Hello! I have the opportunity to either shadow in the ER or go on a service trip over spring break this year. The trip would be domestic and probably construction/disaster relief. I already have decent service hours and some shadowing. Which activity should I go with?
Shadowing or service over spring break?
- Thread starter onfire512
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The service trip sounds more fun.
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Maybe you could be more specific about how many hours constitute "some shadowing" and which specialties you've observed already. And what are "decent" service hours? Are some of them helping folks in need? This information make it easier to give a definitive answer.
I have ~40 hours shadowing across two specialties (ER and maternal/fetal medicine) and ~100 hours non-clinical volunteering, some of which has been with a soup kitchen. I’m a member of a community service group on campus that partners with a number of different service organizations, so my experiences are varied between working with the underserved, working with kids, animals, etc.
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I wouldn't recommend more ED shadowing. If you can arrange an experience with a primary care, office-based physician, ten more hours would get you to the average hours listed by applicants. This is a reasonable amount for you to manage before application time, so taking the service opportunity seems the best option between the two available to you over spring break.
