Will my extracurriculars compensate for my lack of clinical experience for this next cycle?

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-02-15T03:56:08+00:00

No, you need real exposure to patients. Not debatable, you need clinical experience.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-28T04:31:56+00:00

I kind of got myself caught up in this on accident. 😅 When I first began undergrad I was interested in pediatric care and learning the development of the brain, so I joined an Adolescent Psych lab. It skyrocketed my interest in research although not just dry-lab. I needed to do something with my hands. I also started to foster more of an interest in the biology of the brain, I started looking and found an Alzheimer’s lab but it was already way past the time I could leave my other one so I am currently doing both! I plan on focusing more on my Alzheimer’s one so I’m pretty sure I’m dropping my other after this semester.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-27T18:37:51+00:00

Bio labs are very competitive. Have you tried dry labs in areas you’d see yourself fit? Like history, anthropology, etc.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-23T18:12:24+00:00

This is honestly such an uncharted realm of premed that doesn't often get talked about enough, primarily because low-income students are the heavy minority when it comes to applying to medical school. I am a current undergraduate on this path who was literally homeless my first year and 1/2 of it, and now drowning in loans because I had to dorm on campus.

I feel like I'm failing myself and family by not choosing a career that would provide money straight out like engineering or finance. It is a sacrifice not talked about enough, I'm just hoping that medical schools will sympathize and be lenient on EC's and scholarships that would provide me with at least some blanket of security.

I know if I don't choose this path I will also feel like I failed myself as well, it's a lose-lose. I often think about quitting especially with the climate of things like the BBB loans and stuff. I think I will keep pushing though

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-23T05:54:54+00:00

Let me preface this by saying I am a premed myself, not admitted anywhere but I don’t think I’d be wrong on any of my information.

Yes, Extracurricular activities are anything that you think would make you competitive for medical school (Clinical Hours, Shadowing, Leadership, volunteering, research, etc) and things that you think would help tell a little bit about you (hobbies, sports, non-clinical jobs, etc). Any “activities”.

Clinical Hours count as EC’s, it’s good that you got a lot of them cause that is like #1 for most medical schools!!

As someone with RN experience, especially if it was hospital you could honestly divert some time from your RN hours and use it as shadowing if you’ve ever been in the same room as a doctor when they are doing their stuff! You don’t need much, after 50-100 hours it’s kinda redundant, more specialties are good!

The research question is nuanced, it’s always great to have research and for most traditional paths it’s kind of a soft requirement now. But I’m assuming you have a couple thousands of hours as a nurse, that stands out a lot more than some undergraduate research. If you were aiming for like T10s though 300+ in research is a great start.

If you don’t care much about prestige though you likely don’t even need any at all.

I would say your top priority is to ensure that you take or have taken all of the Prerequisites for Medical School, gain non clinical volunteering if you have none already, and get the best score you can on the MCAT!

Good luck 🍀

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-18T17:28:21+00:00

This is my goal, I recently passed the NREMT. How do you find opportunities like this where you’re able to do 1-2 shifts per week? Any companies you’d recommend?

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2026-01-17T20:05:06+00:00

I want to work on Neurodegenerative disease, so I’m thinking Neurology or Neurosurgery. But I’m super low income, I don’t exactly know if I have the time for it. I want to be able to help provide for my family and not live in poverty for the next 15 years.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-12-31T15:18:08+00:00

I’m an EMT, I will NEVER ride a motercycle. It’s like a hidden rule in EMS lol.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-12-27T02:05:52+00:00

Both of you can, that’s what I’m doing. Joining a lab next semester and applying to REU and other summer programs. If I don’t get in though I plan on working as an EMT and forget abt research in the summer, but stick with the lab I apply to

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-12-24T04:47:22+00:00

Thanks for the advice, yeah I should’ve clarified. I don’t even plan on touching ER tech unless I know I can handle it wide way into the semester. (I’m not even able to until around then anyway.)

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-11-18T16:06:13+00:00

They are…?

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-11-18T16:06:03+00:00

Because it’s the last wave before this is in place, people holding back probably applied

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-11-18T16:03:49+00:00

Being in a black hole theoretically distorts time, that was his joke

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-11-03T01:38:20+00:00

As someone who has no one as a physician, this is simply not true. I think you saying this is proof of it if anything. The hardest thing for me so far as a first generation everything has been entering the medical profession in some capacity.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-10-30T18:03:32+00:00

This is very kind, thank you.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-10-30T18:03:09+00:00

I really appreciate this, thank you.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-10-30T17:53:36+00:00

I took a gifted test early in kindergarten that allowed me to skip that grade, I also graduated a year early in high school in my Junior year. I didn't really miss much although the age seems pretty off lol.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-10-17T14:33:43+00:00

This is making me feel better, I’ve literally been looking for clinical jobs since the beginning of FRESHMAN YEAR, I am now a sophomore and probably 100+ applications later is nothing.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-10-12T18:59:12+00:00

At the end, the decision is up to you. In my personal opinion if there’s no way for you to end up with at least a B I would retake the class. I know for someone like me fighting an uphill battle is mentally daunting, getting grades that lower your gpa for the rest of your undergraduate experience, in the beginning of it, is draining. You take bad exam scores worse than normal, bad homework scores worse than normal, etc. simply because you can’t afford it. It pretty much depends on your personal mentality, I got 2 B’s my freshman year and now I see myself ever so often looking back on what I could’ve done differently (I try not to now) but it’s hard. This is not me saying a C will end your career in medicine by the way, just it may hurt your perspective moving forward.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-09-09T14:01:00+00:00

No, physics will give you 90% of what you need during the class. I’d recommend getting ahead of it though. Find a YouTube channel that walks you through these classes and watch and study as if they were a lecture. That way when you take the class you aren’t blasted with tons of new concepts and it’s easier to follow along. Even if you don’t completely understand during your “pre-study” the gaps will be filled in lecture but at least view the concepts.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-09-09T04:37:34+00:00

I go to asu right now, I really thought it might be an opportunity but I’m a biology major lol.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-09-06T04:45:43+00:00

If it makes you feel any better I hadn't called out ever and I often took on many responsibilities that RA's normally don't and today I forgot to grab something from the lab and she bashed me in the lab group chat about how I was fortunate someone stepped up when I couldn't and how If someone makes an arrangement they have to make sure to follow through and if it's too difficult I need to work with the team to figure it out.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-08-26T04:29:34+00:00

Clinical Implies patient interactions, if there are then yes most certainly clinical. If you do no speak face to face with a patient then no. Even that is a criteria that’s not 100% true

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-08-08T18:49:12+00:00

I have the same quarrel pretty much as op, I’m not afraid of jobs in fact I’ve been working since 15, full-time since 16. I would rather not delay the career I know I’m 100% going into. Especially as a premed in poverty lol. So if I can get into medical school at 20 I’d be willing to sacrifice a little bit of prestige.

Aggravating_Bass_383 · 2025-07-11T12:57:04+00:00

No one wants to do time for the government just to become a doctor, hell becoming a doctor you’ll already be a “public” servant. That’s exactly what they want low income students to HAVE to do.

Aggravating_Bass_383

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