Volunteering Vs Hospital Work

T12 · Feb 16, 2008

I recently started a job as a transporter at a fairly large hospital. I go all over, see a wide variety of specialties up close and personal, and interact with patients on a physical, social, and emotional level. Personally I consider it to be a great experience in that I'm beginning to really value the time I get to spend with patients.

As I am aware, transportation isn't considered clinical experience, so would volunteering at the ER/free clinic be a better investment of my time? In that regard, how is such volunteerwork "more clinical" than assisting patients as a transporter?

What do you guys think? Is work as a transporter relevant enough of hospital experience to be relied on primarily as my most significant source of experience in clinical settings?

bigDee · Feb 16, 2008

You said you see patients "up close and personal, and interact with patients on a physical, social, and emotional level. " So first you say you're doing the textbook definition of clinical experience, but somehow you're not? lol

brianmartin · Feb 16, 2008

If you are in a hospital around patients, then it's clinical experience. As long as you are getting something out of it. However I'm not sure how you are connecting with patients physically, emotionally, and socially. You're pushing them around in a bed 🙂

Rely on it as the most significant clinical experience? Probably not. For that you will need to shadow doctors and do more observing of real clinical work (or participate in it). But the transporting thing is good experience, definitely don't downplay it.

Textuality · Feb 16, 2008

I think part of the reason adcomms like to see clinical work is to see if you know what the day of the doctor is like, what the doctor-patient relationship is like, and the roll of the doctor in the hospital and how he/she relates to the rest of the hospital team. So while the OP might be getting lots of patient contact, maybe the OP's worried about not getting enough of the other stuff that shows that the OP knows what it's like to be a doctor (and not a nurse/PA/other health professionals that also have a lot of patient contact)?

Instatewaiter · Feb 16, 2008

T12 said:
I recently started a job as a transporter at a fairly large hospital. I go all over, see a wide variety of specialties up close and personal, and interact with patients on a physical, social, and emotional level. Personally I consider it to be a great experience in that I'm beginning to really value the time I get to spend with patients.

As I am aware, transportation isn't considered clinical experience, so would volunteering at the ER/free clinic be a better investment of my time? In that regard, how is such volunteerwork "more clinical" than assisting patients as a transporter?

What do you guys think? Is work as a transporter relevant enough of hospital experience to be relied on primarily as my most significant source of experience in clinical settings?

Physically being in a clinic setting is not the same as clinical experience. You need to be observing the history taking, physical and procedures for it to be considered clinical. Just coming in and taking Mrs Johnson for her KUB after the doctor has already gotten finished doesnt count as the best clinical experience. At best you are just getting pieces of the important stuff. Outside of shadowing, there is really very little that you can do in a hospital.

I recommend that people volunteer in a hospital, volunteer in an ER AND volunteer at a free clinic. The free clinic will give you the most hands on experience where you'll probably be taking BP and a rudamentary history.

Law2Doc · Feb 16, 2008

brianmartin said:
If you are in a hospital around patients, then it's clinical experience.

True, but in adcom's eyes there are better and worse forms of clinical experience. Lacking in a transporter job tends to be the exposure to the physician patient interaction. I would squeeze in some ED volunteering if you can, to cover your bases.

Mobius1985 · Feb 16, 2008

Sounds to me like you are having more clinical exposure as a transporter than I ever did as a volunteer in the ER, where I was assigned to assist the person who did vital signs (who had no need of assistance). Still, "if you are close enough to smell patients, it is a clinical experience".

T12 · Feb 16, 2008

I suppose the real question should be, considering I have no more time to spare in a given day, should I quit the job as a transporter to volunteer? If so, where does one best find that strictly "clinically" defined position as a volunteer.

Also, in the sense that these clinical experiences should allow one to see the patient-doctor interaction specifically, how does volunteering (or anything else) allow that to any greater degree than working as a transporter. (In all cases save shadowing, you're simply a bystander who happens to listen in)

I see how the patient-doctor relationship is not seen specifically all that much with regard to transporting, but the broader healthcare worker-patient relationship is experienced (seen, heard, and practiced) every minute of the job. Isn't this very relevant?

deuce924 · Feb 16, 2008

I volunteered throughout my undergrad and I also worked as a transporter during the summers. In my opinion, I saw 10x more as a transporter than a volunteer in recovery and ER. Like you said, I got to interact with patients while also seeing various parts of the hospital I would otherwise not get to see. I would consider transporting as clinical experience. I listed both my volunteering and my job as a transporter on my AMCAS.

roja · Feb 16, 2008

Agree with above. Your experiences as a transporter are great. You will get good experience seeing what its like to be a patient. You also need to have experience seeing what its like to be a doctor.

I tend to tell people NOT to volunteer in an ER. 90% of medicine doesn't look like the ED. Its a great place to see alot but you won't see the wolrd that the vast majority of specialties live in.

deuce924 · Feb 16, 2008

T12 said:
I suppose the real question should be, considering I have no more time to spare in a given day, should I quit the job as a transporter to volunteer? If so, where does one best find that strictly "clinically" defined position as a volunteer.

Also, in the sense that these clinical experiences should allow one to see the patient-doctor interaction specifically, how does volunteering (or anything else) allow that to any greater degree than working as a transporter. (In all cases save shadowing, you're simply a bystander who happens to listen in)

I see how the patient-doctor relationship is not seen specifically all that much with regard to transporting, but the broader healthcare worker-patient relationship is experienced (seen, heard, and practiced) every minute of the job. Isn't this very relevant?

I would not quit the job. You are actually making money which you wouldn't as a volunteer and you actual get to see and do more.

T12 · Feb 16, 2008

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm planning on working a second job as a scribe in the summer, to me that's the best position of all.

Has anyone ever had their experience as a transporter downplayed by an interviewer?

deuce924 · Feb 16, 2008

I never had being a transporter downplayed. Actually it very rarely came up in the interview. It seemed like my interviewers were interested in my shadowing experience above any other of my clinical experiences. This may have been because I shadowed a wide range of physicians from Gen Surgeon, Family Med, Anesthesiologist, and ENT. Anyway I don't think they would downplay your transporter experience as long as you supplement it with some volunteering in other ares like Law2Doc said previously.

T12 · Feb 16, 2008

If not downplayed explicitly, has anyone ever heard from reliable and knowledgeable sources that working as a transporter is not particularly good experience in the eyes of schools?

I'm sure I could convince them otherwise with enough time...but its not necessarily what I think that counts.

Volunteering Vs Hospital Work

T12

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bigDee

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brianmartin

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Textuality

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Instatewaiter

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Law2Doc

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Mobius1985

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T12

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deuce924

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roja

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deuce924

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T12

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deuce924

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T12

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