What is more valuable?

[londongal]

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Shadowing a plastic surgeon or volunteering at a USC research center (to do with neuroscience)

Keep in mind- I'm already going to start volunteering at a neuroscience research lab somewhere else

 

[Mobius1985]

I don't see an advantage to having two simultaneous research experiences in the same area of interest. You need to shadow, but not all that much. It's better to follow more than one type of specialist to get a broader view of what doctors do, IMO.

 

[medaholic]

Shadow, just for your own interest. I don't think it will add much value to any application, but for your own personal interest it would be a lot better.

Do what you like and don't do something just to add to your resume.

 

[londongal]

yes, the doctor is a plastic surgeon, the research job is with a neurosurgeon.

Another Q. Take the usc research job, or volunteer at usc/la county hospital emergency dept. I'm already at another hospital's emergency dept

 

[londongal]

There's not much I don't like, afterall, this is the field I want to go into.

As far as whether shadowing is useful, I have heard many times that it is very good for the application

 

[BlueElmo]

I would shadow. It might be interesting to see a plastic surgeon work.

 

[Mobius1985]

Another Q. Take the usc research job, or volunteer at usc/la county hospital emergency dept. I'm already at another hospital's emergency dept

Take the USC research job if it's your only research job. Do the volunteering if it's not in the same department you already have experience in. Don't you have any non-repetitive options? How about some other non-medical form of community service?

 

[dw2158]

Shadowing a plastic surgeon or volunteering at a USC research center (to do with neuroscience)

Keep in mind- I'm already going to start volunteering at a neuroscience research lab somewhere else

Another Q. Take the usc research job, or volunteer at usc/la county hospital emergency dept. I'm already at another hospital's emergency dept

are you serious with these questions? the bolded parts are strange to me-- why would you double up and do another EC that's very similar to something you're already doing if you have the opportunity to experience something else?

 

[londongal]

well, they're not exactly the same. See, with the neuroscience lab/research assistant, they are only looking into the treatment of brain tumors.

The USC job, is neurocognitive based. They work with doctors, psychologists, and sociologists to conduct certain research.

Since I'm interested in neuroscience, I thought it would be nice to do both, and this would also speak for my passion of this specialty.

The emergency department I'm in right now is not a trauma center. I believe USC has a level 1 trauma center. I mean I would love to volunteer in the OR but I don't think they offer this anywhere.

Shadowing a plastic surgeon would be cool.
I don't have time for everything, I'm also going to have to turn down a UCLA hospital volunteer job. I'll do this at a later time.

I want to do free-clinic work also (perhaps next year), something more community based.

 

[sushichopstickz]

OMG, are you serious Op? Reading your post infuriates me because it reminds me of the neurotic pre-meds when I was an undergraduate. Geez, do what you like, not what's going to pad your resume. Seriously, com'on. Pick something and do it, why do you need the advice of strangers? Are you going to rely on strangers to help you through life? Again, pick something you like and do it, albeit it's research or clinical volunterism. ADCOM gives a hoot what title you hold or where you volunteered. All they want to know is: "DID YOU LIKE WHAT YOU DID and WHAT DID YOU LEARN/GET OUT OF IT?" Simple. Done. Final.

Sorry if I sound like a jerk, but your post comes across as whiney... "OH please SDN help me...life delimma here don't know where to volunteer." Honestly, I think most pre-meds need to lighten up. Getting into med school is not some recipe you snatch from a cookbook. Be yourself and do what you like and it'll speak volume when it comes time to apply. Focus on 1-3 activities you like, as oppose to amassing a laundry list of things you can do.

 

[Law2Doc]

Shadowing a plastic surgeon or volunteering at a USC research center (to do with neuroscience)

Keep in mind- I'm already going to start volunteering at a neuroscience research lab somewhere else

The purpose of the clinical exposure requirement is to see the doctor/patient interaction at the most basic level, and so the ideal experience is the person who goes in with the doctor and sees them interact with someone in the hospital for some ailment that is not elective, and not research oriented. So both of these are fine on top of other, broader experiences, but neither is going to wow anybody.

Lizzy M once wrote that the ideal clinical experience is one where you have to "smell the patients". And she meant real smells, not the povodine washes they prep surgical patients with. A former adcom member told me something similar -- the best clinical exposure is one in which you "have a substantial chance of being thrown up on". So these front row seats to the human condition are what is actually deemed best. Things like plastics and neurosci research are definitely second tier premed experiences -- you might enjoy them more but you aren't seeing the kind of thing you are going to be expected to be involved in in med school, and some might feel you are trying to avoid some of the "down and dirty" stuff if you spend too much time focusing on the uber-competitive specialties that most people aren't going to get to go into anyhow. So get a very basic clinical exposure first, by either volunteering or shadowing. That will assist you to know whether treating people is what you really want to do for a living. And knowing what you are getting yourself into is really the biggest point of the shadowing/volunteering expectation. If you have time on top of that, then sure, shadow some specialists in things you might be leaning towards. But it really isn't going to make or break you -- it's secondary.

Basically med schools are analagous to airlines that want you to become familiar with flying a commercial jet and you are saying you want to spend time with fighter pilots. Might be sexier but when you are compared to folks with more actual commerical jet experience, you aren't going to impress.

 

[londongal]

Thank you LAW2DOC, totally see where you're coming from.

Being in the emergency room (which I love) I am around all the raw, and real stuff. Dead people, throw up, crap, blood, you name it.

The plastic surgeon shadowing probably isn't the best idea. Perhaps a family practitioner would serve me better.

I agree with you though, and your post helped. I will try to stick to the more nitty-gritty side of medicine.

- Good analogy with the fighter jet example



SUSHICHOPSTICKZ:

I am doing what I love! I love all the options I presented. When it comes down to it though. I do want to show schools that I have put myself in all different types of experiences/settings.

I've just heard that schools don't care so much about basic volunteer positions at hospitals.