clinical expirience as lpn?

[muchdoctorpleaz]

I've read a couple threads saying it's not worth the time but I already finished my lpn schooling a while ago. Never got my license due to family issues then changed my career path and went straight to premed classes.

Anyway, is it worth taking the test for my lisence and working as an lpn? I have about a year till I apply . Will a doctor office or rehab position do anything for my application or am I better off volunteering in an E.R. or something? thanks

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[123456123456]

Personally, if I was in your boat I would take the test and work as an LPN rather than pay for an EMT cert of something else if you already finished the class. I do not know where you live but I know in the state I live LPNs are used only in nursing homes for the most part so keep that in mind. I think you should work as an LPN either full or part time depending on if you are taking classes/studying for the MCAT at the time & do clinical volunteering on top of that (a hospital or health clinic for people without insurance would be good). I would try to volunteer as much as possible but if you are working and going to school, a few hours a week should suffice. If you do not want to do LPN, maybe look into scribing but I definitely would not pay for an EMT course or anything if you already took the LPN class cause that would be a waste of money IMO

 

[NickNaylor]

I think that kind of experience would be great - it's "real world" clinical work, limited though it may be. I have no idea how expensive or involved the licensing process is or how easy it is to get work in that kind of position, but if the answer to both of those things is "not too hard" I say go for it. Clinical experience is clinical experience, and frankly I think you stand to learn more by working that by shadowing.

 

[Annabell Lee]

I'm working as an LPN. I don't really see how clinical volunteering would be better clinical experience than being a nurse (assuming you have other volunteer ECs).
You need to figure out if you could handle a nursing job on top of other activities obviously. Other than that, how long ago did you graduate? Depending on your state you might only have a certain time frame to take the NCLEX. Also, f its been a while can you handle studying for the NCLEX on top of everything else?
LPNs don't just work in nursing homes. A lot of us do, but there are no states that actually limit us to those positions and there are a lot of us in hospitals too.

For me I see the income and the fact that this is also leadership experience as benefits of nursing over volunteering.

 

[123456123456]

I'm working as an LPN. I don't really see how clinical volunteering would be better clinical experience than being a nurse (assuming you have other volunteer ECs).
You need to figure out if you could handle a nursing job on top of other activities obviously. Other than that, how long ago did you graduate? Depending on your state you might only have a certain time frame to take the NCLEX. Also, f its been a while can you handle studying for the NCLEX on top of everything else?
LPNs don't just work in nursing homes. A lot of us do, but there are no states that actually limit us to those positions and there are a lot of us in hospitals too.

For me I see the income and the fact that this is also leadership experience as benefits of nursing over volunteering.

I work as an ER scribe which is extremely valuable compared to volunteering but the places I interviewed at still wanted to know about volunteering too & shadowing specifically despite my job as a scribe.

 

[Annabell Lee]

I work as an ER scribe which is extremely valuable compared to volunteering but the places I interviewed at still wanted to know about volunteering too & shadowing specifically despite my job as a scribe.

That's why I said "assuming you have other volunteering ECs"
The benefit of clinical volunteering is that it can check two boxes at once (clinical experience and volunteer experience). Clinical jobs usually give you more patient contact as well as leadership opportunities and income. So really it depends on what areas of your app need the most improvement (and your financial situation).

 

[LizzyM]

Working as an LPN is good money, compared with some other jobs for pre-meds, and it is clinical experience. A couple hours per week of volunteering would show that you are involved in community service. Given the clinical experience on the job, you could do a non-clinical service such as a soup kitchen, pantry, tutoring program for kids, literacy or ESL for adults, settling refuges, Special Olympics. Even two hours per week can made a difference.