Work experience: How long is long enough?

[MLakeLAc]

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I'll keep this brief.

I have worked in an OR for about 5 months, about 24 hours a week. I have zero research experience, and will probably be offered a research assistant position that I applied for. I'm not applying to schools till next year, so I'm not in a huge rush to diversify my experience, though it is a concern.

My question is: is 5 or 6 months of part-time work in the OR "enough" to satiate adcom's? Would 12 months be better, or have I fulfilled the OR/blood & guts requirement? I figure 6 months in the OR and 6 months in the lab is much better than a year or two of only one or the other. (FYI: the OR job is not my only clinical experience, but again, I have not laboratory background)

Thanks in advance for your advice, smart-panted people.

 

[njbmd]

There is no "OR" requirement for application to medical school. You should have some "clinical experience" which may be obtained by volunteering once a week in a hospital (or clinic) over a summer or during holidays over a semester. You don't need a "laboratory background" either.

What you are going to need is a very strong uGPA and MCAT score when you apply. The rest of your application, extracurriculars (volunteering), personal statement and LORs need to be excellent but there is no specific time or experience requirement. If you don't have the academics in place, all of the extracurricular "stuff" on the planet isn't going to help you very much.

 

[Friendly]

It's not so much time, but quality of exposure. If the time spent gave you a realistic idea of what physicians do and the stressors they face, that is most important. Also, keep in mind that quantity of time spent often translates to a potential referee writing a letter that accurately conveys your strengths to the Admissions Committee.

 

[gman33]

What do you do in the OR?
I think adcoms want to see that you have interacted with lots of patients and understand what a doc does on a daily basis.