Small Towns

I get asked often about where I'm going to to school. I tell them the same small town where I got my bachelor's degree. Most give me a puzzled look. Really? Of all the places you could be, you chose a pit-stop* town. [*Pit-stop town - a town between two cities that one only stops by to get gas at. ] While I sometimes miss the bustling and life of a larger city, going back to this small town is very beneficial for me: Volunteering.

Let me give you an example. Tomorrow I'm going to be going in hopefully (assuming the patient gives me permission) observe a gall bladder removal. One of the doctors I normally shadow will be performing the procedure and it's very easy for me to get this experience. For those of you thinking it would be fun to practice medicine this is the tried and true method to tell if you can stomach seeing the guts. I was worried my first observation too. "Would I get dizzy?" "What if I feel like I have to throw up?" You'll have to find this out for yourself. For me, when they cut into the patient I was like "dude, awesome. Let's see more of that!"
I guess it's another reaffirming sign that I made a good decision.

But I digress, reasons for going to a small town to volunteer at a hospital.

1. Less paperwork/Less Redtape
Let me tell you about how I started volunteering at the hospital. I walked in one day and asked the gift shop lady if I could.
Me: I want to do something more hands on.
Gift shop: oh, we only have volunteers that want to sell flowers and comfort guests while they're waiting in the lobby. Let me send you to the nurses station.
After five minutes of waiting I'm talking to the HR person.
HR: I'm going to take your picture.
Me: Umm... for what?
HR: A badge. You'll need a badge if you're going to be volunteering.
Me: Sweet.

I got a badge and a task to do. I made welcome packets for the inpatients. I volunteered 3-4 days out of the week and got to know the staff pretty well. Afterwards, I started shadowing doctors and now I get to observe surgeries. One of the surgeons told me that one time he wanted to observe a surgery in the city because they were using a new method. He told me he was treated like a criminal when he asked because they were suspicious and wanted documentation and paperwork and a whole other assortment of things. In a small town, it's pretty easy to bypass that.

2. Less people to get to know
I hate meeting new people. In a city, the medical field is very compartmentalized. A heart surgeon here, a podiatrist there. To get experience in all those areas, you'd have to meet people. Another round of introductions, another round of ass kissing. In a rural area, they don't have the luxuries of compartmentalization. They have to do more and this is where the person shadowing gets benefit from that. Like I said earlier, one of the doctors I follow will be performing this procedure. In addition to that, I know pretty much everyone in several departments so I can hop around if I get bored. This is fantastic.

People told me that these volunteer experiences are crucial into getting into medical school. While I'm still debating how much it actually factors in, I'm covering my ass and volunteering regardless. And you know what? I actually enjoy it.