Where should I start ?

[Mednight]

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Being a premed is expensive(I think). You have to pay for classes and training to get your clinical experience.

Volunteering and working non clinically is nothing for me, even shadowing(thank goodness), but when it comes to finding clinical opportunities you have to invest your money for training or certification requirements.

Honestly, I don't mind paying a couple hundred for a training class, but $1500+ is just ridiculous(that's how much a CNA class is in my area). That's wayyy more than my monthly rent and $1500 equals a down payment on a car, so why would I spend it on a class that I have to take for about 2-3 months and accumulate no income?

It's no way I'll be able to take a training class during the Fall or Spring semesters. Summer would be the only time I have an open availability.

My question is where should I start? Should I take a EMT or CNA class this summer? Volunteer in a hospital doing what? Is there anything else I should be doing as a premed besides shadowing, volunteering, working, getting good grades, prepping for the MCAT, and showing leadership skills? How can I acquire leaderships skills? Examples?

Trust me, I'm doing my best to find all kinds of opportunities in my area. There is even a free program to become a Laboratory Associate which takes 3 to 6 months complete. Would that be worth it? Could I get some research experience by doing that?

I'm sorry guys. I know I'm all of over the place.

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

It doesn't have to be a job to be clinical experience. Go volunteer at a hospital. You don't have to pay to get experience. In fact I got free meals when I volunteered.

 

[LivMoore]

Didn't realize you were making a new thread but here is my reply to the other one:

Don't take expensive classes to get clinical experience then....
Find clinical experience through volunteering and then keep a job to pay the bills, then maybe the experience you gain while volunteering could get you a clinical job later on.

I am taking EMT classes and it has been affordable and worth it for me, but that job won't be my only experience I plan on volunteering as well.

 

[Mednight]

It doesn't have to be a job to be clinical experience. Go volunteer at a hospital. You don't have to pay to get experience. In fact I got free meals when I volunteered.

What did you do in the hospital? I'm trying to figure out what I should volunteer and do in a hospital. Transport patients?

 

[Mednight]

I am taking EMT classes and it has been affordable and worth it for me, but that job won't be my only experience I plan on volunteering as well.

Thank you, EMT is my best bet at this point. How long is your training? I think mines will be 2-3 months.

 

[LivMoore]

Just go to your local hospitals website and the usually have volunteer programs, one near me even comes with a guarantee of a shadowing experience.

What did you do in the hospital? I'm trying to figure out what I should volunteer and do in a hospital. Transport patients?

 

[LivMoore]

16 weeks but I did the full spring semester, in the summer they do it over 10 weeks.

Thank you, EMT is my best bet at this point. How long is your training? I think mines will be 2-3 months.

 

[Mednight]

Just go to your local hospitals website and the usually have volunteer programs, one near me even comes with a guarantee of a shadowing experience.

Okay I'll do this for the summer, but I must add that they require two LOR. I don't have a clue who I would get that from. I have no close professional or academic relationships.

 

[libertyyne]

Or you know, take advice from the other thread and get a different job and continue to volunteer clinically.

 

[Mednight]

People come on here not reading all of my posts thoroughly. I stated that I don't start working until mid-April. I'll probably start volunteering in May, even though I don't know what to volunteer doing. Also, I plan on taking an EMT training class this summer. With all the help from the POSITIVE MEMBERS on SDN, I finally figured out where to start and that's working, volunteering, and then EMT training while taking electives at a local CC. Thank you for your input.

Or you know, take advice from the other thread and get a different job and continue to volunteer clinically.

 

[libertyyne]

People come on here not reading all of my posts thoroughly. I stated that I don't start working until mid-April. I'll probably start volunteering in May, even though I don't know what to volunteer doing. Also, I plan on taking an EMT training class this summer. With all the help from the POSITIVE MEMBERS on SDN, I finally figured out where to start and that's working, volunteering, and then EMT training while taking electives at a local CC. Thank you for your input.

LOL.