Volunteering/Clinical Experience

[BryanEC07]

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Hi, I'm a freshman at Elmira College but my home is on Long Island, about 10 minutes away from Stony Brook University. I'm a biology major, and thinking mostly about Osteopathic school because I like the philosophy and it seems pretty cool. However, I'll probably apply to a number of med schools and caribbean schools too. I was looking at some areas like anesthesiology, opthamology, radiology, radiation oncology but I heard they are difficult for DO's. I'm involved with a good number of EC's at my school: Vice president of Pre-Health club, Vice-President of Hillel, President and co-founder of Astronomy club, community service chair of Habitat for Humanity, WECW campus radio DJ, and college democrats member. I'm also invited into Beta Beta Beta (Bio Honor Society) this year too. My grades were alright for the first term (3.91). We have 60 hours required community service which I'm doing through Circle K (kiwanis type key club), where we go to the local YMCA, animal shelter, and varioius campus activities. We also are required 🙄 to attend 8 musical/theatre performances each semester for the first 2 years and write a paper for each term. I'm looking to do some clinical volunteering, and I'm thinking about doing some stuff at Elmira's Planned Parenthood and I just applied at a bunch of hospital's on Long Island. Stony Brook's University Hospital seemed to have the most interesting positions with clinical exposure, as they said they could put me in the emergency department. My mother is head nurse of night shift DR at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, but they are going to put me in ambulatory surgery. I interview at Stony Brook on Wednesday morning and I think its a great place to volunteer at. Any suggestions or opinions??? I am taking Organic Chem I and II this summer and volunteering at the hospital for a few hours on the weekends, and other breaks during the school year. I would volunteer at Planned Parenthood while in school. Does this sound like a good idea?

Thanks, Bryan

 

[Chrisobean]

a friend of mine volunteered at Stony Brook's emergency department, and said it was alot of standing around doing nothing, maybe talking to a few patients while waiting for triage, but nothing that exciting. its busy but there is just not that much for a volunteer to do.
i volunteered in their orthopedics unit, and there was alot more time for patient interaction, the ward is small, and most patients are there for around a week so there is time to get to know them, alot of them are in there from car accidents so you can see some "cool" stuff. but there is also the boring work, like stocking supplies and throwing out food trays, which you will probably find in any dept, but the patients in ortho are always willing to chat.
the hospital is huge, so check out alot of the departments and see which one you will like best. i chose ortho b/c i wanted to be a ortho surgeon...

 

[BryanEC07]

Hey, Thanks for the response. I'm trying to find a department that will offer the most clinical atmosphere for a volunteer. The Emergency Department said you would be pushing patients on the stretchers and whatnot, which doesn't seem too bad. I have an interview with SB tomorrow morning, so I'll find out if anything else is good. The orthopedics unit also sounds really cool, and I'll definitely ask them about it. It would be cool to be able to meet doctors and whatnot, maybe they could give letters of recommendation when I am going to apply to med/DO schools.

Anybody else have opinions/suggestions????????????????

Thanks, Bryan

 

[moniagrl]

this may be a little off the topic bu there r my thoughts about the DO vs. carribean schools thing...........

it will be easier for you to get a residency if you go 2 DO school rater than a carribean MD school


i didnt just pull this info out of my a**. it is in journals and in books about the match. students who go 2 international schools get accepted 2 residency programs less.

as for whether DO or MD in the US - it is easier to get a competative residenc of you are an MD,

HOWEVER.....

if you take the USMLE and the COMLEX and had good rotation evaluations you will land a spot

and if you go DO, there are 2 chances to match because there is an allopathic match( aka. THE MATCH) and an allopathic match

either way i think you should go with the philosophy that seems best for you because both DO's and MD's match in competative residencies


but you still have lots of time😛

 

[BryanEC07]

Can anybody help me out on this??? I had my Stony Brook "Interview" today for volunteering and it went well. I'm definitely thinking about volunteering on the Orthopedics in-patient clinic.

Thanks, Bryan

 

[PTjay]

Hi Bryan,

what do you need help with exactly? sounds like you have a plan so go for it. i agree with the above poster that in patient ortho will give you a chance to meet some people but a lot of elective surgical patients will be outta there within 3 days. the ortho docs are usually pretty friendly and like to teach (all that i have been around are like that anyway). remember to ask lots of questions but don't be a pest and if any docs take you under their wing soak up all the experience they'll give you. i have 220 hours in past volunteer experience at a local hospital and it was a great experience.

i'd be happy to answer any of your questions. pm me if you'd like.

-J