Medical Experiences

[dara678]

Does anyone have any advice about some clinical experiences to have before applying to med school? I've volunteered at hospitals before, but ultimately I find it very unfulfilling (as I am sent on petty duties like delivering mail). Does anyone have any great experiences to recommend?

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[Sweet Tea]

it all depends on how much time you're willing to put into it. i began working as a volunteer emt in college, and i really love it, but it's definetly not for everyone. PM me if you want to know more about EMS. you could also try shadowing a doctor (not really volunteering, but at least you're getting exposure). other than that, it's really hard to get actual medical volunteer experience, although someone else might know better.

you don't have to do volunteer work that's medically related. soup kitchens and homeless shelters, and organizations that visit shut-ins or elderly and disabled people are always looking for help, as are places like rape crisis centers and teen hotlines. you might have to do some training, but it would definetly be a meaningful experience for you. there's also organizations like habitat for humanity... i'm sure you can find lots of service/community volunteer organizations on your campus. granted, they're not usually medical, but you're helping people who need help.

 

[md2b_2006]

I've found that it's easier to get actual experience if you volunteer at a community clinic or a small private practice rather than a big hospital. In a clinic or a private practice, the doctors get to know you and your interest in medicine. For example, I volunteer at a clinic and the doctor lets me take patient histories and do blood pressures and temps. I also help with pap smears and such. He lets me stay in the room during the visit and afterwards gives me a detailed explanation of his diagnosis. It's been very useful. I also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and absolutely love it. I think I was a carpenter in my past life!! Just my $.02.

 

[monster2]

It's time we change the way we think about volunteerism as a typical pre-med requirement. How many of us can honestly say I volunteer in a hospital because I like it? For the most part, almost everyone who wants to become a doctor hates the
route by which s/he must go through to become one. I mean almost all of us hate ochem, biochem, physics, and all the rest of the classes we have to take, but we do it
anyway because we want to get that M.D. I've said this before to other premeds at my school and some disagree. But I think I have a valid point because if let's say
medical schools suddenly changed their requirements and it became necessary for all pre-meds to volunteer at a junk-yard or garbage dump instead of the usual hospital
service, then I guarentee most of the pre-meds would go volunteer at the local junk-yard or garbage dump. Why? Because they want that M.D., and we only volunteer
because we HAVE to and not because we want to. So it makes no difference where we do it. But we must volunteer our time at a hospital to "impress" the commmittee
of our dedication to medicine. The point is that most of us don't care, for we don't treat it like something we truly enjoy. I mean none of us show up so enthusiastically to
an ochem class or MCAT review than, let's say, to a football game or some activity we truly enjoy. I know this to be very true for me. In short, all we're trying to do is
"prove" to med schools that we are good candidates for medicine, when in fact we don't care about any of the requirements we are fulfilling.

 

[lola]

not all people volunteer JUST to fulfill med school requirements. i rather enjoy holding babies at a nicu/nursery!

if you've already had hospital experiences, you might want to try something non-clinical. i always thought being a big sister would be fun. as long as you're helping people, it doesn't need to be clinical work provided you've had at least some clinical exposure.

 

[chopsuey]

if you think of it as confirming you desire to be a doc, then you'll probably come up with more opps that you do feel fulfilled by....try make-a-wish foundation or if there are any teaching hospitals near you, find one to do clinical research at (check with the ED, that's what i do). and do a search on this website for real and you should ocme up with some great ideas...look up volunteer opportunities or things like that.

 

[tatabox80]

Originally posted by monster2
It's time we change the way we think about volunteerism as a typical pre-med requirement. How many of us can honestly say I volunteer in a hospital because I like it? For the most part, almost everyone who wants to become a doctor hates the
route by which s/he must go through to become one. I mean almost all of us hate ochem, biochem, physics, and all the rest of the classes we have to take, but we do it
anyway because we want to get that M.D. I've said this before to other premeds at my school and some disagree. But I think I have a valid point because if let's say
medical schools suddenly changed their requirements and it became necessary for all pre-meds to volunteer at a junk-yard or garbage dump instead of the usual hospital
service, then I guarentee most of the pre-meds would go volunteer at the local junk-yard or garbage dump. Why? Because they want that M.D., and we only volunteer
because we HAVE to and not because we want to. So it makes no difference where we do it. But we must volunteer our time at a hospital to "impress" the commmittee
of our dedication to medicine. The point is that most of us don't care, for we don't treat it like something we truly enjoy. I mean none of us show up so enthusiastically to
an ochem class or MCAT review than, let's say, to a football game or some activity we truly enjoy. I know this to be very true for me. In short, all we're trying to do is
"prove" to med schools that we are good candidates for medicine, when in fact we don't care about any of the requirements we are fulfilling.

dude this is your second downer response!! Are you having a bad day or just stressed out? You're pre-med too!!! Or at least I think you are because you are applying here. Why do you feel it is necessary to post stuff like people only volunteer to get into med school, or people only go into medicine for money and prestige? You're not going to move mountains by being supposedly "realistic" or change anyone's feelings. So just smile a little bit ok! like this!