<p>I'm a biology major, premed, and working on a minor in philosophy. I'm feeling a lot of pressure from my family to work part-time. Between 3-5 hours a week at the hospital, and various other weekly volunteer jobs (soup kitchen, Boys and Girls Club of America, and Habitat-For-Humanity), 3 science courses with labs, research activities, and being an officer of my university's SGA club, I simply do not know when I could possibly squeeze in working hours. I'm doing fine living on coupons and thrift store clothes, honestly, but they feel like no one "lives on loans." I really enjoy my volunteer jobs and SGA; I feel like I'm getting a lot of great experience. </p>
<p>So my questions are:
Do you work for pay, and if you do, how many hours a week?
Do you think it's unreasonable to live on loans, loans that only supplement scholarships and grants?
If you think I should find a job, what activity should I dismiss?</p>
<p>Live your life and let your parents live their's. It seems to me you have a pretty good thing going. I understand the fear of debt. Keep it as low as possible and work in the summer, and maybe over the breaks. 'splain it to them, I bet they'll get it.</p>
<p>Honestly, a working job can be just as valuable experience as any of the things you mentioned. </p>
<p>I think there is a lesson here - you need to learn to prioritize. Three weekly volunteer jobs seems like a lot. </p>
<p>Also realize that next semester you likely won't have 3 labs. </p>
<p>I worked at a restaurant and usually worked 1 lunch shift, either Friday or Saturday night and then a shift on Sunday. That added up to about 15 hours depending on when I got cut from my shifts. I found it didn't really interfere with anything else I was doing. I mean I missed the occasional social event with my fraternity but I was still able to go out thursday nights, go out the other night I didn't work, and still keep up with a multitude of involvement activities (and I was involved in more than you are). </p>
<p>Like I said, if you can't fit it in, there might be things you can cut. If you can't, and you are willing to live on loans, then so be it. But remember that you're going to be hundreds of thousands of dollars anyways when you go to medical school. If there is a way to keep you from being in debt before you have to, then maybe it's worth it to take a job.</p>
<p>You sound a little overcommitted to me. I'm a science major with a work study job, 2 hours of daily sports practice, and weekly casual spanish classes with a club at school, and it's a lot to juggle... do you ever sleep? :) Volunteering is great, but as bigred said, 3 volunteer jobs is a lot. I'd say pick one and really commit to it, then maybe pick the others back up during summer or a semester when you have an easier course load. Can you get a work study job? I feel that my work study is just as fulfilling as a volunteer job would be.</p>
<p>I wouldn't want to live on loans. Part of my tuition is paid through loans and it builds up quick, why put yourself further into debt? I understand the need to take out loans, but I say keep them as minimal as you can.</p>
<p>Emily2007 do u play a collegiate sport? if so what Division? im just curious if it is possible to play a sport in a DI or DIII school and still be a sucesfull science major/pre-med?</p>
<p>I'm a pre-med bio/political science major and i work 40hrs a week. its rough. if you're in a position to not have to work...and you're able to be involved in volunteer activities and your community i would say take full advantage of that. work part-time in the summers or something as a compromise maybe?</p>
<p>how do med schools look upon work experience as opposed to the big 3 (volunteering, shadowing, research)? i know that in the end, it's about how u can talk about it in the interview, but how would a job look on the app?</p>
<p>You need clinical experience. For top schools, you'll need research experience. All other activities go into the "everything else" category. The great thing about this is that it's extremely flexible. You can do anything you are passionate about. This could mean jobs. This could mean volunteering at soup kitchens. This could mean mentoring little kids. This could mean cool hobbies like a musical instrument, a sport, a fine art. Medical schools don't expect or require anything in this "everything else" category except that you are doing something you genuinely like and not something just for the sake of the application.</p>
<p>Clinical experience + research experience + a good set of stuff you're passionate about = good EC section on the AMCAS</p>
<p>I agree with NCG's assessment except for one thing - replace "top schools" with "schools that care about research". There are plenty of "top schools" - depending on what your criteria are that don't require research - and plenty of bottom tier schools that do. While clinical experience is probably the only specific universal requirement, research remains an optional commitment, albeit, one that is a universal positive. That said, if it's at all possible, do research you find interesting, not just projects that are available that you believe will help you for medical school (eg, if you are a psychology major, feel free to do psychology research that you find fascinating, not biochemistry research you think will help you for medical school).</p>
<p>sorry if i'm hijacking alex88s thread...but now i have a question lol. i'm self-supporting so i don't have alot of time for things other than work and school...is that something med schools will take into consideration?</p>
<p>Med schools aren't looking for these activities as reward/punishment for evaluating you. They need to see that you understand the practice of medicine.</p>
<p>I play collegiate squash which isn't NCAA, so we don't play in divisions, but I'd imagine my commitment is about that of a DIII player. I know a few DI athletes who are pre-med at my school, and have a friend applying to med school this year who swam at a DIII school.</p>
<p>Being a varsity athlete and being pre-med is definitely possible, but it can be very stressful and it's a lot of work. I often feel I'm stretching myself a bit thin. For me it's totally worth it because I love my sport and I know I want to be a doctor... if I weren't passionate about both, there's no way I would be able to keep doing it. </p>
<p>If you love both, it's possible. You may get into school and realize one is more important to you than the other, but don't give either up until you know for sure.</p>
<p>do you think med schools like it when they see intercolegiate athletes applying??
almost like a hook, because there arent that many varsity sports members that apply to med school</p>
<p>They'll look at it as an interesting hobby but it won't be valued nearly as much as in college admissions. Colleges look for talent: exceptional athletes, musicians, etc. Med schools are more interested in developing good doctors. So, if you can play a sport or a musical instrument or debate really really well, great. It's something you can talk about during your interviews. But, it won't be a hook for med school admissions. A hook would be if you started your own HIV clinic in Africa. A hook would be if you're a Rhodes Scholar or a Fullbright Scholar. A hook would be if you have 6 publications (including 2 in Nature) as an undergrad and you're applying for Md/PhD.</p>
<p>You might find some places that find it more important than others. My undergrad is famous for their football, and the reverence for the team (of which I'm certainly guilty) often extends to admissions, especially if the players were starters. But that said, it's not like these guys are getting in with 2.9's and 22's on the MCAT, all the ones that I've personally met have been extremely solid applicants where there's no question that they belong. One of the former lineman who played 4 years in the NFL, is now a 4th year anesthesia resident, and his arms are still bigger than my legs. But he's one of the nicest guys I've met, and he's one of the people that still gets hushed tones about how smart they are (a rare thing in medical school). Rumor has it that he has a true photographic memory and can tell you page numbers in books where you'll find information and crazy stuff like that.</p>