Something I'm noticing for the upcoming year

[openstage]

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I was looking online for opportunities for incoming med students to contribute to the community and expand our resume of experiences. Particularly in the summer between M1 and M2. What I've noticed is that many things are being shut down for obvious safety reasons. These would include Clubs and Leadership, Free Clinics, outreach and educational programs in the community, some of the University research programs, Global Medicine trips. I'd bet this is common this year in many schools. So can you guess my selfish / self centered question?

When it comes time to apply for residency in a few years, will students coming out of these schools, without these opportunities, be at a competitive disadvantage? Will they be viewed in lesser way?

 

[Kpw101]

I don’t think so. Many people are not that productive during that summer and still match into some very competitive specialties. Some people change their mind super late into third year/fourth year and then decide on a competitive speciality. They still do fine.

There is definitely some inherent disadvantage in not having a productive summer. But it isn’t anything that is difficult to compensate for in the later years or taking a year off to set up for successful match.

 

[Goro]

I was looking online for opportunities for incoming med students to contribute to the community and expand our resume of experiences. Particularly in the summer between M1 and M2. What I've noticed is that many things are being shut down for obvious safety reasons. These would include Clubs and Leadership, Free Clinics, outreach and educational programs in the community, some of the University research programs, Global Medicine trips. I'd bet this is common this year in many schools. So can you guess my selfish / self centered question?

When it comes time to apply for residency in a few years, will students coming out of these schools, without these opportunities, be at a competitive disadvantage? Will they be viewed in lesser way?

No one can predict the future

And yes, tons of things are being shut down.

This is a once in a century event, and here's a harsh truth: your safety, as well as that of your family and the public, is more important than your medical education and career.

 

[openstage]

This is a once in a century event, and here's a harsh truth: your safety, as well as that of your family and the public, is more important than your medical education and career.

Yes, I get it, 100%. And my health and the well being of others is paramount. But we also know there's a lot at stake - years of hard work, hundreds of thousands in debt. I'm just wondering if this abridged education will be hard for students to overcome? Especially if your school doesn't have the pedigree and reputation of T-20 schools. Will good grades, high Step scores and LOR be enough?

 

[Goro]

Yes, I get it, 100%. And my health and the well being of others is paramount. But we also know there's a lot at stake - years of hard work, hundreds of thousands in debt. I'm just wondering if this abridged education will be hard for students to overcome? Especially if your school doesn't have the pedigree and reputation of T-20 schools. Will good grades, high Step scores and LOR be enough?

You and some 25-30,000 med school grads will be facing the same issues by the time you hit residency. PDs will have to accomodate you somehow; they're not stupid.

I have plenty of students who simply take the summer off in normal times, They match fine. You also have two solid clinical years to build up your CVs, and by that time, there will be a vaccine for COVID.

 

[Med Ed]

I was looking online for opportunities for incoming med students to contribute to the community and expand our resume of experiences. Particularly in the summer between M1 and M2. What I've noticed is that many things are being shut down for obvious safety reasons. These would include Clubs and Leadership, Free Clinics, outreach and educational programs in the community, some of the University research programs, Global Medicine trips. I'd bet this is common this year in many schools. So can you guess my selfish / self centered question?

When it comes time to apply for residency in a few years, will students coming out of these schools, without these opportunities, be at a competitive disadvantage? Will they be viewed in lesser way?

Application for residency is very different from application to medical school, and most of the things you mention will not carry much weight. The core things that do matter are reliability, decision making, work ethic, and a demonstrated ability to get along with others. A lot of that comes through in letters of recommendation. Certain highly competitive fields resort to things like research productivity in order to differentiate between a pool of uniformly stellar applicants.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

I think even if it's not necessary for residency, there's definitely a loss with the closure of things like student clinics. Being on the staff of a student clinic has been by far one of the most important experiences of medical school for me, in terms of personal and clinical growth. For what it's worth though, while opportunities are definitely severely limited, some of the typical med student activities have found creative ways to continue in the current environment, and new ones have emerged. The student clinic I worked for has transitioned to telehealth for the time being - not sure how they're planning to bring on new first year students but I imagine they'll find a way to incorporate some of them. I've also seen lots of students getting heavily involved in COVID relief efforts, research studies, etc.