Summer activities for someone interested in Peds?

[Total180]

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Hey everyone,

So, people have been talking a lot about what they are going to be doing over the summer to be competitive when they apply for residency. I haven't really done a whole lot of extracurricular type activities because I had a really rough adjustment into med school, and I wanted to focus on my academics, so I was thinking of trying to do something productive over the summer. However, I have heard that research is less important for Peds residencies, so I was just wondering what would be a productive use of my time this summer? I was thinking about maybe trying to become a camp counselor at a weight loss camp or a camp for children with disabilities because it sounds really fun and rewarding as well as the fact that I could make a little money. I wouldn't do it just to help a residency app obviously, but it was just something that sounded fun that would also make me a little money and might contribute in some way to a residency application. So what do you guys think? No help at all? Stupid idea? Fun, but not productive? If this sounds like a stupid idea, what would be something that could enhance a pediatric residency application? What should I be doing during the year? I feel like I just had a much better idea of the steps I was supposed to take to get into medical school. I am kind've lost in preparing for a residency application...Thanks for your advice!

 

[BigRedBeta]

I think if you can demonstrate that you do care about kids, that's beneficial. By itself will it make you a more competitive applicant? Not really, but it might make you a better interview which would improve your position on the rank list when you actually get to a location and interview.

I think the summer camp idea, especially if you focused on children with special medical needs (most locales have camps for HIV, diabetes, muscular dystrophy among others) would be beneficial. Most of these though are volunteer positions, so financially it might not be a boost.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Hey everyone,

.....so I was just wondering what would be a productive use of my time this summer? I was thinking about maybe trying to become a camp counselor at a weight loss camp or a camp for children with disabilities because it sounds really fun and rewarding as well as the fact that I could make a little money. I wouldn't do it just to help a residency app obviously, but it was just something that sounded fun that would also make me a little money and might contribute in some way to a residency application.

If you'd have fun doing this then do it, but don't do it for your residency application. Personally, I'd look to spend 1/2 the summer doing something worthwhile that hopefully makes a few bucks like this and 1/2 going somewhere far away that I'd never been to before being a tourist on the cheap staying at youth hostels, etc. You won't have many such opportunities to spend a month far away being a tourist for a long time. Enjoy it!🙂

 

[Total180]

Thanks for responding! I definitely wouldn't be doing it just for a residency app, I was just wondering if it would be any help at all, or just a fun thing for me to do 🙂. I have been planning on being a camp counselor for years, but I have had to either take summer classes, or decided to do some sort of volunteering/classes abroad. I will definitely think about travelling, but I am basically broke, and I have done so many things abroad that my parents probably won't want to help me with another one. Any ideas of travelling on the cheap aside from hostels? I can make do with minimal money once I get somewhere, but it is the getting to wherever I want to go that will be the problem 🙄.

On just an informational note about residency apps, are we allowed to include things we did in college? I have done a ton of things medically and non-medically related (theatre/music/dance, TONS of teaching, etc.), and I would hate to not be able to talk about all of those valuable experiences....Especially because they definitely reinforced the fact that I want to work with children in the future. I just feel so lost in terms of what would make a good pediatrics applicant. Thanks a lot for all of your help!

 

[BigRedBeta]

Things done in college should not appear on your residency application (just as things that happened in HS should not have been on your med school app, nor will things done in med school show up on your fellowship app), but they are fair game for your personal statement and during interviews.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Things done in college should not appear on your residency application (just as things that happened in HS should not have been on your med school app, nor will things done in med school show up on your fellowship app), but they are fair game for your personal statement and during interviews.

Not really sure if the bolded is true. I've read a lot of fellowship apps and many describe research done in med school as well as jobs held during medical school outside the PS part of the application.

 

[BigRedBeta]

Not really sure if the bolded is true. I've read a lot of fellowship apps and many describe research done in med school as well as jobs held during medical school outside the PS part of the application.

The ERAS application states that only things done after medical school graduation should be included in the experience section, but there's obviously no way to enforce that policy.

 

[Doctorverardoll]

I, too, had trouble adjusting in the 1st block of medical school, things got easiers as the year went on, but I still had to focus solely on my academic performance. I also felt a bit burnt by the end, so I decided it was best to pursue life outside of medicine for a bit. I traveled to Europe for 2 weeks, took a road trip with my sister for a week. I spent the rest of my time helping out on political campaigns, where unfortunately I was only paid in the occasional free lunch or beer. It was good for me to come back 2nd year feeling refreshed. Also, many experiences can be a positive addition to your application, i.e. I've learned more about running for office/what drive politicians and I feel that this helps me with the advocacy aspects of peds.

I totally recommend taking a bit of time off, then second the summer camp idea. You can also be on the look out for clinical summer programs where you can help a doctor in an underserved area.

 

[michigangirl]

Things done in college should not appear on your residency application (just as things that happened in HS should not have been on your med school app, nor will things done in med school show up on your fellowship app), but they are fair game for your personal statement and during interviews.

I disagree-- everything after high school is fair game depending on the importance of it. I had a second author paper in a high impact journal in that field as a college student-- sure, I wasn't first author, but it's still on my publication list and I gleaned a lot from working in that lab. Yes, I wouldn't put on your fellowship app thatyou worked for habitat for humanity in college. But if it's relevant to medicine I would list it. And definitely would list relevant things from medical school, particularly research related. Residency so often is only that-- residency-- clinical work. Residency was definitely my biggest gap in "accomplishments" just because I was working so darn hard to learn pediatrics.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

The ERAS application states that only things done after medical school graduation should be included in the experience section, but there's obviously no way to enforce that policy.

I'd be interested in seeing the wording on this. I took a quick look at a handful of current applications for fellowship and every single one (both US Medical grads and international grads) had the MAJORITY of their experiences be those from pre-residency. This only makes sense. For research, few will have had much to say about what they did from the beginning of internship until the middle of their PL-2 year when they fill out the form. Same is true for community service for many people.

Regardless of how the information is requested on ERAS, it makes no sense for fellowship applications to ignore medical school research and activities in the experience sections and I will await finding any of our applicants who do so.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

Try the Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp that the PM&R club is hooked up with at school.....It's a week long I think and sounds like a blast. I wish I could do it.