3 answers
Hanna
Student
Belmont, Massachusetts
1
Question
Asked
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How do you recommend going about getting clinical experience?
I want to go into premed with the goal of pediatrics in either oncology or cardiology (though I am still exploring my options). I want to interact with patients face to face, but am still open to any type of experience I can get. I also live in Massachusetts, though I'm not sure if that makes it easier or harder to get clinical experience.
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3 answers
Mark Mudano
Orthopaedic Surgery
7
Answers
Evans, Georgia
Updated
Mark’s Answer
I do not want to dampen your enthusiasm for wanting to apply for these roles which will enhance your application when the time comes. But you must remember that while you are still an undergraduate the most important thing is your GPA . Your actual grades in all your courses is vitally important especially in things like organic chemistry, but it really doesn't matter what your undergraduate degree or major is in ; it can be one of the sciences (Biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) or anything else (you can major in math or English or history, etc. {you don't have to major in a science to get accepted to med school }... whatever it is be sure that it is a subject that you like and are good at ); the most important thing is to have as many A's on your report card as possible . This is what medical school acceptance people are looking for.
My father's best pal in high school was an orthopaedic surgeon in San Francisco. I was very interested in orthopaedics as I had played many different sports and was pretty good at some of them , but I did have my share of injuries on occasion and, so I wrote to him and told him what I was shooting for .
He was kind enough to invite me to spend the Summer at his house and I could shadow him both in the office and in the OR. He wrote for me a very nice reference letter when it was time to apply to medical school.
Also , medical school acceptance people also look for diversity among your college courses as well as the other things in your life that you are interested in; it can be sports or maybe a club or donation of your time with some church organization helping other people, or just a hobby that you love which can be anything ... what they are looking for is a person who has many outside -of -school things that occupy your time and most importantly , that you can express your personality through these extra things you are doing which takes up some time and shows your interests not only in school work but doing lots of other things at the same time that you are studying for your classes, etc ( I think of sports , or maybe you just like to work out on your own, or maybe you're training for a 5k or 10 K run that you've entered, ballet dancing, etc. as well as other club activities at college , or your dedication to some organization that helps people , feeding poor children, spreading the word of God through your church , singing in the choir, playing the piano, etc..)
These things will show the acceptance committee people at the medical school you are applying to , that you are able to do well scholastically, by making mostly A's on your report card, but you can also be doing various other things which expresses to them that you are a person that gives and still has the time to be an A-student all the while.
I hopes this helps you.
Mark Mudano, MD
My father's best pal in high school was an orthopaedic surgeon in San Francisco. I was very interested in orthopaedics as I had played many different sports and was pretty good at some of them , but I did have my share of injuries on occasion and, so I wrote to him and told him what I was shooting for .
He was kind enough to invite me to spend the Summer at his house and I could shadow him both in the office and in the OR. He wrote for me a very nice reference letter when it was time to apply to medical school.
Also , medical school acceptance people also look for diversity among your college courses as well as the other things in your life that you are interested in; it can be sports or maybe a club or donation of your time with some church organization helping other people, or just a hobby that you love which can be anything ... what they are looking for is a person who has many outside -of -school things that occupy your time and most importantly , that you can express your personality through these extra things you are doing which takes up some time and shows your interests not only in school work but doing lots of other things at the same time that you are studying for your classes, etc ( I think of sports , or maybe you just like to work out on your own, or maybe you're training for a 5k or 10 K run that you've entered, ballet dancing, etc. as well as other club activities at college , or your dedication to some organization that helps people , feeding poor children, spreading the word of God through your church , singing in the choir, playing the piano, etc..)
These things will show the acceptance committee people at the medical school you are applying to , that you are able to do well scholastically, by making mostly A's on your report card, but you can also be doing various other things which expresses to them that you are a person that gives and still has the time to be an A-student all the while.
I hopes this helps you.
Mark Mudano, MD
Thank you! I see a lot of really useful things from your answer and I appreciate you taking the time to comment. However, I do have one follow up question. Recently, I received an offer from my pediatric dentistry to shadow the doctor and help out by sanitizing the tools. Firstly, would this count as "clinical experience"? Secondly, as someone who doesn't plan on going to dental school, will this be of any help to me? Also, I see that you are an orthopedic surgeon. Could I ask what that's like? As I had mentioned in my question, I want to get to know about as many specialties as I can before I settle on one. Also, I don't know much about orthopedics, so I would love to hear what an professional working in that area thinks.
Again, thank you for answering my initial question!
Hanna
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
157
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
It can be difficult to get the experience you are seeking, as there are patient privacy (HIPAA) rules and liability issues for hospitals. It can be a bit easier to find a clinic that will let you shadow physicians and other staff. Most hospitals do have a way to shadow. In those situations, one usually needs to identify a willing mentor physician and go through background checks and such (that you have to pay for, generally). In your situation, I would ask Boston Children's or one of the many other hospitals how this might be done.
You may also want to inquire about research internships.
You may also want to inquire about research internships.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I will definitely make sure to check in with Boston Children's to see if they have any openings. Also, I see that you are a Pediatric Intensive Care Physician. Could I ask what that's like? I want to get to know as many subspecialties as possible, especially within Pediatrics, before settling on one. Are there certain things that you like and/or dislike about being a Pediatric Intensive Care Physician? And would you recommend future med students to this field?
Thank you once again!
Hanna
Payal Patel
Cardiology Fellow
5
Answers
Aurora, Colorado
Updated
Payal’s Answer
Clinical experiences can be challenging to find.
I was a hospice volunteer in college and that was a great way to have patient-patient interaction. If you are interested in oncology or cardiology, end of life care will be important to have knowledge of.
You should seek out shadowing experiences. Taking to people you know may get you far. I found opportunities through my dance teacher and my grandfather. Also emailing hospitals and practices can open up opportunities
There are often summer camps for pediatric patients that are in need for volunteers. Look for those as well.
I was a hospice volunteer in college and that was a great way to have patient-patient interaction. If you are interested in oncology or cardiology, end of life care will be important to have knowledge of.
You should seek out shadowing experiences. Taking to people you know may get you far. I found opportunities through my dance teacher and my grandfather. Also emailing hospitals and practices can open up opportunities
There are often summer camps for pediatric patients that are in need for volunteers. Look for those as well.
Thank you for your response and that is a good point you make about end of life care knowledge being useful for me in the future! If I may ask, what is being a hospice volunteer like? What do you like and dislike about it?
Thanks again!
Hanna