<p>Hey everyone,
I am going to be a sophomore at UT and it's good to be back around the cc forums after probably a two year gap between college acceptance and first year :)
Since late may I have become increasingly confused as to how I should be spending my time this summer in order to maximize the experience I get out of it. Currently a good part of my days are spent in the lab I research in. However twice a week I volunteer at a local hospital which is turning out to be more and more paperwork. Bottom line is Im not really enjoying it. Recently I met up with a family friend of mine who is a Neurologist. She has agreed to take me into her clinic to shadow her. Oh and I also work right now (the same job I've had since HS and will prob keep working here until I leave for med school cause I love it!)
So my big question is: Should I take on all four activities this summer (research, volunteer, shadowing, and work) or quit my volunteer position and just engage in three? Even if I continued to volunteer, it would only be for this summer; would it have any weight on my application to top med schools if coupled with more volunteering in the summers to come?
Thanks everyone for reading this and any advice is appreciated!</p>
<p>any ideas/comments are appreciated!</p>
<p>There is LOTS of paperwork in the medical field. I’ve found this out shadowing…so sorry about that.</p>
<p>Your summer actually sounds a lot like my summer (I’m volunteering, doing research, working, and taking classes). Quit volunteering if you don’t like it…but I’d see if you could get transferred to another area at the hospital (one that includes more patient interaction, or maybe just something you enjoy) first.</p>
<p>When my child was volunteering at a local hospital, it appears he did not have a lot of paper work. Actually, he complained that he often had nothing to do. At one time, he had a TA session with a high school kid who was also volunteering there, just because both of them had nothing to do and no ones there care to “bother” them. I always thought a college student usually would get a “better” assignment and a high school student would get a “worse” assignment; I guess I am not right.</p>
<p>Are you volunteering in a large hospital (Seton or St. David is what comes to my mind)? Is it likely that a smaller hospital may be better?</p>
<p>I agree with phonyreal98 that if you really do not enjoy it, you probably should try to get transferred or to find another hospital.</p>
<p>oh dear that does seem to be the problem with most people then. I guess it’s something we have to endure regardless. and yes i volunteer at one of the st.davids. hopefully the shadowing experience will be a little better as it’s at a smaller hospital. i wish your son all the best and thanks for the insight phonyreal!</p>
<p>I actually think I stumbled upon the jackpot as far as volunteering this summer. I volunteer in an OR at a hospital near my house. While I usually do a fair amount of paperwork while I’m there, much of my job involves talking to patients about to go into surgery, assisting the patient transporters, and when I’m good, getting to go into one of the operating rooms and observing a surgery. Usually there’s a doctor or nurse in there willing to explain to me what is going on too, which is definitely very nice.</p>
<p>OP, how many months/years and a guess of hours have you done at this hospital?</p>
<p>phonyreal: What you do sounds a lot like what i get to do. When I’m not doing paperwork I’m the Cath Lab watching procedures or in Surgery and in both the nurses and doctors are more than happy to tell me about what’s going etc. So I guess I should be grateful for what I’m doing! This is a real eye opener.
mmmcdowe: I started this in the middle of June. So really not that long. And I will only do this during the summer. Doctor shadowing will be a different story as I will probably continue it throughout the year.</p>
<p>As much as you might wish to quit, I really suggest getting some more hospital/clinical experience. Even if its at a different hospital. Shadowing is ulta low yield in terms of this, volunteering is the way to go.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the advice everyone! This has def given me a new conviction to continue volunteering. Best of luck to all!!</p>