Sophmore going to apply after end of 3rd year. Need feedback on building extracurriculars after this point

[Blawgmamamiga]

Ok so this is what I have so far:

School: LIU Brooklyn

GPA:3.9

ECs:

Internist Shadowing (First few months of Year 1) - 50 Hours (Doctor passed away)

Veterans Hospital - 100 something hours probably 200 when I apply

Community Center - 1000 Hrs by the time I apply (Been doing since 11th Grade)

Summer Research Internship - BS entry

Independent Study - For credit ---- Does this count as research?

Ophthalmologist Shadowing - 50 Hours already probably 200-250 when applying

EMT - Most probably gonna have 500 IFT hrs when apply

Im posting this because I honestly don't know where to go after this

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[Mr.Smile12]

It would help me to know what you are actually doing rather than just where you hang out for a certain number of hours.

You don't need 250 hours of shadowing an ophthalmologist. Get a job as an ophthalmologist tech or assistant, but get more primary care shadowing. In fact, with your 50 hours of internist shadowing, you should seek a job. Maybe you get paid as an EMT?

Independent study can count as research.

Community center hours: what's different now vs. when you volunteered in high school?

 

[LizzyM]

Yes, what are you actually doing at the community center. That's key.
Totally agree that you should not do anymore shadowing and you should seek employment in a clinical setting or volunteer to do something in a clinical setting rather than standing around watching.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to WAMC.

It seems like your clinical exposure is on the low side. I also would not include hours from high school when calculating your hours at the community center

 

[Blawgmamamiga]

It would help me to know what you are actually doing rather than just where you hang out for a certain number of hours.

You don't need 250 hours of shadowing an ophthalmologist. Get a job as an ophthalmologist tech or assistant, but get more primary care shadowing. In fact, with your 50 hours of internist shadowing, you should seek a job. Maybe you get paid as an EMT?

Independent study can count as research.

Community center hours: what's different now vs. when you volunteered in high school?

Thanks for your feedback

For the Ophthalmologist, I now do imaging but I don’t see myself getting hired since every other day of the week is booked. Does running some of the machines count as volunteering or shadowing? Idk but I just put it here as part of shadowing

Also my Independent study didn’t really have any sttucture to it. It was just a requirement to work with the professor so they wouldn’t lose money ordering more equipment and other stuff. This is why I am not sure if it is research or not.

At the community center, I have been doing the same job for the past few years. Packing fruit bags and what not. I have made very strong relationships with a lot of people in my community through this center. I started when they just opened up and have helped them now get a couple million grant from the state to renovate the center. I didn’t do it for the sake of checking a box so I keep racking up my hours without knowing

 

[Mr.Smile12]

For the Ophthalmologist, I now do imaging but I don’t see myself getting hired since every other day of the week is booked. Does running some of the machines count as volunteering or shadowing? Idk but I just put it here as part of shadowing

Let's make this question easy: of the 50 hours, how many are spent in the room with a doctor?

If you are doing histories, running equipment, preparing rooms, or scheduling appointments, you're doing the work of an MA/ophthalmology assistant or tech. If you aren't getting paid, you are doing clinical volunteering. You also should get paid (eventually).

Similarly when you say 100 hours at a veterans hospital, you are likely volunteering? You can't shadow a doctor there?

Also my Independent study didn’t really have any sttucture to it. It was just a requirement to work with the professor so they wouldn’t lose money ordering more equipment and other stuff. This is why I am not sure if it is research or not.

At the community center, I have been doing the same job for the past few years. Packing fruit bags and what not. I have made very strong relationships with a lot of people in my community through this center. I started when they just opened up and have helped them now get a couple million grant from the state to renovate the center. I didn’t do it for the sake of checking a box so I keep racking up my hours without knowing

So you didn't answer my question: break up your HS vs. college hours. I'm presuming the hours are fewer since you attend college. Assuming you have been working at that center for 4 years, that's 250 hours per year. Are you packing food for 5-6 hours each week for 4 years? That is what I would expect for a food bank, not a community center.

 

[Blawgmamamiga]

The veterans hospital yes it’s just desk volunteering
Of the 50 hrs probably 30 have been shadowing.
Most of my work is for the food distribution but they also have hosted a lot of community events so ig it counts

And yeah your estimate of5-6 hours a week is correct and I probably have 300+ hrs by now in college