Volunteer/Shadowing/Research

[619dr2b]

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Hello everyone. I have a few questions. My Pre-Med advisor seems pretty clueless to a lot of questions.

1) When is the best time to begin shadowing? Is there a common timeline (Soph/Junior year?).

2) What would be considered average in terms of the amount of volunteering hours? Does it need to be in the medical field? I serve on the board of directors for a local HIV/AIDS organization.

3) I'm fortunate to not have to work during undergrad. Will that look bad on my application?

4) Is research essential to being accepted? I'm not sure I will be doing any. Many of the Professors at my school tend to only accept students in their own academic field.

 

[NickNaylor]

Why did you make the same thread a million times?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mvenus929]

Why did you make the same thread a million times?

It's been happening a lot lately. Slow server leading to people clicking the 'submit' button a million times?

Anyway, OP:
1) ASAP. You need enough experience to know you want to go into medicine and be able to articulate why. The sooner you start, the sooner you know that.
2) It's about quality, not quantity. And no, volunteering doesn't have to be in the medical field.
3) On it's own? No. If you aren't doing anything else with your time it may, though.
4) Not essential, but it does increase the likelihood of you being accepted somewhere. Try to find a summer research program.

 

[CitrusJ]

1) In a vaccum, I would suggest earlier is better than later as you will likely have more time to spare. Definitely during college though, I wouldn't go all the way back to high school etc.

2) No it doesn't need to be in the medical field. Volunteering hours show an interest in serving the surrounding community and empathy for others. There is no quote for hours volunteering, though I'd pursuing enough to show an active and genuine interest in what you're doing

3) No

4) Depends on the school. I'd advise it's harmful to not have it for upper tier schools

 

[funtertaining15]

Hello everyone. I have a few questions. My Pre-Med advisor seems pretty clueless to a lot of questions.

1) When is the best time to begin shadowing? Is there a common timeline (Soph/Junior year?).

2) What would be considered average in terms of the amount of volunteering hours? Does it need to be in the medical field? I serve on the board of directors for a local HIV/AIDS organization.

3) I'm fortunate to not have to work during undergrad. Will that look bad on my application?

4) Is research essential to being accepted? I'm not sure I will be doing any. Many of the Professors at my school tend to only accept students in their own academic field.

1. ASAP in college...I started after my sophomore year...but sporadically... Best to do it when you can.
2. There is no average....as long as it is something you're interested in, do that. Don't volunteer for the sake of volunteering. That's wasting everyone's time, yourself included...so no, it doesn't have to be medically related 🙂
3. I don't think so, although I do.
4. No, but everyone you ask will say yes. IMO, if you really don't want to, then don't. Many just try it out for the experience. Personally, it's more difficult for some than others to just get into a lab... which some people just fail to grasp...the term "research" has always been a very broad term to me, as I have a work study job in the lab, but I don't really do research there...even though I have assisted in it. My CL writer said working in a lab is sufficient, idk, but do what you can. Just make an effort of trying it out. It can't hurt. If you don't like it, then it's not for you. It's okay. I'll let you know how it goes for me as I'm currently applying and wouldn't define myself as being full blown in research, no posters or publications of the sort.
Hope that helps 🙂

 

[619dr2b]

So it sounds like I should probably get started with shadowing. I'm already doing volunteer work. So research seems to be a hit or miss.

 

[Goro]

ASAP. And no.

1) When is the best time to begin shadowing? Is there a common timeline (Soph/Junior year?).

Typical medical ECs are >100hr, ditto nonclinical. You DO need clinical volunteering because you need to show us that you know what you're getting into, and that you really want to spend the next 40 years around sick people and thier families.

2) What would be considered average in terms of the amount of volunteering hours? Does it need to be in the medical field? I serve on the board of directors for a local HIV/AIDS organization.

No.
3) I'm fortunate to not have to work during undergrad. Will that look bad on my application?

It is at the research powerhouses. Service-oriented schools, not so much.
4) Is research essential to being accepted? I'm not sure I will be doing any. Many of the Professors at my school tend to only accept students in their own academic field.[/QUOTE]