examples of clinical exposure

[deleted421268]

They say med schools want clinical exposure. Asides from volunteering, shadowing, Cna, EMT, scribing, and hospital jobs what are examples of clinical exposure? Something that doesn't require training? Say something worth doing in school year a person can do who relys on taxi service.

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[Lost in Translation]

Scribing isn't really clinical exposure.

Just volunteer in a hospital, make sure the job description includes patient contact. Very few of those require any sort of training.

What you're describing sounds like you want patients to visit you when you want them to. That's not how this works.

 

[deleted421268]

Scribing isn't really clinical exposure.

Just volunteer in a hospital, make sure the job description includes patient contact. Very few of those require any sort of training.

What you're describing sounds like you want patients to visit you when you want them to. That's not how this works.

No I'm going to the setting but just have to accommodate for transportation limitations during school year

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Pretty much any clinical experience is going to ultimately fall under the category of volunteering or working... But you could do this in many different settings. If you're concerned about transportation, look for the closest doctor's office/hospital/free clinic/nursing home/hospice to where you go to school. Volunteers rarely need any kind of formal experience beyond an eagerness to learn and help out with whatever is needed.

 

[gp2]

Pretty much any clinical experience is going to ultimately fall under the category of volunteering or working... But you could do this in many different settings. If you're concerned about transportation, look for the closest doctor's office/hospital/free clinic/nursing home/hospice to where you go to school. Volunteers rarely need any kind of formal experience beyond an eagerness to learn and help out with whatever is needed.

I have a question about what kind of volunteer activities. I have been having a hard time finding available volunteer positions at local hospitals and clinics. I have been looking into nursing homes and they have available positions but they don't seem very clinically related, ex.

• Assist residents to and from group activities.
• Distribute and read mail to residents.
• Visit residents with a bedside activity.
• Read to those whose eyesight is poor.
• Assist in arts and crafts.

Are these considered clinical or simply volunteering?

 

[Catalystik]

They say med schools want clinical exposure. Asides from volunteering, shadowing, Cna, EMT, scribing, and hospital jobs what are examples of clinical exposure? Something that doesn't require training? Say something worth doing in school year a person can do who relys on taxi service.

-Medical office receptionist (part-time).
-Assisting in data gathering for a research project where you work directly with current patients.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I have a question about what kind of volunteer activities. I have been having a hard time finding available volunteer positions at local hospitals and clinics. I have been looking into nursing homes and they have available positions but they don't seem very clinically related, ex.

• Assist residents to and from group activities.
• Distribute and read mail to residents.
• Visit residents with a bedside activity.
• Read to those whose eyesight is poor.
• Assist in arts and crafts.

Are these considered clinical or simply volunteering?

Yes, I would think so. @LizzyM famously says that if you're close enough that you can smell the patient, it's clinical. My understanding is that it's the interaction with sick people that makes it "clinical experience," not necessarily what you're doing. Most pre-meds won't be able to actually DO anything clinical anyway without some kind of further training. (And even so, I personally wouldn't think that taking vitals or drawing blood would be looked at more highly than reading to patients but that's just my two cents.)

 

[gp2]

Yes, I would think so. @LizzyM famously says that if you're close enough that you can smell the patient, it's clinical. My understanding is that it's the interaction with sick people that makes it "clinical experience," not necessarily what you're doing. Most pre-meds won't be able to actually DO anything clinical anyway without some kind of further training. (And even so, I personally wouldn't think that taking vitals or drawing blood would be looked at more highly than reading to patients but that's just my two cents.)

Thank you for your answer. I was not thinking about the activities in that way. So, if I have no volunteer experience in an actual hospital/clinic setting but I have shadowed physicians in those settings, will that be enough to have good exposure?

 

[LizzyM]

I would consider scribing to be clinical experience. The trouble with nursing homes is that those are residential facilities. Are the people who live there patients or residents? That said, if it is not clinical, it is still a good service activity that gives you insights into the lives of people who are different from yourself (age, abilities, etc).

