Work during First summer off?

[2DEG]

Hi folks.

I am a non-trad student. In addition to tuition, my living cost will be considerably higher than most med students. I will be starting in a DO program this Fall.

What I am wondering is what do most med students do during their first summer off? Is it better to do something related to medicine, something you can put on your resume?

One option I am considering is to get a contract job during summer (in the engineering field) and try to save as much as I can.

Thanks and happy new year!

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[SomeDoc]

Look into paid biomedical/clinical research fellowships for medical students. If you choose to work at a non-medically related field for financial reasons, but be sure to complement it with some medically-relevant work or volunteering in order to maintain consistency in, and to build, your medical student portfolio.

 

[2DEG]

Look into paid biomedical/clinical research fellowships for medical students. If you choose to work at a non-medically related field for financial reasons, but be sure to complement it with some medically-relevant work or volunteering in order to maintain consistency in, and to build, your medical student portfolio.

Thanks! I will keep that in mind.

 

[VALSALVA]

Wow! I can't believe you get a summer break. I didn't think those existed in medical school. At any rate, my advice is to chill, relax and enjoy your time off because you'll never had a chance to do it again!

 

[2DEG]

Wow! I can't believe you get a summer break. I didn't think those existed in medical school. At any rate, my advice is to chill, relax and enjoy your time off because you'll never had a chance to do it again!

I think in most med schools, you get the first summer off. I really would love to do a research in the medical/medical device areas. I guess when Summer of 2009 finally arrives, I will decide.

I would love to chill, relax and enjoy my time off..but I also have a family to support. Extra money would help our living expenses - lower my loans.

Thanks all.

 

[Bond8204]

Wow! I can't believe you get a summer break. I didn't think those existed in medical school. At any rate, my advice is to chill, relax and enjoy your time off because you'll never had a chance to do it again!

I'm sick of hearing this from med students/residents. I understand the sentiment--but you've GOT to know that you're romanticizing a summer doing absolutely nothing.

The truth is that summer jobs are NOT that hard and your peers with whom you'll be competing for residencies will be doing things like research fellowships mentioned above. Not to mention, and I say this from a personal experience looking for a job for a month after graduation, chilling and sleeping past noon everyday gets old fast--though probably less stressed out, you almost feel more lethargic and tired than after a rough week of school.

If I were so gassed out after the first year of medical school that I simply couldn't do anything to help my career, I'd get a job that requires very little thinking but still pays decently--like managing lifeguards at a local pool.

Sorry for the semi-attack, but I've just heard one too many people say that. And yeah, the vast majority of schools have some form of a summer break after M1.

 

[VALSALVA]

I'm sick of hearing this from med students/residents. I understand the sentiment--but you've GOT to know that you're romanticizing a summer doing absolutely nothing.

The truth is that summer jobs are NOT that hard and your peers with whom you'll be competing for residencies will be doing things like research fellowships mentioned above. Not to mention, and I say this from a personal experience looking for a job for a month after graduation, chilling and sleeping past noon everyday gets old fast--though probably less stressed out, you almost feel more lethargic and tired than after a rough week of school.

If I were so gassed out after the first year of medical school that I simply couldn't do anything to help my career, I'd get a job that requires very little thinking but still pays decently--like managing lifeguards at a local pool.

Sorry for the semi-attack, but I've just heard one too many people say that. And yeah, the vast majority of schools have some form of a summer break after M1.

Um no...not romanticizing anything. I've been there done that. I've been through it. I know what it means to never have a summer of my own again. Maybe you would sit and home and do nothing if you had a summer of your own, but I wouldn't. I've traveled, worked on hobbies, read works of fiction, spend quality time with loved ones and friends, etc. You might be "sick" of opinions such as mine, but I'm pontificating from a position of experience and reality. To turn your argument around on its head...I'm sick of pre-meds lecturing those ahead of them about things they know little or nothing about. As always, you (and the OP) can chooses to do whatever the hell you want with the very limited amount of time you have on this Earth. If you just want to sit at home and feel "lethargic" then go ahead. If you want to be a life-guard, then hang ten dude. Whatever.

To the OP: why not consider spending tons of time with your family over the summer doing really cheap things? It's clear that you're a family guy. Again, once you graduate from med school, it's gonna be a struggle to find lots of time for quality interaction with your family because you won't be there or you'll be there but you'll be a zombie b/c your so tired.

 

[christinejane19]

lifeguarding is a great summer job...best of luck...

 

[Krazykritter]

I loved my first summer off...

I worked doing grounds work at a golf course. You usually have to have experience to get hired, but it's a great job. Start at 0530 (or earlier), get to walk ~4-5 miles/day, & done by about 1400-1500 so I had plenty of time to do research when I was finished working. The best part is the free golf @ a course you probably couldn't afford to play. If you like golf I suggest going to talk to the superintendent at a couple of the local country clubs to see if they might have anything for you.

 

[MossPoh]

Honestly, while those chill jobs are good, for the benefit of your family I'd find some contract job that utilizes your degree like you said. It doesn't have to be that intensive, but it will most likely bring in some nice cash. If you can work from home, then all the better. Unlike those Biology degrees and what not, you can actually get pretty high paying gigs. I have a job lined up once I finish this semester that is part-time (20-30 hours a week) and pays me about 18 dollars an hour. I essentially do background checks for the government...it is like fancy facebook stalking. I've known friends that were able to make 25+ an hour doing basic home consulting stuff. Spend lots of time with their significant other, kids, etc. If you can get some kind of med. research on top of that then even better. It depends on what specialities you are interested in as well.

