Clinical Experience?

[mrdespair]

Hi all,

Sorry to create a new post about clinical experience here, but I was unable to find older posts reflecting the same exact circumstances in which I find myself.

I am currently volunteering as an HIV tester, but I was told by my advisor that this would be considered "iffy" as a clinical volunteering because I do not interact with an MD in this setting. Does anyone have any idea as to whether or not medical schools would regard this as a clinical experience?

Thanks!

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[Dr. Jan Itor]

Do you interact with patients? If so, then yes.

 

[mrdespair]

Yes, I administer the HIV test and HIV counseling.

So it shouldn't be an issue that I don't interact with a physician (at most, I will interact with a nurse)? Is the rule of thumb just patient contact, regardless of the rest of the medical team you may or may not interact with?

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

To quote @LizzyM

"If you are close enough to smell patients then it is a clinical experience."

 

[DrMikeP]

You should do something for physician interaction like being a scribe. This might be clinical but it's weak at best. Do you want a weak spot in your app when you could make it stronger? Get a scribe job.

Beat of luck

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[wholeheartedly]

I think we're mixing up a couple different objectives here. You need to have patient interaction to get an uderstanding of what it's like to work with patients. That's what the HIV testing and counseling will count for.

You should also have interaction with physicians so you can get a sense of what they do to make sure that is what you want to do. Sometimes that experience is the same as the patient interaction one, others it's a separate activity like shadowing or working as a scribe or something.

 

[mrdespair]

Sorry I had to be away for a while, just now seeing the new replies.

I have spoken to a couple of med students who said this + shadowing should be a good combo for my app, which sounds like what you're also suggesting @wholeheartedly, and pretty much what I'm planning on going for. Thanks to all who replied!

 

[Jedi_Knight]

Is it still agreed that HIV clinic is good clinic experience on a med school app? My local HIV clinic has the following position available for volunteer:
HIV Test Counselor Purpose: To provide individuals HIV testing & behavioral risk-reduction counseling; inform clients of HIV status Volunteer responsibilities may include:  Testing individuals during Equitas Health’s walk-in hours and delivering test results  Testing individuals during large scale testing community testing events  Compiling data and data entry from HIV Test Counseling sessions Location: Equitas Health; Dayton, Ohio venues Training requirements: Volunteer Orientation, Client Centered Counseling training, shadowing of current test counselors, must have own transportation for off-site opportun

I am considering volunteering for this IF it will help on a med school app

 

[NonTrad16]

I don't know who would look down on it, especially if you get the opportunity to interact directly with patients, observe the roles of the other healthcare workers (social workers, nurses, etc), educate, etc. That said, if your only purpose is med school app boosting... I'd either find something else, or find a way to enhance the personal appeal.

I definitely strategically volunteered for my app, but they were for causes I personally found important and could speak to with that mindset. You'll need to speak about it in interviews, write about it in your app, and do so with interest. Additionally, you'll have to go and do it... as a non trad, it can be hard to find time to do everything the application requires, so you want to be able to find something that makes it "worth it" in the moment. Just my two cents...

 

[darmalee]

Is it still agreed that HIV clinic is good clinic experience on a med school app? My local HIV clinic has the following position available for volunteer:
HIV Test Counselor Purpose: To provide individuals HIV testing & behavioral risk-reduction counseling; inform clients of HIV status Volunteer responsibilities may include:  Testing individuals during Equitas Health’s walk-in hours and delivering test results  Testing individuals during large scale testing community testing events  Compiling data and data entry from HIV Test Counseling sessions Location: Equitas Health; Dayton, Ohio venues Training requirements: Volunteer Orientation, Client Centered Counseling training, shadowing of current test counselors, must have own transportation for off-site opportun

I am considering volunteering for this IF it will help on a med school app

I agree with the above poster. Don't do something purely because you want to put it on your application. I think that this sort of volunteering can be really meaningful in that you get to interact directly with a vulnerable patient population. These sorts of encounters can help shape for you whether or not medicine is really the right field for you and whether or not patient contact is something that you like.

I didn't do this sort of volunteering as a pre-med, but I did a lot of this type of thing as a medical student during my preclinical years. For me, it was what energized me and helped me remember what the end goal of all the classroom stuff was. Sure, getting into medical school is the short term goal, but ultimately - being a doctor is largely about connecting with and helping people.

If you think that you'll get meaning from volunteering at your HIV clinic, you should do it. If you just feel like you need an extra entry on your application, it's probably not a good use of your time.