More Clinical Experience vs Publications

[Cartoons]

Hey hey, so I'm at a point where time is becoming a scarcer commodity and was looking for a few opinions on which would be the better use of it.

Earlier this year I got ~100 hours of clinical volunteering; fabulous time, learned tons more than I thought I would, incredibly nice staff, and I'd go back to it in a heartbeat if I had time. That said, I feel like I could defend those hours' significance in, say, an interview, and I'm not sure if I could get more out of putting more hours in there.

I have the chance to write as a freelancer for a news journal coming up; it isn't medically related at all, but I'd like to be able to break into writing anyway. Would that kind of publication be worth the time investment over, say, more hours in a clinic? I'm still getting some shadowing points in, but long-term volunteering would take up a bigger chunk of time.

Thanks!

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[DE15C]

Depending on the rest of your information, I would encourage the writing. You have some meaningful clinical experience but the writing is something to help you stand out from the crowd. It will make you a more interesting applicant than more hours at the same place. IMHO

 

[NurWollen]

depending on the rest of your information, i would encourage the writing. You have some meaningful clinical experience but the writing is something to help you stand out from the crowd. It will make you a more interesting applicant than more hours at the same place. Imho

+1

 

[Goro]

100 hrs of volunteering as you did is fine; go for the publications...it would make for some interesting interview questions. Do what you love, and love what you do.

Hey hey, so I'm at a point where time is becoming a scarcer commodity and was looking for a few opinions on which would be the better use of it.

Earlier this year I got ~100 hours of clinical volunteering; fabulous time, learned tons more than I thought I would, incredibly nice staff, and I'd go back to it in a heartbeat if I had time. That said, I feel like I could defend those hours' significance in, say, an interview, and I'm not sure if I could get more out of putting more hours in there.

I have the chance to write as a freelancer for a news journal coming up; it isn't medically related at all, but I'd like to be able to break into writing anyway. Would that kind of publication be worth the time investment over, say, more hours in a clinic? I'm still getting some shadowing points in, but long-term volunteering would take up a bigger chunk of time.

Thanks!

 

[cliquesh]

you can put pubs on your residency application. do research.

 

[Cartoons]

Thanks! I'd rather jump on the writing anyway, just wasn't sure if I needed to shore up the hours more first.

As for research, we have a lot of non-medical chemistry bio/chem students at my school, so I don't want to take up a position that could be more significantly advancing someone else's career unless I have to. I've done a tiny bit of historical research, so I might check into that again after the MCAT next year. I really don't have any interest in the specializations that would be helped by research experience right now, but then again, I guess that's an early call to make. I'm no biochemical rockstar, a big part of my non-clinical ECs is working with the ESL exchange students (Taiwan likes to send mountains of students over here for some reason), so I'd rather play to my strengths.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Thanks! I'd rather jump on the writing anyway, just wasn't sure if I needed to shore up the hours more first.

As for research, we have a lot of non-medical chemistry bio/chem students at my school, so I don't want to take up a position that could be more significantly advancing someone else's career unless I have to. I've done a tiny bit of historical research, so I might check into that again after the MCAT next year. I really don't have any interest in the specializations that would be helped by research experience right now, but then again, I guess that's an early call to make. I'm no biochemical rockstar, a big part of my non-clinical ECs is working with the ESL exchange students (Taiwan likes to send mountains of students over here for some reason), so I'd rather play to my strengths.

Well it's always up to you. That's good that you more into non-clinical ECs too. My ECs are very heavily clinical based despite the fact the lab I work in is non-clinical. I work with mostly a lot of organic chem mixed in with biochem topics. Having unique non-clinicals like you have stated (ESL for Taiwan exchange students) will definitely make your application stick out a bit more.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Depending on the rest of your information, I would encourage the writing. You have some meaningful clinical experience but the writing is something to help you stand out from the crowd. It will make you a more interesting applicant than more hours at the same place. IMHO

I totally agree with this +1

 

[TriagePreMed]

100 hrs of volunteering as you did is fine; go for the publications...it would make for some interesting interview questions. Do what you love, and love what you do.

I was going to write this too. I think having physicians that are good writers is essential to the field. One day the times or another publication might want an expert physician written article. OP would be one of the first people they contact because of his/her experience.