Research or volunteer/ shadow?

[coolcucumber91]

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I found about a cool research internship I can do over the summer. It sounds interesting (psychology/ child safety related related) and the pay is really good (10/ hr or $5200 for 13 wks). However, I'm not sure if I should do this or volunteer/ shadow like I originally planned to do over the summer. I'm in this research-oriented honors program, so I will eventually take part in some sort of research anyways, but it probably won't be as "big" as this internship. Also, if I do the internship, I have to volunteer some during the following school year, like 5-10 hrs a week...

What should I do (assuming I get in, I'm deciding whether to apply or not). I am a freshman in college.

 

[Barcu]

I found about a cool research internship I can do over the summer. It sounds interesting (psychology/ child safety related related) and the pay is really good (10/ hr or $5200 for 13 wks). However, I'm not sure if I should do this or volunteer/ shadow like I originally planned to do over the summer. I'm in this research-oriented honors program, so I will eventually take part in some sort of research anyways, but it probably won't be as "big" as this internship. Also, if I do the internship, I have to volunteer some during the following school year, like 5-10 hrs a week...

What should I do (assuming I get in, I'm deciding whether to apply or not). I am a freshman in college.

Since you are just a freshman, you really have a ton of time to both do research and volunteer/shadow.

So, which would you rather do? If you are interested in research (and want a leg up in med school admissions, especially to top tier schools), do research.

I will warn you however. Do not put off your clinical volunteering too long. The average is about 1.5 years and more is better.

 

[Catalystik]

I don't understand why you can't take the research as a job, and then volunteer somewhere for 4 hours per week to start gaining clinical experience. Shadowing can be done intermittently as a schedule permits and might be worked in too, though you have plenty of time to get that in.

 

[artemis680]

I don't understand why you can't take the research as a job, and then volunteer somewhere for 4 hours per week to start gaining clinical experience. Shadowing can be done intermittently as a schedule permits and might be worked in too, though you have plenty of time to get that in.

+1

From what I've heard, long term shadowing is more valuable to adcoms than a summer stint. It's more valuable for your learning too.

 

[krispy]

Maybe this is just me, but I would want to do some harder science research over the summer, maybe a bio based psych research program.

 

[bacalaca]

Since you are just a freshman, you really have a ton of time to both do research and volunteer/shadow.

So, which would you rather do? If you are interested in research (and want a leg up in med school admissions, especially to top tier schools), do research.

I will warn you however. Do not put off your clinical volunteering too long. The average is about 1.5 years and more is better.

Do the research thing. The whole thing about an average of 1.5 years of clinical stuff is kinda overblown. Most of my clinical experiences were much less than a year.

 

[itellitlikeitis]

Maybe this is just me, but I would want to do some harder science research over the summer, maybe a bio based psych research program.

How can you even jump to that conclusion based on what little he said?... for all we know it may very well be some bio based psych study but psych research is still legitimate research

Like Catalystik already said, take the internship and shadow/volunteer on the side as your schedule permits

 

[WuMedic]

I don't understand why you can't take the research as a job, and then volunteer somewhere for 4 hours per week to start gaining clinical experience. Shadowing can be done intermittently as a schedule permits and might be worked in too, though you have plenty of time to get that in.

+1, You'll have days off, and if an opportunity comes up you can always take a day or half day of vacation to go shadow!

 

[coolcucumber91]

+1, You'll have days off, and if an opportunity comes up you can always take a day or half day of vacation to go shadow!

Well, its 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. But yeah, I agree with you guys

 

[workinboy]

Is there anyway you can get a research job on campus and have that continue into the summer as a paid job? That's what I am trying to do. This way you can devote your summer to doing research that will continue through out the year and you'll have a couple of days here and there to shadow.

Is there a difference between shadowing and racking up clinical experience? For example, is shadowing at an office the same as shadowing/volunteering at a local Saturday clinic?

 

[Barcu]

Is there anyway you can get a research job on campus and have that continue into the summer as a paid job? That's what I am trying to do. This way you can devote your summer to doing research that will continue through out the year and you'll have a couple of days here and there to shadow.

Is there a difference between shadowing and racking up clinical experience? For example, is shadowing at an office the same as shadowing/volunteering at a local Saturday clinic?

Shadowing =/= volunteering.

There is a difference. While you volunteer, you actually do stuff. Shadowing is pretty much just observing.

 

[soundnin]

Well, its 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. But yeah, I agree with you guys

you will come to realize that a standard "40h work week" being the definition of a full time job does not apply to the scientific community

 

[Catalystik]

Is there a difference between shadowing and racking up clinical experience? For example, is shadowing at an office the same as shadowing/volunteering at a local Saturday clinic?

Shadowing is observership only; you watch what the doc does. Clinical experience entails interacting with the patient. They are different, and usually under different categories on the application. Rarely one gig covers both, like medical scribe or medical translator.