What are the options?

[monquin]

I know this is going to be a silly question, but I really need to ask...

Could someone help me out with the options in research, volunteering, clinical experience...etc?

There are many extracurricular activities that people on this forum have suggested. ie:the things I listed above. Are there any other suggestions that are needed or just a good idea to have when applying for medical school?

Also, what are the options?
What counts as clinical experience?
How do I get clinical experience?
How do I find a research opportunity and how do I get my foot in the door in order to be on the research team?

Volunteering is obvious, but how do I get to volunteer in something that will actually help me along in my goal of a medical career? (I've volunteered many hours at my small, local hospital...but I want to branch out beyond delivering flowers and beyond refilling water jugs in the patients' room. Not that it's not good experience and needed, I would just like to branch out because I've been doing this for years and feel I need experience in other areas.)
What are other volunteer opportunities that you found very helpful?

I've basically not even began getting my undergraduate degree. I start again this Fall. I'm 24 and I have an academic past that has been very hurtful to my GPA. My cGPA is only a 3.5.

I just want to be prepared when I go to college in the fall so I will know what to look for as far as ECs and where I can fit them into my schedule.

Thank you.

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[allover]

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[sassilysweet]

I know this is going to be a silly question, but I really need to ask...

Could someone help me out with the options in research, volunteering, clinical experience...etc?

There are many extracurricular activities that people on this forum have suggested. ie:the things I listed above. Are there any other suggestions that are needed or just a good idea to have when applying for medical school?

Also, what are the options?
What counts as clinical experience?
How do I get clinical experience?
How do I find a research opportunity and how do I get my foot in the door in order to be on the research team?

Volunteering is obvious, but how do I get to volunteer in something that will actually help me along in my goal of a medical career? (I've volunteered many hours at my small, local hospital...but I want to branch out beyond delivering flowers and beyond refilling water jugs in the patients' room. Not that it's not good experience and needed, I would just like to branch out because I've been doing this for years and feel I need experience in other areas.)
What are other volunteer opportunities that you found very helpful?

I've basically not even began getting my undergraduate degree. I start again this Fall. I'm 24 and I have an academic past that has been very hurtful to my GPA. My cGPA is only a 3.5.

I just want to be prepared when I go to college in the fall so I will know what to look for as far as ECs and where I can fit them into my schedule.

Thank you.

Clinical experience is any interactions with patients. As LizzyM likes to say, if you can smell the patients, it is clinical experience. So while refilling water jugs seems like a waste of time, it actually counts.

One experience I really liked was through the hospital I had been doing regular floor volunteering on. It was called the "Baby Safety Program" and I basically asked new mothers (and the baby daddy or other family members if they were present) if they wanted to watch a video on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Then I was there to discuss any questions they had about SBS after they watched the video. If they watched it they got a big gift bag full of donated items. My hours per week varied as not everyone wanted to watch the video and some days everyone seemed to want to. So you could see if your hospital has other programs available that are already established and branch out form there. Otherwise, I also enjoyed volunteering on the inpatient psych floor (depression/anxiety patients only on this floor--the other levels were restricted). I got to hang out with "crazy people" for a few hours at a time. A lot of them were just lonely and wanted someone "normal" to talk to for awhile. Then I would join in their group OT/PT stuff. See if your college/uni has a relationship with the local hospitals and if they have a different established program available. Nonclinical volunteering is also good, so you could find a cause you really like (humane society? big brothers big sisters?) to help.

A cGPA of 3.5 is NOT bad. Heck, that's mine and I start med school in a few weeks ^_^ Just make sure you keep it all your new coursework above that and you should be fine with a decent MCAT.

Another thing most people have is shadowing. You might know a few doctors from your volunteering and ask them if you can follow them around for a day or two. It helps to have different specialties.

