Students should gain some volunteer or clinical experience in healthcare institutions, including hospitals, clinics, and hospices. Besides being able to serve and contribute to society, volunteering also provides an opportunity to learn and apply many useful skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. They should make the most of their volunteering experience by communicating with patients, nurses and doctors, offering their help, and reflecting on their own interests and aptitude thereafter.
Shadowing
Shadowing will help students decide for sure that they want to be a doctor. It will give them some insight into what a real, average day is like for a person in that specialty. Students will know what it’s like to actually be a doctor. It’s best to approach a doctor they like to shadow in person.
Volunteering
Volunteering of all kinds is helpful, but volunteering in medical settings is especially useful. The quality of the volunteering experience will also matter to us. It is much more meaningful to dedicate longer periods of time to projects that they are passionate about than to just attend several one day events (for example: Volunteer at Assisi Hospice, Singapore Association for The Deaf etc.)