Unique Premed Experiences

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premeddick

premeddick

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Who here thinks they have unique premed experiences? Especially, who thinks they have experiences that interviewers thought were uniques? They could be research, volunteer or EC related. Thanks for your help.
 
Well, I haven't been on any interviews yet (upcoming interview in March), but I think my experience as an apprentice to a husband-wife therapist team was pretty unique. I don't know of anyone else who did this and went the medical school path.
 
I don't know if this counts as a premed experience, but I've built/helped build composite planes in my garage with my dad since I was nine. Most kids don't get to do that.
 
I served in the US Army as a medic for 4 years. Got to see some crazy stuff and worked very hands on with patients. =)
 
haitwun said:
I served in the US Army as a medic for 4 years. Got to see some crazy stuff and worked very hands on with patients. =)
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Same here, but 5 years. Deployed to Iraq for a year with an infantry battalion. That's pretty much my biggest selling point.
 
Living in India for past three years doing medical missions work as FNP. I have done the Pak/Ind Earthquake of 2005 disaster relief work, training for village health workers, antenatal clincs, etc. This is my biggest selling point and I am counting on it to get me in since I am sure my MCAT will be low.
 
I did some fun NASA work for my first two years of college which included international conferences/poster presentations, so I've gotten some interesting questions on that. Also experience in minority health/public health has been a great talking point since this is also my professional focus.
 
do you think if you served as an army medic, they would be really impressed with your experience? so that if your stats are decent, you might be in really high demand, or it would be not much different from anybody else who put in a lot of hours in volunteer/healthcare experiences?
 
do you think if you served as an army medic, they would be really impressed with your experience?
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I think it shows more dedication to your experience than if you were just Joe Premed, NREMT-B out here running one day a week with a volunteer service or simply playing raisin hockey at a paid service.
 
Ethics consult team for patients electing to forgo medical treatment for two years; PI for two studies; wrote textbook chapters and case studies for a nephrology textbook; delivered psychiatric Grand Rounds
 
Please tell me the goal of this thread is not to post unique experiences in order to copy them. Although apparently, instead, it has turned a bit into a typical pre-med brag-fest.

:barf:
 
HumbleMD said:
Please tell me the goal of this thread is not to post unique experiences in order to copy them. :barf:
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Yeah, I agree, that would be disgusting, but I doubt if that were OP's intention, he'd do very well at his interview, given that he wouldn't have actually had the posted experiences.
 
HumbleMD said:
Please tell me the goal of this thread is not to post unique experiences in order to copy them. Although apparently, instead, it has turned a bit into a typical pre-med brag-fest.

:barf:
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I cured cancer. And monkeypox. While blind. I cured that, too. 😀
 
I got to meet the President of Mexico back in 1998. I had breakfast with him in the presidential house in Mexico City...I was 12, and I'd won it as a prize for a national academic competition (and I have pictures to prove it). I also got to spend the whole week at Mexico City, basically going places 😀 .
 
HumbleMD said:
Please tell me the goal of this thread is not to post unique experiences in order to copy them. Although apparently, instead, it has turned a bit into a typical pre-med brag-fest.

:barf:
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Yeah, I think it would be a little tough to steal some of these things. My only goal was to see what other people had done that involved cool and unique experiences. I would never think of stealing these because I could never talk about 99% of them in depth. Just curious I guess.
 
Well I'm not planning on using this on my application, but maybe I can talk about it in my interviews if they ask me what my childhood was like:

When I was in second grade I designed a "public service announcement" poster regarding vehicular safety for Virginia's AAA. I came up with the slogan, "Don't Clown Around in the Streets" and drew a poster depicting a clown chasing a ball into the street about to get hit by a car. I know, it was pretty cheesy. My mom thought it looked like crap and was embarassed for me to turn it in (she tried to talk me out of it). Well out of thousands of posters, mine was chosen as first place for my age group as well as grand prize winner for the competition overall. I still have the $750 in savings bonds that I won sitting in my fire box at home. 😀

Also, I am currently an assistant Music Director at my church - so far I have racked up over 2000 hours of volunteer time serving in music ministry doing things like playing piano on Sunday mornings, filling in when worship leaders are absent, directing a children's musical, starring in churchwide musicals, co-founding an early morning praise team... I think that's pretty unique. 👍
 
