had experience without making it ridiculous amounts. My pre-med advisors, who I trust as actually knowing this stuff, think that 50 hrs is sufficient. Any more than that is nice if you had nothing else you were doing. If you have been busy during most of your college career and devoted some of your free time to shadowing the adcoms will understand that.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm worried about my application. Prior to this summer I had little clinical experience (like 50 hours in a hospital). Although I am doing a lot now with this medical internship i'm doing, I'm worried med schools are going to question my motivation because I had so little before I submitted AMCAS (even though I believe I did an adequate job spelling out my motivation in my personal statement). Will the significant amount of clinical experience I am having now make up for the little amount I had prior to my AMCAS submittal? Will this affect my chance of admission?

Well, some schools want you to have clinical experience before you apply because they think it should have been factored into your decision as to whether/why you want to go into medicine. It's not an issue of evaluating your motivation, it's an issue of whether you did the requisite due diligence before launching into a decade of school and training. You shouldn't really decide, "I want to be a doctor" and then go searching for clinical exposure. You should get that exposure to help you decide "Do I want to be a doctor". So yeah, I know of a few med school admissions types who might be troubled by this. But more importantly you should be a bit worried whether you are making the right decision without getting yourself the info most need to make this kind of decision.

 

[paradocs we are]

I personally feel that I didn't get in last year largely due to my minimal clinical exposure. Having said that, however, I think all ad coms are looking for shadowing experience. If you have that, even if it's not a lot, then you should be able to get interviews.

 

[dtown5887]

Well, some schools want you to have clinical experience before you apply because they think it should have been factored into your decision as to whether/why you want to go into medicine. It's not an issue of evaluating your motivation, it's an issue of whether you did the requisite due diligence before launching into a decade of school and training. You shouldn't really decide, "I want to be a doctor" and then go searching for clinical exposure. You should get that exposure to help you decide "Do I want to be a doctor". So yeah, I know of a few med school admissions types who might be troubled by this. But more importantly you should be a bit worried whether you are making the right decision without getting yourself the info most need to make this kind of decision.

this is kind of what i was worried about. however, my father is a physician and i talked in my personal statement about watching him practice medicine both in a medical setting and at home while growing up, so i feel i had exposure before i made the decision that i wanted to be a doctor. but, i don't feel right putting in the experiences section that i shadowed him because it was nothing official or anything. would these adcoms you talk about still be troubled by my decision?

 

[paradocs we are]

this is kind of what i was worried about. however, my father is a physician and i talked in my personal statement about watching him practice medicine both in a medical setting and at home while growing up, so i feel i had exposure before i made the decision that i wanted to be a doctor. but, i don't feel right putting in the experiences section that i shadowed him because it was nothing official or anything. would these adcoms you talk about still be troubled by my decision?

I would steer away from putting down that you shadowed your own father. Ask your father if he can recommend some of his colleagues to shadow.

 

[Law2Doc]

I would steer away from putting down that you shadowed your own father. Ask your father if he can recommend some of his colleagues to shadow.

Yeah, family members never count for much in terms of resume/application stuff. Adcoms would be more troubled if you tell them your exposure to medicine comes from family in the field. That opens a whole can of worms. (ie are you doing this for you or to please them, are they giving you the straight scoop that a stranger might, will this person protect you from some of the negatives in the field you really ought to know about, etc).

 

[ChemGrad08]

Yeah, family members never count for much in terms of resume/application stuff. Adcoms would be more troubled if you tell them your exposure to medicine comes from family in the field. That opens a whole can of worms. (ie are you doing this for you or to please them, are they giving you the straight scoop that a stranger might, will this person protect you from some of the negatives in the field you really ought to know about, etc).

I understand that adcoms might be concerned about pressure, but in reality if your dad is going in to work many nights of the week at 2 and 3 in the morning there's no real way to sugar coat that. You do actually see what the life of a doctor is like. While I agree that pressure might be an issue if 'clinical experience' is to see if you would 'really know what you are getting yourself into' it seems that there is no better way to know that than to live with a doctor.

 

[Law2Doc]

I understand that adcoms might be concerned about pressure, but in reality if your dad is going in to work many nights of the week at 2 and 3 in the morning there's no real way to sugar coat that. You do actually see what the life of a doctor is like. While I agree that pressure might be an issue if 'clinical experience' is to see if you would 'really know what you are getting yourself into' it seems that there is no better way to know that than to live with a doctor.

You can frame the argument any way you want, but Adcoms won't see it like that. You need to get your exposure from folks outside of the household or it doesn't really count.

 

[dtown5887]

You can frame the argument any way you want, but Adcoms won't see it like that. You need to get your exposure from folks outside of the household or it doesn't really count.

ok i understand. so in addition to the 50 or so hours i spent with patients in a hospital, plus the medical internship i'm doing now, do you think i should shadow various doctors now? or would it be pointless in bettering my admissions chances?