It IS possible to relax and still work a bit. Honestly, I'm betting most of the jobs you would wind up with would be a nice change from the med student curriculum. Best of luck.

*Note: I am not saying work your a$$ off. Just make enough to not have to worry about basic expenses with the family and maybe take them to a ball game or dinner once in a while.

 

[Boxer1]

I spent my first summer in a research lab. The hours were nice. I think I worked 8:30-3 or something like that. Got my name on a poster presentation out of it. It was nice, but I'm also the kind of person who doesn't do well having a lot of time off. A 4 day weekend is usually enough vacation for me.

 

[Amy B]

While on this topic, I was wondering how much time you had off during the MSI and MSII years. We only had 4 weeks so most of us didnt work but rather enjoyed the time off to do nothing.....

 

[group_theory]

Hi folks.

I am a non-trad student. In addition to tuition, my living cost will be considerably higher than most med students. I will be starting in a DO program this Fall.

What I am wondering is what do most med students do during their first summer off? Is it better to do something related to medicine, something you can put on your resume?

One option I am considering is to get a contract job during summer (in the engineering field) and try to save as much as I can.

Thanks and happy new year!

First, what field are you interested in? What type of programs (university versus community program, BIG name university program versus local university)

If you are interested in a more competitive field, then research may be required (simply because everyone else applying to that field will have research experience or have PhDs in related fields). If you are interested in less competitive program (family med, pediatrics, internal med), then research really isn't that important.

If you are interested in a competitive program (ie Pediatrics at Boston Children, Internal Medicine at Mayo/MGH, Family Med at NY Presby), then research might help your case.

If you are interested in a family medicine residency at a local community program, then research may not be required.


Also, connections means more than any 1-2 month research. If you are interested in a certain Internal Medicine program, making good connections with the various attendings and residents (during your clinical years) will definately benefit you more than "Activity: spent 2 months between MS1-MS2 year making monoclonal antibodies to study apoptosis in cells at local research university"

In the end, what you do between your 1st and 2nd year will only maybe impact your residency application (people who want research to impact their residency application usually spend more than a summer doing research). It will have no impact on any fellowship, or employment afterwards.

So if you feel money-squeezed and are comfortable foregoing "summer research opportunities", then getting a contract job using your engineering degree makes sense.

*keep in mind, many summer medical/clinical research positions are either unpaid or the pay/stipend is not competitive

 

[therealdeal]

Take your first summer off and enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. Lots of time in the near future to enhance your residency application.

 

[PlasticMan]

Try to do paid research. It wouldn't hurt to get a job bartending or serving on weekends for extra cash either. I did research for very small wages, while one of my buddies worked as a waiter the whole summer. Looking back, I wish I would have put in some shifts with him on the weekends - I'm still driving a 17 year old beater, while he drives a brand new truck. 🙁

 

[2DEG]

Thanks everyone for all the nice replies. It may seem a little too early to plan for Summer of 09, but I do have to establish contacts if I want a contract job. I appreciate all your inputs. I think I will try to do a combination - maybe 30 hour per week engineering work and some volunteer research in medical areas. I don't do anything fancy..but the engineering job that I do will pay 45-60 dollars per hour. This would help my family a lot since I am not sure how much my wife can work. Having a foreign medical degree doesn't help much finding a suitable job..it's very tough to find a job and justify daycare expenses for our one year old.

I am interested in Internal medicine or Ped. and keeping the option open to do a fellowship in card/nephrology. That's my plan right now..but it might well change during 3rd/4th years.

Thanks again for all the replies.

First, what field are you interested in? What type of programs (university versus community program, BIG name university program versus local university)

If you are interested in a more competitive field, then research may be required (simply because everyone else applying to that field will have research experience or have PhDs in related fields). If you are interested in less competitive program (family med, pediatrics, internal med), then research really isn't that important.

If you are interested in a competitive program (ie Pediatrics at Boston Children, Internal Medicine at Mayo/MGH, Family Med at NY Presby), then research might help your case.

If you are interested in a family medicine residency at a local community program, then research may not be required.


Also, connections means more than any 1-2 month research. If you are interested in a certain Internal Medicine program, making good connections with the various attendings and residents (during your clinical years) will definately benefit you more than "Activity: spent 2 months between MS1-MS2 year making monoclonal antibodies to study apoptosis in cells at local research university"

In the end, what you do between your 1st and 2nd year will only maybe impact your residency application (people who want research to impact their residency application usually spend more than a summer doing research). It will have no impact on any fellowship, or employment afterwards.

So if you feel money-squeezed and are comfortable foregoing "summer research opportunities", then getting a contract job using your engineering degree makes sense.

*keep in mind, many summer medical/clinical research positions are either unpaid or the pay/stipend is not competitive

 

[MJB]

I'm starting to try to figure out what I'd like to do this summer. I've thought of trying to find a research thing, but I'm not all that into research...or haven't seen any I'd be real enthused about yet (and would prefer to do the research in something I actually WANT TO DO)...and though contracting for my old job would pay fairly well, I might just hurt myself or someone else if I do that type of work again.

My hope is that I'll be able to take the 2 months off, do projects around the house, and spend some quality time with my waverunner on all the lakes/rivers around her.

But, money would be nice...and I've noticed that since my wife works during the day, I get bored easy on time off...unless I'm doing yard work, etc..