Hey, I’m currently a 2-year student on the pre-med track, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to get started with clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, and research in San Diego. I know I'm really behind on this. I feel like there are a lot of options, but it’s honestly kind of overwhelming and I don’t really know where to start.
Right now I’m mainly looking for hospital volunteering or something that actually involves patient interaction. I’ve heard that some positions are more administrative, so I’m trying to find something that’s actually considered “clinical” and meaningful for med school. If anyone has volunteered at places like UCSD Health, Scripps, or the VA, I’d love to hear what your experience was like and what roles you recommend.
I’m also confused about shadowing. How are people finding doctors to shadow? Are you just cold emailing, or are there programs or clubs that help with that? Same with research, where can I find it? I know it’s important but I’m not sure if I should focus on clinical stuff first or try to start research at the same time.
If anyone has advice or recommendations on where to volunteer, how to get shadowing, or how to get into research at UCSD, I’d really appreciate it. I just want to make sure I’m starting in the right direction. thank you reading