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Are there any activities outside of class that you did in high school or college that helped you become a doctor or medicical professional

medical #medicine #medicine #doctor #college #medical #medical #medical-school

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Subject: Career question for you

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Natasha’s Answer

Consider finding a volunteer program that links you to real facets of care at nursing homes or specific wards of local hospitals. For instance, there are some programs, such as CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant), for which the training can provide you with experiences in medical/healthcare settings prior to going to college to fulfill your pre-med requirements.
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Cara’s Answer

Hi Robert,
I think those that have already answered your question have provided excellent options. Getting involved in your local medical community in addition to taking the required pre- requisites for medical school I also think it is important to remember to think outside of medicine as well. I was going to say "outside the box" but I live as if there is no proverbial box which is also important!

Now is the time when you are thinking about what your lifetime career will be. If you do decide it is medicine then you will spend so much time studying science, math etc in college and then go on to study medicine for the foreseeable future.

My added advice is to do as many things outside of medicine that you can fit in. As noted above you will do all kinds of shadowing, volunteering, doing research etc. But once you start in a medical field it will consume your time. So now is the time to also study subjects that are as far away from medicine as possible because you won't get that chance again. Obviously, do your required requisites but learning foreign languages, traveling as much as possible, spending time with family and loved ones, reading FOR FUN, fitting in your hobbies (make sure and dig deep to be sure you get to all of them) and most of all take time to yourself and enjoy the time you aren't thinking about medicine, school, a career etc.

This a time in your life that you want to take advantage of as many experiences as possible and arguably as many things that aren't related to medicine.

Complete your pre requisites, spend time shadowing but take time to do everything you dream of and make those dreams a reality.

I challenge you to continue this as you enter medical school, residency, fellowship etc. Don't lose sight of yourself. Remember that being a doctor (if that is what you chose) is what you do, it is not who you are. You can be passionate and devote your whole self to your career but never forget that it is not who you are.

I think you are doing amazing things, otherwise you wouldn't post excellent questions such as this!

Keep up your excellent work!

With gratitude,
Cara Oliver


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Angela D.’s Answer

Great question! My son became an EMT while waiting for admission to medical school. He knew of some some high school students who became Junior EMTs. Apparently, one can have supervised ride-alongs, learn how to supply ambulances, and such and then become fully certified at age 18. Please see the websites below for more information. My son also became First Aid/CPR certified, which you can do as well. Another avenue is to volunteer in a local hospital or clinic. My only caution is to be careful about your risk of coronavirus infection today in these physcial environments. However, there are online options that you can pursue such as "hands-only" CPR... do your own research. Wishing you the best in your endeavors, Dr. B

https://learn.org/articles/What_is_a_Junior_EMT.html
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/emt
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/online-safety-classes?latitude=34.2015&longitude=-84.4222
Hands Only CPR - https://www.nyp.org/cpr/
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Rachel’s Answer

I agree, learning Spanish in Texas is very helpful. I became a search and rescue scuba diver. Not particularly useful on an everyday basis, but it was interesting to talk about. It was also a good lesson in learning how to perform under pressure.
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Richard’s Answer

Some ideas include: volunteering at hospital or low-income clinic, shadowing different types of specialties, and research.

Here in Texas, improving spanish speaking skills would also be valuable.
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Estelle’s Answer

Volunteering at hospitals or free clinics and Missionary work are my suggestions.
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