Volunteer and Clinical Experience

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H and D

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Hi all,
I am not sure if I meet the non-traditional applicant criteria but I thought I would give it a try.
I am 24 (almost 25) and am two years out of school (I have a BA in biology). I was pre-vet in college so I have all my pre-reqs done (except bio chem) but all my intern experience during college was pre-vet focused. I know I need clinical/shadowing/volunteer experience but I feel a little lost on how to get some (especially experience that would be meaningful to adcoms).
It seems that the students on the pre-allo forum getting the most interviews right now seem to be the ones with unique clinical and volunteer experience (ie volunteering in a foreign country or having 500 hours of shadowing experience). I am planning on applying next summer but I highly doubt I will even come near 500 hours of volunteering or shadowing. I am also wondering if the schools these students attend are helping them find these great opportunities.
How is everyone else approaching this problem?
I have looked in to volunteering at my local hospital but I am not sure that is the best use of my time. I work full time (as I am sure most everyone else on this forum does as well) so I don't have limitless time to spend volunteering.
I am volunteering right now at a therapeutic horse riding program for kids with disabilites and I plan to continue to work with disabled children throughout the year but this is not clinical work.
Any thoughts, suggestions or personal experience on this would be really helpful.

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Shadowing is easy to get. Quality > Quantity.

Go get 100 hours and have a great story to tell about your experience. You'll be fine :)
 
I would say that the rule of thumb for ANY line on your AMCAS would be to have a story about it. Summer research experience? Be able to talk intelligently and answer questions about your project. Hobby? Why do you like XYZ hobby? Clinical experience? What did you learn from it? Did it confirm/deny your enthusiasm for medicine or that speciality?

Don't worry about what interviews other students have. Forget about number of hours - Granted, there's a certain amount of hours required to get a feel for medicine (an hour over lunch won't cut it), but it's more important if you learn about yourself and get a grasp of what it's like to be a physician today.
 
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If you enjoy what you're doing now, stick with it. It'll make you stand out [Side note: is the therapy called "hippotherapy?" I'm not sure of the spelling but I've heard occupational therapists and PT's refer to it as horse therapy for kids with disabilities.] Anyway, you do need some clinical experience. Later on, if you want to get clinical experience and enjoy working with kids, volunteer at a children's hospital.

I also work with kids with disabilities. Check out my sig.
 
I am volunteering right now at a therapeutic horse riding program for kids with disabilites and I plan to continue to work with disabled children throughout the year but this is not clinical work.

IMHO I think that doing something you are passionate about that is slightly less medicine oriented is better than doing something you feel blah about that is "more" medicine oriented. I agree with the poster who said having a story is important. Being able to talk intelligently and excitedly about your volunteer experience goes a long way. I wouldn't quit this program if you love it. If you do have a little extra time, a good clinical volunteer environment might be a clinic (rather than a hospital), especially one that is aimed at under-served populations. Often the work you get to do in a smaller environment like that is more interesting and valuable than running around with bedpans in the E.D. (though that has its advantages, too.)

Keep in mind that I'm speaking only from instinct and hearsay, not experience, though my clinical volunteering is with a homeless health outreach program. Good luck! I love riding and miss it since I moved away from horse country.
 
Shadowing is easy to get. Quality > Quantity.

Go get 100 hours and have a great story to tell about your experience. You'll be fine :)

hello - how did you get into shadowing?

the hospital I volunteered at didn't have a program in place for it. And - since I was an extension student - I wasn't allowed to apply for the shadowing programs setup at my school...
 
hello - how did you get into shadowing?

the hospital I volunteered at didn't have a program in place for it. And - since I was an extension student - I wasn't allowed to apply for the shadowing programs setup at my school...


Hospitals don't give a damn about making sure you get shadowing experience. If you were volunteering at a hospital, you shoudl have piped up and asked one of the docs if you could shadow him/her. You see them regularly!

But, since you didn't, you can now start cold calling. Start with the phone book and simply ask to speak with the office manager. Tell them you are a university student and wanted to leave a request to shadow the doc(s) sometime. You may have to call 5 places to get in, but it's not that hard. promise! :)
 
Just recently I started to look for doctor's to shadow. I emailed the CT Osteopathic Medical Society to look for a DO to shadow. The president of the society emailed me back and said I could shadow him or his partner. As for my MD shadowing, I asked my doctor. He had no problem with it, and seemed more then happy to help.

I think Email'ing is a good idea along with cold calling. And if you know any doctors, ask them. The worse they can do is say no. And when they do, ask them if they know any doctors that would allow you to shadow them :)
 
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