Pre-MD-PhD Sophomore Check-in

[HaverfordSquirrel]

Hello, I'd be very grateful if I could get a little "check-up" (no pun intended) after my third semester in college. In addition to some *QUICK questions* under this very condensed repertoire, this is what I accomplished so far as a pre-MD-PhD college sophomore:

- Completed 2 years of chemistry (including orgo), 1 year of biology, 1 year of English, 1 semester of psychology, 1 semester of medical sociology. Avg GPA 3.8 at a liberal arts college
- Had a 10-week research experience at a cancer center last summer. Presented research twice since then.
- Started research during the school year in a biochem lab this year.
- Started working as a science peer tutor this year.
- Shadowed surgeons during clinic and surgery cases in winter break for two weeks

Plan to:
- Take statistics junior year
- Take 1 year of physics junior year (in case I do not want a gap year)
- Start hospital volunteering this spring semester
- Work with a local nonprofit for cancer outreach to the hospital I will work in
- Sign up for the one-week spring break service project this year, ran by my school's community service club
- Work in a cancer research lab again for 10 weeks in the upcoming summer

QUESTIONS:
- Is hospital volunteering clinical experience, even if the job is mostly maintenance work such as bedsheets changing, etc.?
- Would it enhance my application if I get phlebotomy or EMT certification for more enriching clinical experiences, or should I focus on research during that time?
- How much clinical experience do I need as a pre-MD-PhD? E.g. should I sacrifice a 10-week summer research internship opportunity for a semi-long-term clinical experience... or is hospital volunteering during the school year enough?
- Any other advice/comments?

Thank you!!

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[Fencer]

should I sacrifice a 10-week summer research internship opportunity for a semi-long-term clinical experience...
NO
or is hospital volunteering during the school year enough?
YES

For MD/PhD, Research is more important by far than clinical exposures. You only need 100-150 hrs of clinical exposures, preferably physician shadowing. EMT certification will be helpful for MD programs, but does little for MD/PhD. Read prior posts and other SDN FAQ resources for MD/PhDs.