What do you tutor for?

[kts]

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I want to get some tutoring experience. Does it matter if I tutor my classmates in a subject while getting paid vs tutoring kids younger than me (in middle or high school) in a subject for volunteer work? Are both viewed equally good experience?

 

[CodeBlu]

I want to get some tutoring experience. Does it matter if you tutor your classmates in a subject while getting paid vs tutoring kids younger than me (in middle or high school) in a subject for volunteer work? Are both viewed equally good experience?

Doesn't matter.

I'm in the mood to write a bit of a rant...

The only experience that you need... such that adcoms can view it as a GOOD experience is "relevant healthcare experience/clinical experience". Reference: LizzyM's: If you can smell the patient, it is a clinical experience.


CodeBlu Wisdom: DO NOT, DON'T AND I MEAN IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY (hence the CAPS), do something just because of how it will be viewed by an adcom. Do stuff because you want to do it! You wanna volunteer in an ER? Do that. You wanna take ballroom dance classes? Do that. You wanna play a varsity sport? Do it. You need to be able to justify your experiences on your AMCAS app and in your interviews.

Example: "So CodeBlu, I see here you volunteered in this emergency department for 600 hours. Why so many hours? What did you gain from this experience?"

Another one... "So CodeBlu, I noticed you mentioned that you enjoy climbing mountains. What got you started into that?"

Imagine if the answer to any of the above was "because I thought you'd like it better"

[Aside: Don't get me wrong... there are some things we do to "build our resume", but by no means do you HAVE to do anything specific. There is no formula to get into medical school.]

Now, tutoring either for money, or volunteer wise is excellent. Medicine is not just about yourself, you need to be a teacher, not only to your patients, but those subordinate to yourself in the field. As a resident you will be teaching medical students, and residents younger than you.




TL;DR: Being able to tutor/teach effectively is a GREAT skill. Don't do something just for your application, do it for you.

 

[ParagonTutoring]

I was a tutor for Kaplan for about a year, before I quit and started my own tutoring service. I'm applying myself right now (3 interviews so far!), so I can only tell you what I've heard from advisors and current medical students:

Working as a teacher is very impressive to adcoms, but definitely moreso if you're teaching advanced science material relevant to medical school. So tutoring for the MCAT, or biochemistry, or maybe even teaching CPR will all be very valuable.

Teaching high schoolers something will still be viewed positively, but more as a simple sort of 'extra curricular point' rather than 'medical interest + knowledge point'.

 

[twentyone]

I tutored chemistry in college. For spending money. They let me study while working. And all the hot guys who suck at chemistry.

 

[ShockDoctrine]

I'm tutoring college chemistry just to hit on all the hot girls. It should be an enjoyable experience.

 

[Barcu]

Both are fine. One thing that is missing from many apps is non-medical community service, which some schools do care about. Not saying you need to do this tutoring thing but something to keep in mind.

Still, if you don't like kids much or need the money, tutor your classmates for money.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Calculus 1,2,3, and Differential Eqs.

 

[Stumpyman]

I tutor Biology 1 and 2 and Chemistry 1 and 2.

 

[WildEMDoc]

I tutored all the pre-reqs for a year I think that is what helped me land a job leading PBL small groups in intro biology.

I do it because I love teaching and helping people learn. Honestly I don't really care if it helps me in the app cycle or not, I enjoy what I do.

 

[Morsetlis]

What if I got a homemade cheesecake from a student for TAing Biochemistry?

Rewarding 😀

 

[Koosalagoosagoo]

This is a little off topic but what if you were a paid after-school teacher? I have a class of 20 or so 1st and kindergarten children, and I have roughly 2000 hours working with children.

 

[paul411]

This is a little off topic but what if you were a paid after-school teacher? I have a class of 20 or so 1st and kindergarten children, and I have roughly 2000 hours working with children.

What do you mean "what if"? It's like any other experience in that you put it down on your application and write about how it was meaningful to you and then you talk about it when it comes up on interviews.