Possible to get involved clinically before clerkship?

[Total Gunner]

wondering if there's a way you can get more clinical exposure in the summer after 1st year and improve your chances for a particular site or specialty. 

 

If not, what else can you do besides research? 

 

Anything more geared towards U of T is also welcome.

[DrOtter]

Summer research is definitely one. But you can definitely start doing horizontal electives and visiting different sites as early as first year once you've settled into the school environment. You don't have to wait until clerkship. At least that's how it was before COVID but I have a feeling docs might be a bit more hesitant to take on "useless liability" like us now. But fingers crossed it'll be better by early 2021!

[bearded frog]

You can certainly shadow, either formally through horizontals or informally if you make interest group connects, etc. Some staff may let you do more.

[DocBrown9]

Research is for networking. Basically do some research with someone. Figure out if they like you. Work a bit clinically with them. Then they write you a bomb ass letter that gets quoted in all your interviews. Standing out is more about being liked by a preceptor than being smart (unless you are in the top or bottom 5th percentile)

[MD2015:)]

In the past you could probably do some shadowing but with COVID you might not be able to. Most clerks are not back in the hospitals yet so I doubt shadowing would be easy to come by. Research in your speciality of choice would be a good idea to show interest, learn more about the specialty, and to meet some of the doctors in the program.