Unpaid, unrelated internship

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

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Hello. I posted in pre-med allopathic too, but I think that most people aiming for dentistry don't check that forum, so I'm going to post here too. Thanks.

So I realized recently that I have nothing to do this summer and started frantically applying for internships. Unfortunately most internships had application deadlines all the way back in March. What I managed to get was an unpaid (lunch and gas compensated I guess...) internship with this start-up music company. I'll be assisting with marketing, though I'm not a marketing major.
I'm thinking that during an interview I could talk about this internship as gaining first-hand experience with starting up a new business that I could use if I set up my own practice...since a business is a business. But obviously a music academy is completely different from a medical business...I don't know if my interviewer would laugh at me for trying to draw a connection between the two...

Its just that I feel like as a science major it'll be near impossible to get business-related experience (this internship was even asking for marketing majors)..but if such experience is completely unnecessary and even laughable then what's the point?

I did look for actual paid jobs but even fast food places aren't looking for summer workers, and my college is far away from home so I can't continue into the school year. I've sent out multiple requests for shadowing. As you can tell from my name, I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore...so I'm going to hopefully use this summer to figure it out. I will also be volunteering...generic medical stuff. But volunteering/shadowing can only take up so much time and I don't want to feel like I'm doing nothing at all other than that. I know that I should be doing what I want to do, but I can't do what I want to do since I applied too late...and my only other desire is not to waste the summer away. If you've read through all of this, thanks so much! Do you think this internship is a waste of my time?

 

[dentalWorks]

Let me tell you something, during the interview, I would be very surprised if the conversation about this business venture extends past 2-3 minutes, honestly, no one cares (no offense). I don't imagine starting a music business is anything related to starting a private dental practice. I just don't see the connection.

Personally if this was me, I'd rather do something and get paid for it (ya know, real $$$, not gas & food)

 

[sgv]

unless you already got into a pharm school, it sounds random and won't serve any purpose of getting into pharm school...you're better off just reading business books or shadowing a pharmacist for free

are you only interested in "internships" because you have business and engineering major friends who are doing internships? because it's atypical for pre health professional to seek out internships unless it's for research.

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

Thanks for all your responses.

I had a feeling that this would be the case. I sought out internships because I didn't want to do the generic shadowing/volunteering, but I guess I'll be more persistent looking for a job in fast food and cross my fingers!

 

[BabyShades]

Thanks for all your responses.

I had a feeling that this would be the case. I sought out internships because I didn't want to do the generic shadowing/volunteering, but I guess I'll be more persistent looking for a job in fast food and cross my fingers!

You have to understand that opening a business for pharmacy is no easy feat. The reason is because you are competing against several group practices such as Walgreens, CVS, Cosco, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart. With independent pharmacy, it will be much harder to open because you have to be very familiar with liability and accountability issues. One good example is the Meningitis breakout that happened few years ago, where the independent pharmacy actually affected their patients with meningitis instead of actually preventing it. As a result, the meningitis started spreading all over the united states. Other issues with independent pharmacy is that most of the medicines that you will be handing out will be doctors instead of patients, and you will not get the consulting as you would as a regular retail pharmacist. I can list you a lot more cons of independent pharmacy, but I think you get the gist.

Overall, I will try to get a retail job at any of the big cooperation, but if you can probably Cosco's or Sam's. If you can get a pharmacy technician job before pharmacy school, then you will be golden. Pick a place that you can imagine yourself working, because most likely you will get an internship there and eventually do your rotations too.