I would put them in the house of “observed these procedures”. Saying you DID them says you were practicing medicine without a license.
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this is my current description for the kenya stuff: Led 12,153 eye screenings, checked 2,793 hemoglobin levels, assisted with surgeries, and prescribed eyewear. First author on research paper. instead of assisted with surgeries, should I just say observed surgeries?
You could also say you learned how these procedures were done.
You are a HIGH SCHOOL student who frankly should not have been doing these things.
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I know the activity may not be ethical, but as a high school student passionate about medicine, how could one pass up on this experience?
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Especially in the context of taking place in a country/community with less oversight and regulation than the US. It comes across as exploitative.
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“Led” eye screenings?
I would say observed surgery, and I would also say that prescribed eyewear needs to be changed…maybe to learned about how eyewear is prescribed.
At least that doesn’t sound like you were practicing medicine without a license.
And first author? Has the paper already been published and is it in a peer reviewed, respectable publication!
I know the activity may not be ethical, but as a high school student passionate about medicine, how could one pass up on this experience?
If it does NOT sound ethical to you…and it isn’t…why would you include unethical things in your application. Think about that.
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Easily. You observe surgery at every chance, you watch, learn, ask questions, ask how equipment works, help with data collection for research, be curious and engaged and observant. You don’t take advantage of under-resourced people to try your hand at amateur surgery.
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This is getting worse the more I hear. Please be careful. So a US based surgeon invites you on a trip to Kenya, a high school student. And during this trip you perform the activities of what a surgeon would be expected to do. Even if they were short-staffed, this sounds like terrible discretion by the surgeon.
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Putting aside the ethics of practicing medicine, unlicensed, in a foreign country (leaving feedback on that to posters in the know), your grades and SAT aren’t competitive enough for most of your reaches. You report nearly as many Bs as As and that isn’t going to be sufficient at schools like Brown. You should seek out a couple of more matches unless you will be satisfied with GSU.
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Well, IMO that just sounds nuts! My daughter is a 7th year surgery resident. I have asked her if I could watch one of
her surgeries (like they do on medical TV dramas 
) and she has told me no, that’s not how it works. I agree with all the above posters, your EC’s sound exaggerated.
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And very much could jeopardize this surgeon’s license to practice medicine…in my opinion.
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I know the activity may not be ethical, but as a high school student passionate about medicine, how could one pass up on this experience?
Quite simply by saying no. My older d who had much more experience AND training than you AND was a licensed AEMT was offered all sorts of opprtunities to engage in medical procedures that were beyond her scope of training when she was volunteering in South Africa’s township hospitals. She wisely refused to engage in any practices/procedures/services that she could not also provide in the US.
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Yeah, this is super sketchy…
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Mine too. And mine was also EMT trained to do some of the things you listed. Clearly…saying NO to unethical things is a skill medical professionals and not need to know.
I think you need to take an ethics course ASAP.
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Allright. Thanks for the info guys… What do I do now?
Have you submitted any applications yet? Or can you still revise your activities?
You may have remote short (I am not really sure) for Augusta and Mercer merely because you are GA resident…Do not even bother applying to the rest BS/MD. Please listen to people’s advice here. Do not list activities that would not be considered normal to help for students who do not have any license. Clean up after surgery-no problem. Setting up tools -no problem. Taking blood pressure or help with distributing prescribed medications or glasses- no problem. You cannot prescribe glasses, or do anything inside of patients in US. Observe-no problem. Assist with passing instruments to doctor at his requests -no problem. Leave everything else out!!! Otherwise you will reduce your chances to be accepted. If you will get to interview phase and mention anything else you are a tost…
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i submitted some, but i have like 10 more to submit
great advice. Thanks!
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OK, then look at @thumper1 and @momsearcheng 's advice above…They give some good ideas. Observed surgeries, helped set up or prepped the OR (if you did these things), collected data for research, learned to operate that eye equipment, assisted patients, etc.
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