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Thank you for your answer. I was not thinking about the activities in that way. So, if I have no volunteer experience in an actual hospital/clinic setting but I have shadowed physicians in those settings, will that be enough to have good exposure?

I think it's probably a good idea to have some experience where you actually interact with patients (beyond just observing a doctor interacting with them), if you can. But shadowing is an important part of your application, too.

If hospitals and nursing homes don't work out, you could try hospice. End of life care is so important and often overlooked. I would only do this if you're really interested in it but I've heard it's something that medical schools value.

 

[gp2]

I would consider scribing to be clinical experience. The trouble with nursing homes is that those are residential facilities. Are the people who live there patients or residents? That said, if it is not clinical, it is still a good service activity that gives you insights into the lives of people who are different from yourself (age, abilities, etc).

Thank you for distinguishing between residents or patients. The place I am looking at "offers premier inpatient and outpatient short-term rehabilitation, post-acute short-term rehabilitation and post-operative recovery; many facilities offer on-site physicians to serve residents and patients." Should I be looking for something that is specifically patients-only?

 

[gp2]

I think it's probably a good idea to have some experience where you actually interact with patients (beyond just observing a doctor interacting with them), if you can. But shadowing is an important part of your application, too.

If hospitals and nursing homes don't work out, you could try hospice. End of life care is so important and often overlooked. I would only do this if you're really interested in it but I've heard it's something that medical schools value.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a lot of prior volunteer experience working with the elderly and will look into it more. Would hospice be considered clinical or more of general volunteering or would it depend on the activity?

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a lot of prior volunteer experience working with the elderly and will look into it more. Would hospice be considered clinical or more of general volunteering or would it depend on the activity?

Hm. I can't say for certain but I would think that hospice would be considered clinical since everyone there is terminally ill. As opposed to nursing homes or assisted living facilities, where some people may just be there because they're old and can no longer care for themselves. I wouldn't stress too much about these distinctions, though, because all of these experiences will show adcoms your altruism. I would choose whichever sounds most interesting/enjoyable to you! And if you are interested in geriatrics or palliative care, it also shows that you've put the time into exploring a potential future specialty.

 

[Catalystik]

Would hospice be considered clinical or more of general volunteering or would it depend on the activity?

Depends on your role. If you are mainly doing grocery shopping, laundry, or cleaning the house, then it's not "clinical". If, OTOH, you are interacting with the hospice patient, then it would be.

 

[Ismet]

Scribing isn't really clinical exposure.

Uh...it is. You're seeing what a doctor does and you're playing a role in it. Much better exposure than just standing in the corner shadowing or bringing warm blankets to patients.

 

[Annabell Lee]

I would consider scribing to be clinical experience. The trouble with nursing homes is that those are residential facilities. Are the people who live there patients or residents? That said, if it is not clinical, it is still a good service activity that gives you insights into the lives of people who are different from yourself (age, abilities, etc).

That makes me worry. I'm a nurse at a nursing home that also has a rehabilitation unit. By the time I apply I should have over 2,000 hours of clinical experience in this setting. Is there a risk adcoms wont view this as "clinical" since I have "residents" instead of "patients"? Or is his more relevant to volunteer positions?
My premed neurosis is kicking in.

I was considering picking up a part time or perdiem assignment in a hospital or other acute care setting during the summer months (in addition o my current job) to round out my clinical experience more. Do you think that is necessary?

 

[Lost in Translation]

Uh...it is. You're seeing what a doctor does and you're playing a role in it. Much better exposure than just standing in the corner shadowing or bringing warm blankets to patients.

I've done both. I've had a better exposure to patients doing the latter than the former. It seems this forum likes to glorify scribing as this god-tier experience. It definitely depends on where you're working, but scribing is not better for clinical exposure to patients than volunteering in a setting where you actually work with patients. If your scribing experience is anything more than sitting at a computer typing up notes, it's an atypical experience.

