Summer Advice

[AttemptingScholar]

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Throughout the winter and spring, I applied to near 20 summer internships. I got turned down from 3 and the others just never responded, so I'm calling that a failure. Now I don't have much to do this whole summer.

I'm trying to shadow doctors, but it may not happen and also a whole summer just shadowing? Eventually, you get diminishing returns on these things. My dad (who is a very good physician but sometimes doesn't understand how to get entry-level jobs these days) says shadowing is going to be hard to get into and not super meaningful in the long run.

I am finishing my freshman year (which is probably why I'm getting denied) and my family isn't near my school, so most people's advice of "do research in the schools labs doesn't apply." Most hospice/other medical volunteering in the area wants a 1 year or 18month commitment, which I obviously can't do. Maybe it's selfish, but I really want to go home for my first summer.

Advice? My family's from Silicon Valley, CA, if it helps.

 

[DrHart]

Throughout the winter and spring, I applied to near 20 summer internships. I got turned down from 3 and the others just never responded, so I'm calling that a failure. Now I don't have much to do this whole summer.

I'm trying to shadow doctors, but it may not happen and also a whole summer just shadowing? Eventually, you get diminishing returns on these things. My dad (who is a very good physician but sometimes doesn't understand how to get entry-level jobs these days) says shadowing is going to be hard to get into and not super meaningful in the long run.

I am finishing my freshman year (which is probably why I'm getting denied) and my family isn't near my school, so most people's advice of "do research in the schools labs doesn't apply." Most hospice/other medical volunteering in the area wants a 1 year or 18month commitment, which I obviously can't do. Maybe it's selfish, but I really want to go home for my first summer.

Advice? My family's from Silicon Valley, CA, if it helps.

Crank out some shadowing hours (maybe like 50-100). If you can find absolutely no other clinical volunteering opportunities, do some type of non-clinical volunteering (food pantry, church organization, summer camps for kids, etc.). As a freshman, you still have plenty of time to get clinical volunteering, especially if your school has a nearby hospital. And you'll have plenty of time to find research. So long as you are doing something to better yourself as a future applicant and/or better your community, I wouldn't worry. Just don't spend the summer at home eating cheetos playing playstation.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Get EMT training?

 

[Toutie]

Spend the summer doing some non-clinical volunteering. It would be a good time to build up some of those hours.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

In the past, have people had more luck at programs or internships posted on job listing sites? I know it's too late now, but for future reference.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

update: I've started cold-calling for shadowing. So far no one has gotten back to me, and I'm awaiting the inevitable HIPAA block, but maybe something will happen.

 

[deleted781806]

The best advice would be to get involved in some non-clinical volunteering if clinical volunteering is a no-go due to the time commitment constraints. Shadowing would also be extremely helpful, particularly in primary care specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc.) for about 50 hours in total. There really shouldn't be any kind of HIPAA block as most hospitals will just have you sign a waiver about HIPAA and thus you can be held legally responsible for any violations you do. Just keep trying to find a doc that'll be open to shadowing, it shouldn't be as insurmountable a task as you are implying with your previous posts. I agree with the sentiment that you didn't get an internship because you are just finishing up your freshman year, I went through the same thing after my first year of undergrad (ended up getting trained as a CNA fwiw).

 

[AttemptingScholar]

The best advice would be to get involved in some non-clinical volunteering if clinical volunteering is a no-go due to the time commitment constraints. Shadowing would also be extremely helpful, particularly in primary care specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc.) for about 50 hours in total. There really shouldn't be any kind of HIPAA block as most hospitals will just have you sign a waiver about HIPAA and thus you can be held legally responsible for any violations you do. Just keep trying to find a doc that'll be open to shadowing, it shouldn't be as insurmountable a task as you are implying with your previous posts. I agree with the sentiment that you didn't get an internship because you are just finishing up your freshman year, I went through the same thing after my first year of undergrad (ended up getting trained as a CNA fwiw).

Thanks! I'm just really worried because it's starting to feel like the whole summer is a bust and that shadowing is both an unwritten requirement and illegal (I have fun explaining it to my non-premed friends). But obviously even if I have trouble getting shadowing, one bad summer early on won't sink my application, I'm sure.