DropkickMurphy said:
I think it shows more dedication to your experience than if you were just Joe Premed, NREMT-B out here running one day a week with a volunteer service or simply playing raisin hockey at a paid service.
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I don't want to piss you off (my husband was in the Army too), but I hardly see serving in the Army as showing "dedication". Mostly because you CAN'T QUIT. Dedication is showing up everyday when you don't have threat of incarceration over your head.
 
melissainsd said:
I don't want to piss you off (my husband was in the Army too), but I hardly see serving in the Army as showing "dedication". Mostly because you CAN'T QUIT. Dedication is showing up everyday when you don't have threat of incarceration over your head.
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I don't really think that he meant dedication in the way that you are thinking. It seems to me that Dropkick was saying that it shows dedication in that you aren't half-assing anything. It's more of a positive step towards commitment to something. And believe me, there are plenty of ways to get out of the military without going AWOL. You just have to do a little research. 😀
 
Quix said:
I cured cancer. And monkeypox. While blind. I cured that, too. 😀
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HAHA! The thread needed that.

Melissainsd you're probably right. Signing up VOLUNTARILY for something which involves you standing in front of bullets for 5 years, being deployed in an area which can safely be described as hell currently, and just doing a huge service to the country and fellow soldiers hardly counts as dedication. I mean its not like he shadowed some doctor for one hour every week for two whole months!
 
HumbleMD said:
Please tell me the goal of this thread is not to post unique experiences in order to copy them. Although apparently, instead, it has turned a bit into a typical pre-med brag-fest.

:barf:
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I dunno, I'm interested to see what else people have done besides the typical premed baloney. Is it bragging or just sharing... guess that's up to the reader. A question was asked and people are answering.
 
turkleton said:
HAHA! The thread needed that.

Melissainsd you're probably right. Signing up VOLUNTARILY for something which involves you standing in front of bullets for 5 years, being deployed in an area which can safely be described as hell currently, and just doing a huge service to the country and fellow soldiers hardly counts as dedication. I mean its not like he shadowed some doctor for one hour every week for two whole months!
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My bad, I forgot that everyone that signs up immediately gets put in the line of fire (for 5 years no less). As former military wife I had NO idea what the real military is like or have no idea what people's motivations can be for joining, thanks for setting me straight. :laugh:

Anyway, I wasn't comparing military service to shadowing. I was simply comparing working as a medic in military vs civilian emergency worker. I am not saying both cannot be dedicated, only that being in the military doesn't automatically mean you were dedicated.
 
Fixed the Hubble Space Telescope with one hand tied behind my back. Saved a whale from a shark. Created a self-defense program for orphans to protect themselves from chimpanzee attacks. Okay, maybe the last one is a little exagerated, but hey.
 
22 year old white male son of a physician from a small midwestern liberal arts college, spent summers doing dev bio research at UMich, and plays IM sports.

(wow, I'm the most average applicant EVER)
 
melissainsd said:
I am not saying both cannot be dedicated, only that being in the military doesn't automatically mean you were dedicated.
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I have to agree with melissainsd. I have run into a lot of military (every branch and MOS) that were only doing the bare minimum to keep from getting in trouble. Some of them were just in it for college, some of them were the "go to war, or go to jail" kids, but they were only in the military because they had to be for some reason or another.
 
twohearted said:
Fixed the Hubble Space Telescope with one hand tied behind my back. Saved a whale from a shark. Created a self-defense program for orphans to protect themselves from chimpanzee attacks. Okay, maybe the last one is a little exagerated, but hey.
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You, too? Wow! What are the odds?!
 
Being abused as a child is an experience that I hope no one else on this board has ever had to or will ever experience. It takes a lot to recover from it and go on to lead a normal and successful life. It took years for me to even tell anyone about it, and now I can be very open about it even with strangers on SDN because topics like this, IMO, need to be talked about with everybody.
 
novawildcat said:
Being abused as a child is an experience that I hope no one else on this board has ever had to or will ever experience. It takes a lot to recover from it and go on to lead a normal and successful life. It took years for me to even tell anyone about it, and now I can be very open about it even with strangers on SDN because topics like this, IMO, need to be talked about with everybody.
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For the past two years I have been volunteering as a child abuse prevention educator. I almost dropped out of the training at several points--and this was only learning about the horrible things that go on in abusive families. I have friends who are still trying to piece together their lives after ten, fifteen years. It takes tremendous personal courage and strength to overcome these experiences, which you evidently have. I am sure you will make a great doctor. Best of luck:luck: :luck: :luck:
 
I work in the operating room of an abortion clinic.
 