Other clinical experience could be a job as a phleb or a CNA, both of which you would need ~6 week-6month certificate for. Some people get their EMT. I have a friend who is working as a medical assistant, but this was after she graduated already. I am a clinical laboratory scientist, which requires a 4 yr degree, but I also worked for 3.5 years as a surgical assistant, which I only needed a high school diploma for. You don't need a clinical job, though, unless you really want one. If you do enough volunteering and shadowing, that would be sufficient.

As for research, you could search the school's website and see what projects you would be interested in. Then shoot emails or make appointments to meet with the PI and see if they have room in their lab for you, or if they know someone who does. Many majors also offer research credits as upper level courses, so after taking a few classes you could approach one of those professors also and try to do something that way.

It is good to have leadership experience also. This can be fulfilled through those community volunteer opportunities, where you work within the org's framework but can develop your own personal project and lead a team on it. For example, while doing my CLS degree I joined the lab science professional organization, applied for the state student chair position, and got it. Then I went to the national convention (part of being the state chair), ran for national student secretary, and "won" that. I continued on at the state level after I graduated as the "new professional" chair. Slightly different responsibilities, but not really all that huge of a time commitment overall. Find something you like and know about and just go for it.

Hope that helps!

 

[AcclratngCharge]

I know this is going to be a silly question, but I really need to ask...

Could someone help me out with the options in research, volunteering, clinical experience...etc?

Also, what are the options?
What counts as clinical experience?
How do I get clinical experience?
How do I find a research opportunity and how do I get my foot in the door in order to be on the research team?



Thank you.

Yes I find your question slightly silly but I will posit (EK) some advice. If you want to know what it's really like to be a doctor start calling doctors offices in the phone books and ask if you can shadow. If you have been at the hospital, ask doctors there if you can shadow them. This could just be a half-day every week, every other week, any frequency if you have one or two semesters until you are applying. I don't think total # hours matters, just do it more than once.

I have no idea about research, I don't think it is important unless you actually do want to research. Although you could confirm you don't want to do it by experiencing it.

If you are still in undergrad taking pre-reqs, learn the BCP classes, it will be helpful on the MCAT. This should be your focus in pre-reqs.

So to sum up, you can get "clinical" experience by shadowing doctors, which you get by calling and asking them, which you will get if you sound nice and professional and can communicate well with the secretary/doctor. With that said, some doctors just don't seem to like students shadowing them, so call many doctors and don't be discouraged if some say no.

 

[MacVA]

Could someone help me out with the options in research, volunteering, clinical experience...etc?

There are many extracurricular activities that people on this forum have suggested. ie:the things I listed above. Are there any other suggestions that are needed or just a good idea to have when applying for medical school?

Also, what are the options?
What counts as clinical experience?
How do I get clinical experience?
How do I find a research opportunity and how do I get my foot in the door in order to be on the research team?


I've basically not even began getting my undergraduate degree. I start again this Fall. I'm 24 and I have an academic past that has been very hurtful to my GPA. My cGPA is only a 3.5.

I just want to be prepared when I go to college in the fall so I will know what to look for as far as ECs and where I can fit them into my schedule.

I will assume you are going to school full time correct?

If so, it will be easier for you to get involved than most non traditionals who work full time. Try to get involved with the pre med society at your university. Our pre med society is very helpful in navigating the road to medical school including setting you up with physican alumni to shadow as well as a list of health care organizations that accept volunteers. If you would like to get involved with more direct patient and don't have the time to get certified as a CNA or an EMT, I would suggest volunteering at Hospice. It will give you great insight to death and dying and end of life care that many physicans deal with. Befriend a science professor early on in your schooling and see if you can get involved in his or her research. Make sure you get an A in the class however .

But before you follow any of my advice or anyone else's on this forum regarding EC's, make sure you can handle your coursework. You need to be getting A's in a majority of your science classes. It is far easier to "catch up" on a lack of EC's than it is to raise your gpa. Don't put the cart before the horse...

Also, a 3.5 gpa is NOT bad at all.

Good luck!