 

[deleted781806]

that shadowing is both an unwritten requirement and illegal

Shadowing is neither "an unwritten requirement" nor "illegal", I have no idea where you are getting those ideas.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Update: I've started calling to ask for shadowing at a few places and most seem really confused by the question? Like they've never in their lives heard of UG students shadowing at a hospital? They get so lost figuring out which department to put me to I often never get to speak to a doctor. No question this time, I'll figure it out. I just thought it was funny.

 

[Frogger27]

Update: I've started calling to ask for shadowing at a few places and most seem really confused by the question? Like they've never in their lives heard of UG students shadowing at a hospital? They get so lost figuring out which department to put me to I often never get to speak to a doctor. No question this time, I'll figure it out. I just thought it was funny.

Why not use your father so connections as a physician to get shadowing? I'm sure he has friends/colleagues who would happily let you shadow

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Why not use your father so connections as a physician to get shadowing? I'm sure he has friends/colleagues who would happily let you shadow

He doesn't practice anymore (recently quit to work in pharma) and when he was still practicing, he couldn't even get my older brothers in with him. He's leveraging every connection he has, but...

 

[Welshman]

Only get EMT training if you actually intend on becoming an EMT in some form. Otherwise it's a waste of time and looks pretty silly.

As for shadowing, try finding a teaching hospital, they're used to having students all the time. Email/call anyone you can, even RNs, they can often set you up with a time that they usually have students in. It's worked for me

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Take a class, get some hours of volunteering, smoke weed, get a girlfriend, watch some tv. The choices are endless

 

[floatingribs]

Why don't you volunteer? Lots of big hospitals even have specific programs you can do so in (as an adult volunteer since student programs are more competitive), some being clinical whereas others not so much. I did a lot of clinical volunteering in hs and listing those 300 hours of volunteering in a hospital really helped me get more competitive clinical based experiences + you could go home for the summer and do this or stay on campus and continue this throughout the year (4-6 hours weekly isn't much). Having experience is what gets you into those fancy internships/positions that really look good so might as well start at somewhere so come junior year you won't get rejected again.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Why don't you volunteer? Lots of big hospitals even have specific programs you can do so in (as an adult volunteer since student programs are more competitive), some being clinical whereas others not so much. I did a lot of clinical volunteering in hs and listing those 300 hours of volunteering in a hospital really helped me get more competitive clinical based experiences + you could go home for the summer and do this or stay on campus and continue this throughout the year (4-6 hours weekly isn't much). Having experience is what gets you into those fancy internships/positions that really look good so might as well start at somewhere so come junior year you won't get rejected again.

First thing I checked. They all want a minimum 1yr commitment. Thanks thought.

 

[floatingribs]

First thing I checked. They all want a minimum 1yr commitment. Thanks thought.

That's true (I completely glossed over that part, sorry!). Have you tried asking your pediatrician/primary care doctor to shadow them? It worked out great for me and that was the only link I had to her.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

That's true (I completely glossed over that part, sorry!). Have you tried asking your pediatrician/primary care doctor to shadow them? It worked out great for me and that was the only link I had to her.

I called my ped's office and left a message at the front desk which was never returned. I don't have a primary care doc. I do go to an ob-gyn, but don't have one right now cause I'm mad at her (so I really wouldn't want to shadow her anyways.)

And my family moved cross country when my dad switched from doctoring to pharma, so we can't use any of his old connections. All our family friends are at non-teaching hospitals. It weird, because I have so many connections! They just all aren't working. This summer may be a bit of a bust.

Focusing on the positives. I saw a super fluffy dog the other day. It took me a while of petting to get to the dog, it was so fluffy.

 

[Toutie]

I'm sorry but all I see is a whole bunch of excuses there. You don't like your gyno?...tough ****, if you need someone to shadow suck it up and shadow her. You called your peds office once with no response? Follow up, go visit in person! Your Dad has no connections anymore? What?... he didn't go to medical school and residency with a bunch of people? he didn't work with a bunch of Dr's when he was in practice? He moved cross country so those people no longer exist?

AND....as many of us have already suggested you in this thread...go do some non-clinical volunteering! Or are all the homeless shelters closed for the summer and the food pantries have run dry?

 

[bioboy23]

I never knew shadowing was such a difficult task to set up... just keep calling offices. Have your dad call his old colleagues. You'll get something eventually.