Question about extracurriculars over the summer

[doctry23]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all! I am a current junior thinking of applying to medical school summer of 2021. I have decent extracurriculars - I have clinical experience (hospice, hospital volunteering), shadowing, and volunteering as a tutor for low-income students, but I do not have any research hours. I am currently deciding between two options of what to do over the summer?


I could do summer research at my university in the psych department or I could be an intern in a medical organization in an underserved community where I'm technically just a volunteer but my school would pay me $4000 for the summer through a fellowship program. I was leaning towards the fellowship as it seems more unique, but I am wondering whether or not it would count as clinical/non-clinical volunteering or not (because I will be getting paid by my university). On SDN, it seems that volunteering is most important to medical schools, but if this does not apply, then should I just opt to do summer research? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi all! I am a current junior thinking of applying to medical school summer of 2021. I have decent extracurriculars - I have clinical experience (hospice, hospital volunteering), shadowing, and volunteering as a tutor for low-income students, but I do not have any research hours. I am currently deciding between two options of what to do over the summer?


I could do summer research at my university in the psych department or I could be an intern in a medical organization in an underserved community where I'm technically just a volunteer but my school would pay me $4000 for the summer through a fellowship program. I was leaning towards the fellowship as it seems more unique, but I am wondering whether or not it would count as clinical/non-clinical volunteering or not (because I will be getting paid by my university). On SDN, it seems that volunteering is most important to medical schools, but if this does not apply, then should I just opt to do summer research? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

I think you are mistaken insofar as no one thing is "most important to medical schools." They are really looking at, and for, everything, and not quantity, but quality, of experiences.

You are correct -- if you are being paid, you are not volunteering!! Opinions are mixed on just how important research is -- if you are not shooting for very top schools, it is definitely less important.

If you already have "decent" ECs (not sure exactly what that means if you are not more specific), you should do whatever you want next summer. If you are gunning for top schools, research would definitely be good -- is there any chance you could get a stipend from your school to do research, which would kill two birds for you???

 

[doctry23]

I think you are mistaken insofar as no one thing is "most important to medical schools." They are really looking at, and for, everything, and not quantity, but quality, of experiences.

You are correct -- if you are being paid, you are not volunteering!! Opinions are mixed on just how important research is -- if you are not shooting for very top schools, it is definitely less important.

If you already have "decent" ECs (not sure exactly what that means if you are not more specific), you should do whatever you want next summer. If you are gunning for top schools, research would definitely be good -- is there any chance you could get a stipend from your school to do research, which would kill two birds for you???

Thanks! I know that there's no "ideal" activity, but I thought that according to AAMC, clinical/non-clinical volunteering was most important to medical schools, especially compared to research? Regardless, I am not shooting for top schools (focused mainly on non research schools) but I was wondering whether volunteering at a healthcare nonprofit (with paid stipend from the university) would look better than paid research or the other way around. Would I be able to count that as volunteering hours?

Another question:I have 3 years of unpaid volunteering hours that are tutoring younger kids at a local school - would this go under non-clinical volunteering? I'm not sure whether volunteering includes tutoring or not!

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks! I know that there's no "ideal" activity, but I thought that according to AAMC, clinical/non-clinical volunteering was most important to medical schools, especially compared to research? Regardless, I am not shooting for top schools (focused mainly on non research schools) but I was wondering whether volunteering at a healthcare nonprofit (with paid stipend from the university) would look better than paid research or the other way around. Would I be able to count that as volunteering hours?

Another question:I have 3 years of unpaid volunteering hours that are tutoring younger kids at a local school - would this go under non-clinical volunteering? I'm not sure whether volunteering includes tutoring or not!

Unpaid tutoring is absolutely volunteering!!! Yes, research is definitely less important than volunteering, since you really don't need research at all if you are not looking at a research powerhouse. Again, even if you are paid, the experience is valuable and is definitely worth mentioning (and, of course, you get credit for it!), but, by definition, it isn't volunteering if you receive something (like money!) for doing it in addition to the satisfaction from the experience.

 

[candbgirl]

Being paid for a clinical experience is just fine. People do it all of the time. What’s important is what exactly you will be doing. Will you have great opportunities to interact with patients from the underserved community or will you be in an office filing records, making appointments etc. If you will be able to interact with patients I’d do the internship. And $4000 is great pay for a summer.

 

[KnightDoc]

Being paid for a clinical experience is just fine. People do it all of the time. What’s important is what exactly you will be doing. Will you have great opportunities to interact with patients from the underserved community or will you be in an office filing records, making appointments etc. If you will be able to interact with patients I’d do the internship. And $4000 is great pay for a summer.

I think I'd do it regardless. Even if you have limited patient contact, you can always spin whatever contact you do have to make it sound like more than nothing, and nobody will begrudge you making a few bucks given how much the journey is going to cost. Again, just don't think this is checking the "volunteer" box, because it isn't, but since you've already been volunteering for 3 years, you probably don't need more volunteer hours. As @candbgirl said, your clinical hours don't need to be unpaid; it's just that most of us are not in a position to be paid for them!!