Summer Question

[ash914]

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Well, my internship for this summer fell through, and I trying to figure out if I've got enough lined up now...

I'll be getting some shadowing in, probably about 40 hours or so with a couple of doctors but that's only about a week. After that I think I might teach myself some programming or a language (not a formal course that would appear on a transcript) and I could work in my dad's office (he's a doctor). I get in a substantial amount of volunteering during the school year, so I think volunteering answering calls or something similar at a hospital nearby wouldn't really be worth it.
Would that be enough for the summer after freshman year?

 

[pooghe]

Maybe take the opportunity to get you feet wet in a laboratory around your home or college campus? In most labs it can take anywhere from a month to six months to learn the techniques and reach a level of comfort with carrying out experiments.

 

[greatnt249]

Well, my internship for this summer fell through, and I trying to figure out if I've got enough lined up now...

I'll be getting some shadowing in, probably about 40 hours or so with a couple of doctors but that's only about a week. After that I think I might teach myself some programming or a language (not a formal course that would appear on a transcript) and I could work in my dad's office (he's a doctor). I get in a substantial amount of volunteering during the school year, so I think volunteering answering calls or something similar at a hospital nearby wouldn't really be worth it.
Would that be enough for the summer after freshman year?

I'd say you're somewhat ahead of the game if it's only the summer after your freshman year. That being said, don't use that as an excuse to become complacent. If you're looking to do research early, apply broadly to different research and internship opportunities (just like you would medical school). There's no shame in applying for lab positions in your own school, or even taking on a summer job not related to medicine for that matter.