I just finished my Ph.D. in biomedical research, and plan to take MCAT April 2014 and apply this June. I want to find a job that will help me on my application. What do you all think is the best thing for me to do to increase my chances? I am considering of getting trained and work as a EMT, or scribe (I am not be able to find a spot), or postdoc, or there is something else better. I only have 200 hours hospital volunteer back at 2009 and about to shadow two doctors. Thanks!
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Are you saying you can't find a job as a scribe or can't as a postdoc?
Get a job that is consistent with your story. I.e., if you're going to sell your research experience as an advantage in your medical school application/if you're going to apply to research-oriented schools, get a solid research job and be productive there. You can do hospital and non-clinical volunteering in your free time (as most people do anyway). I don't mean to offend anyone, but becoming a scribe or something along these line (a job that doesn't require much training and doesn't assume any intellectual contribution on your part) is kind of a step down for someone with a PhD and may raise some eyebrows. If you want to do something clinically related, consider clinical research. I don't know what your background is in exactly, but depending on it and on the people you know, you may get a clinical research job that will provide both clinical exposure and opportunities for productive research. (Not to mention a research job will pay a bit more than a scribe job; even if you don't care about money, keep in mind that the application process itself is very expensive.)
If, on the other hand, you want to quit research altogether - then sure, get a lower level hospital job and prove it to adcoms that you're so committed to medicine you're eager to start from scratch.
My point is: having a consistent story is helpful for your application, and, while clinical exposure is required, having a clinical job is not - you can satisfy that requirement by continuing your hospital volunteering, while strengthening other parts of your application/story. Oh, and 200 hospital volunteer hours are not bad at all 🙂
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