I represent my township (~45,000 people) to the county commission's advisory board on senior citizens. The appointment is volunteer (the county doesn't pay me anything). It was no small task to convince the county commissioners that I had my finger on the pulse of senior citizens in the county. (Our township has the largest raw senior population and percentage population in the county). My experience serving on the board has been very enlightening, frustrating, and also very rewarding.
 
carrotsticks said:
I work in the operating room of an abortion clinic.
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I was almost aborted, became an orphan instead, was adopted and raised by new parents, and then went back to find the biological mom who told me alll about what she nearly did to me. Then, influenced as I was by these events, I decided to become a doctor in an effort to protect life and serve life

But it's good to hear that you would have been there to kill me, carrotsticks, had my ever-so-wonderful mother decided to do me in. 👎
 
BellyDancingDoc said:
I was almost aborted, became an orphan instead, was adopted and raised by new parents, and then went back to find the biological mom who told me alll about what she nearly did to me. Then, influenced as I was by these events, I decided to become a doctor in an effort to protect life and serve life

But it's good to hear that you would have been there to kill me, carrotsticks, had my ever-so-wonderful mother decided to do me in. 👎
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nicefw8.jpg







I can hold my breath for 3 minutes.
 
I'm hoping my "former life" will be interesting to interviewers. When I was in undergrad, I was a journalism major and ended up interning with the BBC at the 1996 Democratic National Convention. I got to interview a lot of state and national politicians. I eventually became a professional journalist and I've had many experiences I would term "unusual" -- four-part series from death row, covering the manslaughter trial of my state's congressman, reports live from the campaign trail during presidential visits, I'm White House credentialed, etc. Through my career, I've also been blessed with doing a lot of things I thoroughly enjoyed -- hosting the Children's Miracle Network telethon, being emcee at various fundraisers (for the homeless, cancer patients, etc.), and going into schools as a motivational speaker. I'm hoping these things will make me somewhat unique. Will it help? Who knows, but I guess it can't hurt.
 
Revilla said:
I'm hoping my "former life" will be interesting to interviewers. When I was in undergrad, I was a journalism major and ended up interning with the BBC at the 1996 Democratic National Convention. I got to interview a lot of state and national politicians. I eventually became a professional journalist and I've had many experiences I would term "unusual" -- four-part series from death row, covering the manslaughter trial of my state's congressman, reports live from the campaign trail during presidential visits, I'm White House credentialed, etc. Through my career, I've also been blessed with doing a lot of things I thoroughly enjoyed -- hosting the Children's Miracle Network telethon, being emcee at various fundraisers (for the homeless, cancer patients, etc.), and going into schools as a motivational speaker. I'm hoping these things will make me somewhat unique. Will it help? Who knows, but I guess it can't hurt.
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Cool. 👍 That all sounds good to me - you had some awesome experiences! :jealous look:
 
I posted hoping to find that people with unique experiences were having good luck with getting accepted. I have truly done all that I stated and really hope that it gets me in to an interview at least. It is great to read about what others have done and maybe it will give some people ideas of what they can do to imporove their ec's for future app cycles.😀
 
found a cure for aids - coconut oil. 😉
 
i know these things can be a total brag-fest, but if anyone is interested in doing something medically related and super fun, especially for peds, then you should consider a camp...i have worked for two summers at a non-profit camp for children with illnesses--you get to meet so many doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, work with super incredibly amazing kids and coworkers, learn a ton about so many random diagnoses and treatments and just have the best time ever.
 
my research involves working with nanotubes with amazing applications in the fabrication of sensors - I talk about it with my interviewers and most really want to know more.
 
baylormed said:
I got to meet the President of Mexico back in 1998... I was 12...
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Oh, baylormed, you make me feel so old.... I started grad school in 1998, hahaha. 😳 But I digress -- that's an awesome premed experience! 🙂
 
I forgot to say that I also placed in the Top 7 of an online singing competition with over 100 applicants. However, people got lazy and stopped submitting their songs, so the rest of the competition was cancelled. But at least I made it all the way until the darn thing was cut short!

Do you think an American Idol could apply to medical school? Ha ha... that'd be interesting to say the least.
 
I helped cure cancer.
 
soeagerun2or said:
I helped cure cancer.
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I don't really understand the purpose of crap like this. If you're trying to be clever, try harder or stfu. It's just stupid and, yeah, insensitive. On several levels.
 
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