Disclaimer: N=1, but my clinical volunteering puts me in a position where I am essentially a PCT with the benefits of being able to chat with docs and nurses and other hospital staff. When I scribed, I barely spoke to patients, instead mostly writing down what a nurse had already taken from the patient.

 

[Ismet]

I've done both. I've had a better exposure to patients doing the latter than the former. It seems this forum likes to glorify scribing as this god-tier experience. It definitely depends on where you're working, but scribing is not better for clinical exposure to patients than volunteering in a setting where you actually work with patients. If your scribing experience is anything more than sitting at a computer typing up notes, it's an atypical experience.

Disclaimer: N=1, but my clinical volunteering puts me in a position where I am essentially a PCT with the benefits of being able to chat with docs and nurses and other hospital staff. When I scribed, I barely spoke to patients, instead mostly writing down what a nurse had already taken from the patient.

Doing paperwork takes up a large portion of the clinical workday. The point of clinical exposure is twofold: to see what it's like to interact with patients, and (more importantly IMO) to see what it's really like to be a physician in order to break down the idealistic views many people have about medicine. It's also good to see the roles of nurses and support staff, as they are vital to the care of patients and all too often their work is under-appreciated.

Are there bad scribing jobs? Sure. I'm sorry you didn't have good clinical exposure in your situation. Would I say "scribing isn't really clinical exposure"? Absolutely not. The scribes I've seen follow the nurse and physician and take notes during the encounter. It's essentially shadowing and typing/writing. But I'm sure the procedure varies by institution.

There are also excellent clinical volunteering jobs, and it sounds like you found one. Not everyone is so lucky. My very first hospital volunteering stint was on the neuro floor where maybe 1-2 patients were actually awake/alert, and my time was spent stocking welcome kits and doing busy work for the charge nurse (like making time sheets and calculating random stuff). I was still helping the workflow, sure, but after a couple months of that, I would have thought it would be really cool to learn the EMR and put some stuff in a patient's chart.

 

[notofimportance143]

Thank you for distinguishing between residents or patients. The place I am looking at "offers premier inpatient and outpatient short-term rehabilitation, post-acute short-term rehabilitation and post-operative recovery; many facilities offer on-site physicians to serve residents and patients." Should I be looking for something that is specifically patients-only?

I work at a facility like this. While I love working with patients (amputees, ATV accidents, post surgery, etc.) on the short term side, I wouldn't trade my experience with the long term residents for anything.

I don't think you can go wrong at a place like this. If you get to work with both patients and residents. But if you are just in it for clinical exposure you could look for a facility with just patients.

I volunteer at a hospital and enjoy that as well.

 

[LizzyM]

That makes me worry. I'm a nurse at a nursing home that also has a rehabilitation unit. By the time I apply I should have over 2,000 hours of clinical experience in this setting. Is there a risk adcoms wont view this as "clinical" since I have "residents" instead of "patients"? Or is his more relevant to volunteer positions?
My premed neurosis is kicking in.

I was considering picking up a part time or perdiem assignment in a hospital or other acute care setting during the summer months (in addition o my current job) to round out my clinical experience more. Do you think that is necessary?

A nurse you are following physicians orders, pouring and passing meds, examining patients for signs of infection or skin breakdown, and so forth. This is clinical; calling bingo numbers is not clinical but, as mentioned earlier, service to those in need is of value.

 

[Goro]

Even if it';s not clinical per se, in the the residents are not sick or injured, just by being around the elderly, the frail, the demented, and those close to their mortality is an eye opener, and tells me that you're not afraid of mortality. So in my, this is a lot better than stacking things in the supply cabinet, or answering questions at the Info Desk.

I would consider scribing to be clinical experience. The trouble with nursing homes is that those are residential facilities. Are the people who live there patients or residents? That said, if it is not clinical, it is still a good service activity that gives you insights into the lives of people who are different from yourself (age, abilities, etc).

