Teach a Chem Lab

[Faze2]

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I just finished up Chem II this spring and I did very well in it. I had a lot of contact with the prof throughout the semester. When I went to get my final back, he asked me if I wanted to teach a Chem I lab this fall. I have a Bachelors degree already and he said that is part of the reason he offered the job to me. He took me down to the guy in charge of hiring and he is supposed to contact me in the next couple of months.

I work in an ER right now and I get a lot of exposure to patients, doctors, nurses, etc. If I took this lab job I would not be able to work as much in the hospital. I wanted to take more of a full load this fall just to show I can handle the volume. Working at the school I go to would be convenient and it would be exciting to teach a class.

My question is, will teaching a lab look good on my application for med school?will admissions people be impressed or not really care? It may be a lot of work and extra time, especially with the classes I am taking (Orgo/Physics/Upper level bio), but I would definately do it if it impressed med schools. What do you guys think?

 

[spicedmanna]

will admissions people be impressed or not really care?

The honest answer to this is that some adcoms might care and some might not. In my humble, non-adcom, opinion, they are more likely to value your activity if you value it. Thus, I would suggest doing the activity only if you enjoy it and truly value and appreciate what it has to offer you. Doing something for the simple sake of padding a resume tends to show through and it tends not to be as enjoyable.

 

[QofQuimica]

The honest answer to this is that some adcoms might care and some might not. In my humble, non-adcom, opinion, they are more likely to value your activity if you value it. Thus, I would suggest doing the activity only if you enjoy it and truly value and appreciate what it has to offer you. Doing something for the simple sake of padding a resume tends to show through and it tends not to be as enjoyable.

Agree.

OP, it's impossible for you to know what will or will not impress the adcom. If you want to TA the class, do it because you want to do it. And if you don't want to TA other than because you hope to impress them, then don't waste your time.

 

[relentless11]

Agree.

OP, it's impossible for you to know what will or will not impress the adcom. If you want to TA the class, do it because you want to do it. And if you don't want to TA other than because you hope to impress them, then don't waste your time.

I can't emphasize this enough. OP, do something because you like it, not because you think someone expects you to do it, or it would impress someone. To do it for such bad reasons usually ends up in some kind of failure. TAing is not a trivial job. I have found a single undergrad's question to be more horrific then any undergrad exam question in my entire academic career. Even more challenging is communicating a clear and concise message to people who are just learning the subject. I personally love that stuff...haha...which is why i continue to teach, but it may not be for everyone, and as Q said, if you're doing it to impress adcoms, don't waste your time.

 

[Faze2]

Appreciate all of your input. I personally want to do it. I've always thought I would make a good teacher and even considered going into education a while back before I decided to apply to med school. I think it would be a lot of fun. I would never do anything simply to impress an adcom, but I am concerned with using my time as productively and efficiently as possible that will give me the best possible chance of getting accepted somewhere. And again, I think it would be cool to teach.👍

 

[MSTPbound]

Appreciate all of your input. I personally want to do it. I've always thought I would make a good teacher and even considered going into education a while back before I decided to apply to med school. I think it would be a lot of fun. I would never do anything simply to impress an adcom, but I am concerned with using my time as productively and efficiently as possible that will give me the best possible chance of getting accepted somewhere. And again, I think it would be cool to teach.👍

I taught a Chem lab last year... great experience, it was. My original intention was to become an orgo tutor, but then this opportunity presented itself so I thought I shouldn't pass it up. I definitely plan on highlighting this point somewhere in my application... since my goals are MSTP, I think that in addition to my research experience, it might be of poignant interest to show how this particular teaching experience relates to my aspirations in academic medicine.

Decent pitch, don't you think?

Good luck!

MB

 

[ut2010]

Doctor translates into teacher in latin.

A key responsibility of a physician is to educate their patients and to communicate effectively with the members of the healthcare team. I taught and I am so glad I did. I think, regardless of what adcoms think, teaching will be a huge plus for you. Not only will developing the skills help you be a better physician, it teaches you alot about yourself.