Working During Application Process

[vana0012]

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Hey guys,

So I have nearly 400 hours of undergraduate research that is not medicine related. This summer I plan on volunteering/interning at a hospital, but considering I will applying to med schools at the same time, would schools recognize that I am actively working without having a lot of hours at the time of applying? If not should I start to look for ways to gain clinical experience now? Thanks

 

[darkjedi]

You should definitely look to gain as much clinical/volunteering experience as you can now. There are plenty of other applicants who are even busier than you with significant ECs and volunteer experiences, so it is no excuse that you spend 400+ hours in a research lab.

 

[1cor1311]

you should definitely look to gain as much clinical/volunteering experience as you can now. There are plenty of other applicants who are even busier than you with significant ecs and volunteer experiences, so it is no excuse that you spend 400+ hours in a research lab.

+1

 

[jeghaber]

OP, I'm not sure what your question is, but if you're asking whether schools will give you a "pass" on the number of hours with clinical experience because you're actively racking up hours during the application season, I'd say no. Clinical experience isn't a check-box (even though it may seem like that at times). Clinical experience is valuable -- to both yourself and schools who'll be investing time and resources in you -- because it should give you a better idea of what you're getting yourself into and thus confirm/strengthen your resolve to pursue medicine as a career. If you have little to no clinical experience prior to applying and plan on using your application-season hours to fulfill the "unwritten requirement," you won't be doing yourself any favors. I'd try to get as much experience as you can now.

If I misinterpreted your question, however, feel free to ignore my post 😛

 

[vana0012]

OP, I'm not sure what your question is, but if you're asking whether schools will give you a "pass" on the number of hours with clinical experience because you're actively racking up hours during the application season, I'd say no. Clinical experience isn't a check-box (even though it may seem like that at times). Clinical experience is valuable -- to both yourself and schools who'll be investing time and resources in you -- because it should give you a better idea of what you're getting yourself into and thus confirm/strengthen your resolve to pursue medicine as a career. If you have little to no clinical experience prior to applying and plan on using your application-season hours to fulfill the "unwritten requirement," you won't be doing yourself any favors. I'd try to get as much experience as you can now.

If I misinterpreted your question, however, feel free to ignore my post 😛

I spent all of this past summer doing research, and I have an internship opportunity in a hospital next summer. I'm not doing it just to fill time, by schedule of activities just turned out that way. My concern is when I apply, I will just begin the summer internship. My question is if that is a bad thing or not? A lot of people would have done a lot of clinical work by then, but I just saved it for this summer.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

How do you know you want to be a doctor if you have no clinical experience?

 

[vana0012]

How do you know you want to be a doctor if you have no clinical experience?

I worked in doctors office throughout high school and I have done a lot of shadowing with a variety of doctors over the past year.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Nice, bro. You already check the clinical experience box.

 

[tantacles]

I worked in doctors office throughout high school and I have done a lot of shadowing with a variety of doctors over the past year.

I think what people are trying to get at is that when it comes to wanting to be a physician, the check box for amount of clinical experience is never truly checked off. You can always get more clinical experience, and every moment you spend with a patient, whether getting them water or a blanket, shadowing a physician, or just chatting with them to entertain them, is valuable.

How valuable? Well, more valuable than spending your time watching youtube videos or playing video games in a coma-like state. So if you think you spend 10 hours each week doing nothing, try to find a volunteer position where you can convert 3 of those hours into something productive that involves patients in some way, shape, or form.

However, balance is everything. Don't overwork yourself, don't overstress yourself, and don't overschedule yourself. If that isn't possible, your previous experience shadowing and volunteering may suffice. So don't sweat it, and do what you're capable of.

But if you have the time, go ahead and spend some of it wisely - on volunteering with patients.