medically-related experiences

[Guest SherriONT]

Hi everyone

 

I'm a non-traditional applicant, going into 4th year of my BA, and will be applying to med schools for admission in 2007. I have lots of volunteering, good marks, interesting travel experience, etc. What I lack is serious medically related experience (research, work). I would like to do this during school next year, as next summer will be spent doing organic chem and mcat. What are my options? I essentially need to figure out if medicine is what I really want to do, while also proving to admissions comittee that I have experience in direct medical activity. Any suggestions on what kinds of things would be useful as well as applicable? I'm also out of the loop when it comes to the sciences at my university (although i'll be doing all my prereqs next year), so I don't even know who to talk to. Any help would be great!!

[Guest leviathan]

You don't necessarily need medically related experience, as long as you can prove that you have been able to deeply consider your career choice as a physician, and have confirmed that the qualities a physician requires are things that you possess. That being said, obviously volunteering in health-related positoins will let you know whether you work well with people (and whether you enjoy it).

 

Try hospital volunteering, as long as it's not in the gift shop, or folding sheets, or something of that nature where you're not part of the chain of care for patients of the hospital. I volunteer in the emergency and help to triage patients, and I find I've acquired a lot of experience in dealing with people who come in with a wide variety of problems.

 

St. John Ambulance is another good bet, which I also do (yes, I'm a little biased in my reply choices here). If you are interested in pre-hospital care, you can learn a lot of first-aid through SJA that you wouldn't otherwise have access to as a general member of the public, or at least not without shelling out 600-1000 dollars in courses. Of course, if you only volunteer in a small division of SJA where your average event is attending a walkathon, you won't treat much besides handing out band-aids for blisters. If you can volunteer with a division that lets you work at large events (ie., where there are 10,000+ people), then you will run into a lot more medical cases and trauma.

 

If you want the more psychological / counselling aspect of health care, try working for a suicide hot line or something like that.

 

Just my $0.02.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

With respect to great volunteering experience, I would recommend becoming a sexual and reproductive health counsellor for Planned Parenthood. When I worked as one, we underwent training for a number of months, then worked within the Women's College Hospital organization (at the Bay Centre for Birth Control) alongside our team members of doctors, medical students and nurses. It was an incredibly satisfying job in terms of being able to provide care and resources for women who needed help or support re: their sexual health choices. In addition, it afforded a good view of Canadian health care at work.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen