Stop involvement in EC's?

[deleted988566]

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Hello,

Somewhat of a bad question, but I see two perspectives on this. What would adcoms think about someone stopping their extracurricular commitments over the COVID-19 virus?

One side of the coin, I think medical schools would frown on someone claiming they wish to become a physician, but were avoiding being near the emergency department and push off other activities to avoid this.

Yes, we should not risk becoming sick, but who are we to say we want to become physicians yet avoid serving our community?

On the other hand, I understand adcoms might not really care and understand that we are students first, not healthcare providers (besides those of us that are employed as one).

EDIT: Thank you all for your responses.

 

[lanzhou_lamian]

Many schools have gone to fully online already. Most activities on those campuses are suspended or severely cut back already. I can't see how an adcom can hold that against anyone.

Likewise with hospital volunteering. If you have reason to believe continuing your volunteering right now is not in your best interest, ask for a leave of absence. The hospital I volunteer at has been openly encouraging people to do this if they don't feel well or have other extenuating circumstances. I think "avoid serving [your] community" is a bit hyperbolic. I'm sure the emergency room will survive without a volunteer for a few weeks, and they'll be happy to have you back once the situation dies down.

 

[BillyOsler]

Adcoms aren't gonna care that someone isn't stocking gloves and handing out blankets if ICUs and emergency departments are worrying about triaging overflowing covid cases. If anything your ECs will tell you stop coming until the situation is resolved. The hospital I work at has already dismissed all non-essential personnel to work from home. Stopping clinical volunteering due to a health crisis (especially if short term) is pretty understandable imo.

 

[capriccio]

As a medical student, my school has already banned us from non-required clinical experiences (eg. shadowing, volunteering at student-run free clinics), restricted clinical exposure solely to curriculum required experiences, and will likely be moving classes online soon. In addition none of us (including M3/M4s) will be allowed to care for COVID-19 patients. I highly doubt adcoms would hold it against you if you temporarily halted your clinical volunteer ECs for COVID-19 reasons, and I feel confident in saying that unless you're actually employed as an essential healthcare provider, they absolutely will see you guys as students/non-providers first in this situation, just as they see us as students too. You should do what you feel is safe for yourself and for the patients you would potentially interact with.

 

[Rachapkis]

You should follow what your conscience and personal situation dictates. One who regularly interacts with a relative who has underlying conditions that would make exposure to COVID-19 dangerous may well handle this situation differently than another person who is young, unattached and wants to help out at a local hospital. Ad coms will understand that circumstances differ and will not penalize you for your individual decision.

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

On the flip side, I've actually considered that now may be the best time for me to get that clinical experience what with everyone leaving. Hospital positions, even if just volunteer, are rather competitive around here as a significant number of students are pre-meds...

I'm not often around anyone immunocompromised or elderly, and with classes all online, I wouldn't have to worry about missing class...

 

[Lasofloxabuterol]

I wonder if it would be possible to help in some way in the covid-19 response, I doubt it, but it would be a pretty great ec itself.

 

[carboxylicpremed]

Our hospitals dismissed all volunteers. I don't think it'd be reasonable for med schools to expect premeds to expose themselves to the front lines of a pandemic just to prove they want to go to med school...esp when lots of us are sent home from campus and with older parents at home

 

[82Scout]

as a full time clinical research associate at a major university, all clinical based research involving human subjects has been halted at my center. We are currently deciding what to do in the meantime.

 

[deleted988566]

as a full time clinical research associate at a major university, all clinical based research involving human subjects has been halted at my center. We are currently deciding what to do in the meantime.

Thank you all for informing me. A vast majority of you/if not all have been told to take precautions and hold off on activities. I guess I can finish all the series on Netflix and think about what to do with my life and the MCAT.