 

[gp2]

Thank you everyone for your clarifications and suggestions. I really appreciate the input.

Hm. I can't say for certain but I would think that hospice would be considered clinical since everyone there is terminally ill. As opposed to nursing homes or assisted living facilities, where some people may just be there because they're old and can no longer care for themselves. I wouldn't stress too much about these distinctions, though, because all of these experiences will show adcoms your altruism. I would choose whichever sounds most interesting/enjoyable to you! And if you are interested in geriatrics or palliative care, it also shows that you've put the time into exploring a potential future specialty.

Depends on your role. If you are mainly doing grocery shopping, laundry, or cleaning the house, then it's not "clinical". If, OTOH, you are interacting with the hospice patient, then it would be.

I work at a facility like this. While I love working with patients (amputees, ATV accidents, post surgery, etc.) on the short term side, I wouldn't trade my experience with the long term residents for anything.

I don't think you can go wrong at a place like this. If you get to work with both patients and residents. But if you are just in it for clinical exposure you could look for a facility with just patients.

I volunteer at a hospital and enjoy that as well.

 

[Gibbward]

Even if it';s not clinical per se, in the the residents are not sick or injured, just by being around the elderly, the frail, the demented, and those close to their mortality is an eye opener, and tells me that you're not afraid of mortality. So in my, this is a lot better than stacking things in the supply cabinet, or answering questions at the Info Desk.

This is exactly how I perceived my current volunteering experience in a nursing home, where I would sit down and chat with residents of the home, and play poker/black jack with them. All the people in this home has some form of dementia or neurological dysfunction, and interacting with them, learning their stories and hearing about their everyday aches and pains seem like a more meaningful clinical experience than changing sheets in a hospital or refilling supply cabinets in the ER. Hopefully, adcoms will also see it this way, as I list this down as one of my "clinical volunteering" activities on the AMCAS

 

[Styrene]

Scribing is the ultimate exposure to the clinical setting.

Scribing isn't really clinical exposure.

 

[Brah of Science]

Sorry to hijack this thread with my own question, but its better than making a separate thread that is similar. I have been volunteering in a clinic for about a year and half. This mostly consists of transferring paper charts from the doctor/nurse into the clinic's EMR system or making sure orders(labs, images, etc) have been received. Also, sometimes they would allow me to interact with the children(its a pediatric clinic) and do this workshop on hand-washing and hygiene. However, I've asked if I could take the patients information and vitals before they see the doctor but they declined. I was just wondering if this would be considered "clinical."

 

[LizzyM]

Sorry to hijack this thread with my own question, but its better than making a separate thread that is similar. I have been volunteering in a clinic for about a year and half. This mostly consists of transferring paper charts from the doctor/nurse into the clinic's EMR system or making sure orders(labs, images, etc) have been received. Also, sometimes they would allow me to interact with the children(its a pediatric clinic) and do this workshop on hand-washing and hygiene. However, I've asked if I could take the patients information and vitals before they see the doctor but they declined. I was just wondering if this would be considered "clinical."

Do you see the patients close-up? See my sig line...

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Do you see the patients close-up? See my sig line...

I work in the gift shop...but possess a very powerful sense of smell.

OP you might also be interested in working as a clinical trials coordinator. They get decent pay, prodigious contact with physicians, experience with reading volumes of studies and occasional phlebotomy exposure. N=1 but my roommate swears his department suffers high employee attrition because many are sent to med school every cycle.

 

[jtd2081]

Being a scribe for about 2 years now, I feel it is one of the best ways to get involved in the medical field. It is staggering to think how much I have learned. I love the job, and it erased any doubt I ever had in my mind about becoming a physician. Go become a scribe if you are itching for clinical experience. You are working along side doctors who generally do not have a problem answering any questions you have [even the dumb ones ]