<p>I just finished my sophomore year of college. I'm currently a music major/chem minor and my grades, both science and regular, are where they need to be for med school. I've been doing volunteer, internships, and research, which I will be doing this summer, and I was pretty excited about taking some leadership roles in school activities and clubs this upcoming year.</p>
<p>However, my family circumstances have changed, which I guess is kind of expected in this economy, but it is to a point where I need to start really pulling my weight. I'm not worried about my workload next year, but if I do take on a part time job with 20+ hours I know that I will not be able to do the school leadership activities that I was planning on doing along with my music stuff because I'm sure my grades would begin to drop.</p>
<p>I'm hoping that I will get a "care job" for a child with developmental disabilities which is what I'm interested in, but the "main" job would probably be something like waitressing .. or retail that doesn't really have to do with medicine.</p>
<p>I really can't do anything about this situation, but I'm worried that this is really going to harm my admissions chances. Has anybody been in the same situation? Any advice?</p>
<p>It’s all about time management. Lots of people do it all.</p>
<p>I can tell you from experience that putting in 20 hours a week waiting tables is a lot different and generally less disruptive than 20 hours retail. Work Friday and Saturday nights 4pm to close is usually about 16 hours right there (obviously depending on where you work) during hours you’d probably not be utilizing for pre-med stuff anyways. Throw in one weekday lunch 10-2 or so and you’re at 20 (many restaurants in college towns will want you to work at least one lunch shift a week). I do think also there are benefits in terms of having to work with people all the time and learning how to make chit chat with total strangers that can help in interviews and when dealing with patients. Plus the money waiting tables tends to be better than retail. </p>
<p>But again, the main thing is that getting a job is not an excuse for not doing the other things.</p>
<p>If your family circumstances demand it, then absolutely do what you have to do. I know I’d be sympathetic to a candidate who skipped organizing a blood drive because she had to help support her family.</p>
<p>BRM is probably right that it’s balance-able, but I have to say: even if it’s not, I think you’re probably okay.</p>
<p>Be willing, however, to let the grades go a little bit, too, if that’s the trade-off. The extra activities will be worth more than a couple B’s here or there.</p>
<p>I just recently got a job offer, that may actually work out better for me because it would only be on the weekends and it’s kind of related to medicine, and definately related to what I’m interested in. I would be a program coordinator for a few teenagers with developmental disabilities at a residential home (I want to be a primary care-ish physician who works with people with DD’s).</p>
<p>I was wondering if this could possibly fall under “clinical experience” because a few of my duties revolve around supervising meds and working with the nurses and therapists to help perform daily activities. I think it is a bit like what I did as a CNA.</p>
<p>I’ve shadowed different primary care physicians before, but it’s kind of hard to have a good clinical experience with just the main doctor because there are so many people involved. </p>
<p>Regardless of whether it can be branded as “clinical” or not, I think this is a good way to get experience with the kind of patients I want to work with even if it isn’t necessarily in a medical setting. </p>
<p>Oh, and to the people who replied. I was just wondering if you could give me an idea of the amount of hours you spent each week on a part time jobs and extracirriculars and how you found a way to balance the two without going crazy</p>
<p>The job sounds ideal and it’s wonderful that it aligns so well with your interests! I’m sure the med schools will be very impressed with this experience!</p>
<p>Back in the 70s when I was in college, I worked 20 hours/week at a workstudy job on campus (it varied with each term). I also volunteered a lot–co-chaired the campus Y, was in the national student steering committee for national Y, volunteered as an “exceptional friend” (like BB/BS but with disabled child), typed papers for extra money, kept up great grades with a full courseload, wrote an honors thesis (like the capstone projects many schools have these days), was a teaching assistant and had a steady boyfriend. It was just a matter of working out a balance. Oh yea, I also applied to scholarships & FAid every year to stay in school</p>
<p>You start with the things most important to you and then add on as you are able to juggle well with the existing core activities.</p>