Resident Assistant v/s Teaching Assistant

[Heyeon]

Hey all,

Do you think that being an RA or TA plays a role in your med school apps. Which one is a better option to take if you are interested in both? Is it a good idea to do this during the summer?

I already have 1 summer of industrial research exp and 2 summers in biochem lab and a year off at a univ hosp doing research so I was thinking about doing sth else for the summer.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated 🙂

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[Isoprop]

can't go wrong with either. go with what you're interested in.

 

[MossPoh]

I was a TA and enjoyed it a lot. It was an easy source of a lot of money. (I got 14 dollars an hour) I got to learn a lot about the topic, and the teacher was essentially my friend. RA is a lot longer of a commitment with possibly less fun involved, but where I went you get housing paid for and a little bit of a stipend. Ends up being about 6k a semester. I would what you need money for more than what pads your app.

 

[Heyeon]

Thanks for the suggestions. I would get housing in both situations but not sure if this experience would add anything to my app..I am leaning towards the TA position...if it doesnt add anything to the app atleast its not going to hurt either

 

[Bacchus]

I was a TA and enjoyed it a lot. It was an easy source of a lot of money. (I got 14 dollars an hour)...

😆 Our TA's make minimum wage at very little hours. This is th equivalent of working at Bobby's Fruit Stand along the highway or the Ritz valeting cars.

 

[Blade28]

Don't do it purely to bolster your app - do it for the interest.

I was a TA all 4 years during undergrad.

 

[LizzyM]

OP, it could help your application but looking at your md application, there is a huge hole where clinical experience in the US should be. Unless you have that, you might as well save your money on application fees & the like as you will be fighting a losing battle.

 

[Heyeon]

OP, it could help your application but looking at your md application, there is a huge hole where clinical experience in the US should be. Unless you have that, you might as well save your money on application fees & the like as you will be fighting a losing battle.

Thanks for the advice LizzyM. I was under the impression that clinical experience in other countries would count

 

[Blade28]

I agree with LizzyM.

Which clinical experience anywhere is better than nothing, often adcoms want to see that you've been exposed to the medical profession as it is here in the US - so you'll have a sense of what you're "getting yourself into," so to speak.

Where is most of your work done? Berlin? India? Costa Rica?

 

[Heyeon]

I agree with LizzyM.

Which clinical experience anywhere is better than nothing, often adcoms want to see that you've been exposed to the medical profession as it is here in the US - so you'll have a sense of what you're "getting yourself into," so to speak.

Where is most of your work done? Berlin? India? Costa Rica?

Thanks for the advice!!!

Berlin actually. I am at a hospital shadowing docs, volunteering and doing research for 8 mnths. I am going to go back to India for 5 weeks for volunteer and shadow work.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you want to practice medicine in Germany or the US? Do you want to matriculate at a school in Germany or in the US?

If you want to practice medicine in the US, on what do you base that decision? How did you test your interest in a career in medicine in the US?

 

[Blade28]

If you want to practice medicine in the US, on what do you base that decision? How did you test your interest in a career in medicine in the US?

My question exactly.

Being a physician in Europe or Asia is very different from being one here in the US.

 

[Heyeon]

Hmmn I never gave this a thought. I am an international student actually and will be going back home to practice medicine. Nevertheless I still plan to get clinical exp in US coz it would be interesting

 

[LizzyM]

Hmmn I never gave this a thought. I am an international student actually and will be going back home to practice medicine. Nevertheless I still plan to get clinical exp in US coz it would be interesting

Why do you want to pursue your medical education in the US? How have you tested that interest? What challenges to you expect to encounter in going "back home" to practice medicine after being trained in the US? Where are most physicians in your home country trained?

I am posting these questions as questions that you might be asked at interviews or that application readers might be looking to see answered in your essays.

 

[etf]

Thanks for the advice LizzyM. I was under the impression that clinical experience in other countries would count

oh man i found out the hard way that this just isn't true. apparently working in third-world countries isn't enough clinical experience - they also want to see that you've experienced the bureaucratic nightmare that is unique to our healthcare system, so that they can make sure you really want this.

 

[veaselhaufen]

being a ta is a great way to position yourself to get great letters of recommendation. plus its fun! do ta.

 

[sanchopanza]

Personally, I'd go with the RA job. TAing is purely academic stuff, whereas RAing gives you experience in a whole number of different capacities. You're a leader, a mentor, a counselor, a mediator, an authority figure, you have to work with a team, you get to know the Deans' Office well, etc.

They're both good ways to reach out to your college community, though.

 

[fruity933]

I'm actually both an RA and a TA right now! I love both positions, but honestly, I have loved being an RA more. Yes, it isn't the most fun job sometimes, but I have grown SO much as a person. You learn how to deal with people, time management, people skills, so much more. I can't even begin to explain. Living with a group of random people you have never met before puts you in such a different situation that you will ever be in. This is my second year, and honestly, it is probably one of the biggest positions that has shaped me during undergrad ...

Okay sorry for the ramble but feel free to private message me if you want!

 

[fireflygirl]

I also did both in college and loved the RA experience so much more. I had a lot of unique situations though and it played a huge part in why I got into some of the other ECs I did in school and why I wanted to go into medicine. I think it can teach you a lot of great skills that are valuable to medicine as sanchopanza already mentioned.

On the other hand, I think LizzyM bings up some good points as well. Though with all of your research experience which I assume has been in the States, I can't see it having an adverse effect on your application. It might be more favorable to some of the research-heavy institutions rather than the clinical based ones, however, it seems that you have a fairly solid profile with your research. But I could be wrong...