Summer Experience Opportunities? i.e not research

[blackarrowmoose]

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hey guys i know ive read many threads about people applying to research oriented summer programs but im not really sure if im ready for that yet but i do want to do something beneficial with my summer. I was wondering if anyone here can point me towards some summer programs that are specifically geared towards the clinical experience side of things.

eg: you follow an attending around, etc.

Im really looking for a structured program that would allow me to get some experience.

If possible can you keep it in the new york city, new jersey area? If not thats fine too i can probably get housing nearby but that would be appreciated.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Why don't you just volunteer at a hospital and shadow physicians? You don't need a special program for that.

 

[blackarrowmoose]

Why don't you just volunteer at a hospital and shadow physicians? You don't need a special program for that.

yeah thats my backup plan but i figured it would be much easier if i got admitted into a structured program, that way i dont have to go cold calling, etc to actually be able to shadow

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

yeah thats my backup plan but i figured it would be much easier if i got admitted into a structured program, that way i dont have to go cold calling, etc to actually be able to shadow

It's really not that hard to shadow a physician. At least in my personal experience, most physicians seem to be pretty willing to let you shadow them. I found emails to be much better than calling on the phone. If you have a teaching hospital near you, it would be even easier to shadow a physician than finding one in a private practice.

 

[NeuroKidd]

I believe the app deadline is the 15th of January, so you'd likely be unable to participate this round, but I would suggest you look into the DeBakey Summer Surgery Program (Google it and it should come right up). It's at BCM in Houston, TX and is an absolutely amazing program. Was a participant 2 summers ago and it was probably the best summer of my life.

 

[dramaqueen14]

I did the health careers opportunity program at the NYU Rusk Institute. I don't think the deadline for this summer has passed yet...it was a really great program and involved mostly shadowing and some group lectures and discussions. When you apply, you can choose which department you want to shadow in and there are a bunch of departments within rehab medicine as well as radiation oncology and surgery.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

cold call and set something up for a couple days per week, then with the other time you have do something that you enjoy outside of medicine (a job, summer school, a sport, whatever) that is productive for your application.

 

[jojo420]

Summer Medical & Dental Education Program
SMDEP.ORG

Highly suggested, it got me into med school 🙂

 

[blackarrowmoose]

I did the health careers opportunity program at the NYU Rusk Institute. I don't think the deadline for this summer has passed yet...it was a really great program and involved mostly shadowing and some group lectures and discussions. When you apply, you can choose which department you want to shadow in and there are a bunch of departments within rehab medicine as well as radiation oncology and surgery.

dramaqueen, im actually applying to this program; is it hard to get into? I live pretty close to NYU so it would be pretty ideal for me

and about SMDEP, i was going to apply this year but seeing as im a freshman i don't really have many professors to ask for recommendations..

 

[dramaqueen14]

dramaqueen, im actually applying to this program; is it hard to get into? I live pretty close to NYU so it would be pretty ideal for me

and about SMDEP, i was going to apply this year but seeing as im a freshman i don't really have many professors to ask for recommendations..

Well I remember them telling us they got a little under 1000 applications total and they have 3 sessions with around 40-45 people per session.

 

[saxofoonie]

There are a lot of summer programs that are pre-medical based and not research based and they are very structured. Some schools provide housing and stipends. You have to do a bit of research to find those though. In addition, another option for your summer is to enrich yourself and do something you like. It can make you stand out in your apps. Right now I can not think of an example but as long as you plan on doing something over the summer you're on the right track.

 

[blackarrowmoose]

Well I remember them telling us they got a little under 1000 applications total and they have 3 sessions with around 40-45 people per session.

would that be 3 sessions per university?

 

[dramaqueen14]

would that be 3 sessions per university?

I'm not sure what you mean by university but what I meant was that there are 3 sessions, which are 4 weeks each (first one starts in mid-May, second starts in mid-June, and third starts in mid-July). I did the second and third sessions but typically you would only participate in one session. So basically I was saying that there are these 3 sessions with 40-45 students per session, so a total of ~130 students are picked from ~1000 applications.

 

[blackarrowmoose]

I'm not sure what you mean by university but what I meant was that there are 3 sessions, which are 4 weeks each (first one starts in mid-May, second starts in mid-June, and third starts in mid-July). I did the second and third sessions but typically you would only participate in one session. So basically I was saying that there are these 3 sessions with 40-45 students per session, so a total of ~130 students are picked from ~1000 applications.

do you have any tips on how i can maximize my chances?

 

[dramaqueen14]

do you have any tips on how i can maximize my chances?

Sure! Well I think that the most important thing is to have a personal statement that stands out in some way and conveys your enthusiasm. Most of the people applying are pre-health students and will have an interest in obtaining clinical experience through the program but if you have anything unique that you can write about in your personal statement like if you have a specific reason for wanting to learn more about rehab. medicine, that would really help. Some examples would be if you have done some shadowing in rehab medicine which you really liked and you'd like to have a more in-depth experience, or if you've done research in some related field and want to learn more about the clinical aspects of the diseases or injuries, or if you have some other personal experience with rehabilitation services. Personally, I am an engineering major and did a year-long project in rehabilitation engineering so I talked about the project and how learning about how assistive devices are designed for each clinical condition made me want to learn more about the clinical side of rehabilitation services. Of course, having some experience in rehab medicine is not necessary for applying, but there were a lot of PT, OT, and nursing students in the program with relevant experiences, so maybe this is something that they like to see. If you don't have any experiences in rehab medicine, try to express what you hope to get out of the program and how this will benefit you since they seem to be big on introducing students to working with people with disabilities and working to break down the misconceptions and stigma that exists in the field.
So basically, I would say, if possible find something unique that you like about the program and rehab medicine and center your personal statement around that idea. Also, try to get your application in sooner than later. Last year, I think I cut it pretty close because I remember mailing in my application right before valentine's day and I believe the deadline was 2/15. The program director said that they may be implementing rolling admissions this year though, so chances may be better if you turn it in soon. Let me know if you have more questions!

 

[nolookpass]

http://emergency.med.nyu.edu/electives/college-students/project-healthcare

I'm a freshman too, and I'm applying to this program. Based on the description its something that seems to fit what you want. However, you need two recs and you said that would be a problem.

The other NYU program listed seems to be really similar so either one should be a great experience. Tell me if this helps.

 

[NickNaylor]

Vandy has a summer program that is essentially a clinical exposure program at their med center. Google Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy for more info.