Two opportunities but can only choose one :(

[alexlex143]

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Hey everyone. I was looking to get some advice on which of two summer programs I should pick to participate in. From what I have gathered and the extensive research I have done on both programs, I am at a deadlock and just cannot seem to pick one. They are both pretty amazing, and I would be happy to be a part of any one of them, but they conflict. Doing both is unfortunately not an option.

The first one is a volunteer position with a free clinic where I would get trained to vaccinate people, test people for various infections (hepatitis, tb, etc), and where I would be able to counsel people on certain health issues. There is lots of community outreach and education that goes along with it. This opportunity is a 2+ year commitment and would thus bode well for me in that respect. It requires immense dedication and time consumption over the summer in order to be trained. Afterwards, it only requires a few monthly shifts. (note: I am leaning slightly more towards this one)

The second one is a pre-medical surgical internship where I would have the chance to shadow surgeons in various departments for a few shifts a week and participate in Saturday educational workshops. This opportunity is beneficial for obvious reasons but it only lasts for the summer. This internship is offered various times a year, though I do not know if I could defer participation or if I would be able to apply again if I choose not to do it this summer. I guess maybe I could ask?

Any input would be great, because I'm at real standstill :/

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

I would personally go with the first. The second just sounds like an organized shadowing program (?) and you can probably find surgeons on your own to shadow, or at least find other ways to get exposed to surgery. The first is an actual volunteering position, which I'm sure you'll find more personally fulfilling and it will probably look better for your application. Make sure you can stick with it for the whole 2 years though.

 

[yehhhboiii]

1

 

[Lifschitz]

Is #2 the UC Davis Pre-Medical Surgical Internship Program?

If so, ugh. #1 wins by a landslide. I had a poor experience with the UCD SIP.

The volunteer position actually sounds like a worthwhile experience, a meaningful one that you will be able to draw from at length for your personal statement, secondaries, and interviews. And will probably just plain make you a better doctor.

The UCD SIP? Not so much. First of all, the workshops have some value, but are more often than not a waste of time. Despite this, they're absolutely mandatory. You can get kicked out of the program for almost anything, and you'll see how few people are left by the end of the summer. Many of the actual shadowing shifts will be a complete waste of time (e.g. staring uncomfortably at a PGY1 for hours while he/she is writing notes on a computer and is too busy to speak to you or answer questions). There are plenty of other ways to get your shadowing checkbox checked. If you have absolutely nothing better to do during a future summer, I'd try to defer if they let you. You can always quit.

In the end, I did have some great experiences while shadowing, but after the first couple of shifts the amount of time and effort you have to put in the program far outweigh the benefits.

If it's a different surgical internship you're asking about, please disregard. If it's the same one, you can PM me for more info.

 

[Nymphicus]

Option #1