Working full-time clinically, advice for pre-reqs/ECs

[Ajhewitt4]

Hi all,

I know the CC vs. 4 year debate has been discussed a million times here so I won't delve into that now. Essentially my question is about extracurricular activities. I am working full-time seeing patients as an audiologist in a busy audiology private practice. Our practice also provides diagnostic audiology services to a busy ENT practice as well. How much physician shadowing/clinical experience do I need to do if I'm already spending 40-50 hours a week with patients in these settings? Also, please give me ideas for other experiences that I may be missing to add to my application.

Thanks

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[DoctorIn2015]

Hi all,

I know the CC vs. 4 year debate has been discussed a million times here so I won't delve into that now. Essentially my question is about extracurricular activities. I am working full-time seeing patients as an audiologist in a busy audiology private practice. Our practice also provides diagnostic audiology services to a busy ENT practice as well. How much physician shadowing/clinical experience do I need to do if I'm already spending 40-50 hours a week with patients in these settings? Also, please give me ideas for other experiences that I may be missing to add to my application.

Thanks

You will have good clinical experience this way, but shadowing is a different animal entirely. You should still shoot for 50 hours of shadowing time with MDs or DOs. Volunteering outside of healthcare could help elucidate your other interests as well.

 

[Richardh]

other ecs to consider might be research experience if you can publish a paper or present your findings at a symposium through a poster presentation, it will be great

 

[wiscRD]

Hi all,

I know the CC vs. 4 year debate has been discussed a million times here so I won't delve into that now. Essentially my question is about extracurricular activities. I am working full-time seeing patients as an audiologist in a busy audiology private practice. Our practice also provides diagnostic audiology services to a busy ENT practice as well. How much physician shadowing/clinical experience do I need to do if I'm already spending 40-50 hours a week with patients in these settings? Also, please give me ideas for other experiences that I may be missing to add to my application.

Thanks

I would start volunteering somewhere a few times per month (animal shelter, food pantry, big brother/big sister, boys and girls club, church, etc...). You can always find a place to squeeze 4 hours in somewhere so look for a volunteer opportunity that is flexible and will work with your schedule (i.e. open nights and weekends). I don't think you really need 50 hours of shadow experience, but do think you'll want to shadow a handful of physicians. A lot of the physicians I shadowed prefered 4-6 hour shadow days becuase it gets long.

 

[canjosh]

I would do the physician shadowing, not because it actually adds anything to your personal experience, but because it could lead to a good LOR. I also had a lot of bedside experience, and the only additional shadowing I did was a couple of days with an orthopedic surgeon. He gladly wrote me a letter. Beyond that, my job provided much more valuable experience...I imagine you're in the same boat.

I would also do as wiscRD suggests: non-clinical volunteering. It makes you appear more well-rounded to the med schools. Just a few hours here and there when you can fit it into your schedule. Good luck!

 

[tremulousNeedle]

There is good advice on this thread.

You will most likely have more than sufficient clinical experience, but physician shadowing is usually still needed.

The importance of physician shadowing isn’t necessarily for the clinical experience and I rarely put much weight on a letter of recommendation that comes from a shadowing experience (especially for professionals who are leaving an already established career). What shadowing provides an applicant is the ability to substantiate their desires to be a physician; basically, to show the adcoms that you know what you are getting into (At my med school this was a main section in the application review process). Shadowing or working side by side with MD/DO’s is really the only way to do this. Some clinical experiences like nursing or being a CNA or hospital based EMT inherently coincide with working side by side with physicians, but I can imagine that as an Audiologist you might not get a whole lot of working side by side with physicians and/or see the breadth of concerns that most med students / residents encounter.

Volunteering is also less important in someone who is a non-traditional applicant, but it is a good idea to have some under your belt.

On the other hand, if your application is otherwise awesome, shadowing and volunteering may be unnecessary.

Good luck. Just remember, there are many ways to skin a cat.