<p>So I'm pretty much about to start my third semester in college, and I'm fine as far as grades are concerned(4.0 GPA), but I don't have ANY extracurriculars. This is actually kind of worrying me a bit. The only thing I did was shadow a nurse in a nursing home a few months ago, but I didn't even get any documentation, so it's pretty much irrelevant. I go to Miami Dade College, in Miami, obviously. I've tried to volunteer at a few hospitals and clinics, but it feels like you have to know someone on the inside to even get those opportunities. Anyone have any advice on where to start? </p>
<p>My D got a shadow opportunity online. </p>
<p>Is there a pre-med club or interest group at your college? If so, join it. If not, start one. Do you have a pre-med adviser? Your adviser would be a good resource to help you find volunteer positions. </p>
<p>If all else fails, you need to be persistent. Most big hospitals need lots of volunteers. Try a public or university hospital. They should have a volunteer office. You can also poke around on websites and find emails for doctors in specialties that interest you. Reach out and introduce yourself, ask if you can shadow, or if they could use a volunteer. It may be intimidating to a young college student, but as a physician in academic medicine with my email posted in a variety of hospital websites, I get these emails all the time. It doesn’t hurt to ask. </p>
<p>And your ECs don’t have to be medical. Find a campus group that interests you. Feed the hungry, be a big brother for an at risk kid, take up kite flying…</p>
<p>Start at your college. You should start interning at Med. Research lab, you probably have a job (as most UGs), you should volunteer at the location of your college and check out anything in your area of interest. It is NOT all for Med. School. But don’t you have some interests that you would love to pursue. UG is a proper time, you will not have an opportunity later. D. had a very hard time looking for Medical ECs outside her college, but she is a tough cookie, very persisitent, so she was knocking on many doors (I mean contacitng tons) and she got some for summers at her homw town, but not much. She did all of hers (all long term, 2 -3 years) at her college, that was much easier to obtain. Please, do not be confused by my user name, we are NOT in Miami, not even close to Florida at all, so I do not know anything about your college, but ALL UGs have opportunities, so start contacting people there.</p>
<p>Have you tried talking to the Volunteer office at hospitals? e.g.</p>
<p><a href=“http://mercymiami.com/about/volunteers.dot”>http://mercymiami.com/about/volunteers.dot</a></p>
<p>Who are you talking to at the hospitals?</p>
<p>You don’t need “documentation”. And anytime you can “smell the patients” (according to LizzyM), it is a clinical experience. So you can count that summer experience.</p>
<p>Does your school have a premed advising office? If so, ask them. Also get on their LIstServ…they probably send emails about opps.</p>