How to get initial exposure to medical field during a pandemic

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

I’m facing a rather unique challenge. I got a BA in English Literature 6 years ago. I’ve had interest in becoming a doctor for a few years now, in the ‘back burner’ of my mind, but I’ve been actively thinking about exploring it since December 2019. I would need to (obviously) do a post bacc, but don’t want to spend any money on classes until I have worked/volunteered in a hospital or clinical setting, to make absolute certain medicine is the right path for me. I was in the process of starting to reach out to places for volunteer opportunities in March and then the pandemic put everything on shut down. I have been told volunteers are not allowed anymore in hospital/clinical settings, to reduce (unnecessary) exposure.

What do I do? I want to know once and for all whether this is the path I should commit to. I’ve thought about just starting my post bacc online now but I really don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a post bacc before having volunteered in that setting first. Money is tight, and I only want to spend it on something I am certain of. Are there capacities you can suggest I should work in remotely that can serve as the next best thing during this COVID time? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated, and I‘m so very thankful for this community.

Thank you!!

2

Hello,

You can try working as a medical scribe to gain clinical experience and earn money for a premed post bacc (if you decide medicine is the right path for you). As a scribe you get to shadow doctors and observe patient care, become part of a medical team, learn medical terminology, and influence patient care by facilitating the physician’s job through electronic chart documentation. You can check out Scribe America or any of your local hospitals to see if they’re currently hiring scribes.

Here’s a relevant site: https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/articles/2016-04-26/10-reasons-to-consider-becoming-a-medical-scribe-ahead-of-med-school

I know some clinics/hospitals/ and I believe even Scribe America offer virtual/remote scribing opportunities so that might be a good way to gain insight into medicine!

Good luck and stay safe :slight_smile:

4

This is such a great idea, thank you so much for reaching out and taking the time to answer my question! I’ll definitely look more into this.

5

You’ve given me so much to think about, and a lot of new avenues to explore here. I really appreciate your time, and am excited to look more into all of this! Thank you very much!