Hey all, I haven’t been around here in a while- really really busy with degree work- but I’ve had an interesting opportunity come up and I’d like to know what you all think about it.
I’m in a graduate program at a major medical school working on an MS in Biomedical Science. A few days ago, an e-mail went out that the school will be starting a post-bacc program this fall, and is looking for graduate students to TA the courses. I know I’m eminently qualified to be one. I have a BS in bio, I’m carrying a strong graduate GPA, and the administration likes me. I’ve also been a teacher on the high school level and was a biology TA when I was an undergraduate. To be honest, I’m not sure how I could be more qualified. My question is this: is this experience something that could somehow be helpful when I apply to medical school myself?
My gut says yes, of course. Realistically, I’m not sure. The strategic plan is that I won’t actually be applying to medical for another 5-7 years. My fiancee (who many of you met at last summer’s convention) is starting a Pharm-D program in the Fall, and I won’t have the means to start on the path to medical school until she’s finished with her program, or her PGY-1/2 if she opts to do a residency (I think the likelihood is that she probably does). Moreover, I expect to apply exclusively to DO programs, which means I won’t be applying at the school I’m currently at (only has an MD program). So it’s not as if I can drop a “remember me?” when I apply to medical school, since I won’t be applying to Jefferson, and a significant enough amount of time will pass that I wouldn’t feel comfortable going back for letters of recommendation. The only benefit for medical school I expect to gain is to be able to put this experience on my application and/or talk about it in an interview.
Of course, my final decision will involve more than whether or not this will help my med school applications- I could use the money and I really love teaching. But I’d like to know if this could be helpful to my medical career as well.
Thanks!
As an addendum, I have one major reason I’m apprehensive about this- that is, focus. I know I’m not even starting my prerequisites until 2017, and not starting medical school until 2020. And that’s the best case scenario. One major issue I have is focus. I know that if I want to get to medical school eventually, I need to be successful in what I’m working at now. But when I start thinking how incredibly long my path is going to be I feel a frustrated, at which point FUD starts creeping in, which hurts my focus on being successful with my current work, which ultimately hurts the long-term goal. When I first came to Jefferson, it felt great to be at a medical college (albeit in the graduate program) surrounded by all the white coats. Now it’s the opposite- it’s a constant reminder of where I could be now if not for some unfortunate incidents when I was an undergraduate. And I doubt that teaching a class in a post-bacc program is going to help that any.
If you want to do it and you would enjoy it and it would cement the material in a different way, do it. You can ask people to write letters to send to Interfolio to keep on file. You can keep in touch once a year, or so, just a “remember me?” e-mail. They can, if they do remember you, update the letter when it is time for you to apply. My non-science academic recommendation letter was from my library school advisor from more than ten years prior to my application.
I hope this helps.
I know this may be the most controversial statement on OPM, but there is more to the experiences we collect than if they will help us get into med school. (!) When you teach, you become intimately familiar with the subject matter. Does it seem as though knowing this subject matter will be something you will be able to benefit from in the future? Something to think about… Good luck!
- Artman Said:
What! that is blasphemy!How can you possibly not be completely cutthroat and shallow not to simply pad your application... Oh sorry, I thought I was on that other premed site.
(!) When you teach, you become intimately familiar with the subject matter. Does it seem as though knowing this subject matter will be something you will be able to benefit from in the future? Something to think about... Good luck!
I become quite successful and integrated with the much younger students in my DIY PB by becoming at first becoming an informal TA in my chemistry class, then formally. And more importantly, I enjoyed it.
Best wishes, Fedaykin! (seems like an Anne McCaffrey name, somehow…)
One other thing to think about. I applied for a GTA position in my med school (which I didn’t get but am somewhat relieved as it would have held me up a year :). They pointed out that if you ever want to teach (even adjunct faculty) in a DO med school, it’s crucial to have had some teaching experience and a GTA position would fulfill that. This was less compelling for me as I have 6 + years of teaching in my background - but I thought you should add it to what you expect to get out of it.
Also, being involved with the post-bacc program will make you expert when you go to apply yourself as you will be VERY familiar with the intricacies.
Perhaps your path is not only to become a physician yourself but to help others on their journeys to become physicians --I think this is true of myself and feel that is part my reason for being here in med school, to help my fellow students, and also why I’m on this board so much!
Kate
Kate, I could be confusing you with someone else, but I thought you into science fiction. Surely you remember the warrior caste of the Fremen in Dune?
Germane to the topic, easy come and easy go. I got a cordial reply that the e-mail sait "graduate students," but by that it actually meant by that doctoral candidates. I'm working on an MS. C'est la vie.
You should do it only if you like to and would enjoy being a TA. There are several advantages that others have already mentioned, and if you’re planning to apply to med school this would definitely add more credentials to your portfolio. If you want to finish med ed sooner, you can reduce your residency time by going for something like a pharmacy residency (NJ) , which only takes 12 months.
Fedaykin –
oh, of course! Couldn’t forget Dune.
In my defense, there IS an Fellessin and a Fanderol … was thinking I just had forgotten on of the F’___ dragonriders :)(F’lor (felorrin), F’lar, etc). No one else much uses “F” names.
Kate
I TA’d in grad school and loved it. I didn’t ask either of the professors I worked for to write a letter of rec, although my department chair did. But beyond credentials- I just loved the experience. It also gave me something else to talk about/write about on applications and interviews and kept my mind refreshed on science outside of my research topic.
Based on what you said - you like teaching, could use the money, don’t seem to be in an immediate rush to matriculate, I’d definitely go for it! I can’t think of any ways it would HURT a future med school application, but if you keep avenues of communication open there are lots of ways it could help.
- Kate429 Said:
oh, of course! Couldn't forget Dune.
In my defense, there IS an Fellessin and a Fanderol .... was thinking I just had forgotten on of the F'___ dragonriders :)(F'lor (felorrin), F'lar, etc). No one else much uses "F" names.
Kate
Post of the Day! Pern and Dune in one day is definitely made of win. Hmm... t-shirt idea: He Who Controls the Spice Controls the MCAT.
Right, Pixie! I’m sure Menolly could compose “The Ballad of the Fremen”
Do you realize that if the Silmarillion allowed people to cross worlds to Pern, that Fingolfin and Finarfin could become F’olfin and F’arfin. Sounds like they may have gotten their hands on some bad shrimp…
(and this is why I shouldn’t get on here in the middle of the night!!)
Kate
I am the sum of all of my experiences. Experiences sweeten and enrich who I am.