How many clinical experiences do you have?

[senzen]

Of course it's always about quality over quantity, I'm just curious what everyone else does?

Besides shadowing what else does everyone do?

I volunteer at a hospital, nursing home and a clinic and it's great because I get experience with all age groups!

It's more important to me that I remain consistent in my activities and with what I currently do, I am fairly consistent. But sometimes I wonder if what I'm doing is enough or if I need to add more? At this point, I'm highly disinclined to add any more clinical experiences because I feel like I'll be spreading myself out too thin and I'm against letting my activities affect my coursework so if I add anything it would be one year before applying/during my senior year (I'm applying in June 2016!).

/if you want, feel free to share what you all do. I'd love to hear about what you all do for your clinical activities!

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[RTC19]

You are absolutely golden on clinical experience. I'm just a premed myself, but I would say you have much more than the average applicant at this point. As you mentioned, longevity is the key.

 

[HCHopeful]

I have a volunteering gig with Red Cross which has given me about 30 hours. Other clinical experience includes 140 hours of shadowing, 120 of which were through a hospital internship, and just got a volunteering opportunity at a retirement home, which will give me about 50 hours by the time I apply (this June). I've also done SMDEP which had a bit of clinical experience integrated.

My volunteering for clinical is on the low side, but I've put over 300 hours into a karaoke business and 150 hours into a band. I'm hoping that somewhat makes up for it. Running a business and booking shows can be extremely time consuming...

 

[senzen]

You are absolutely golden on clinical experience. I'm just a premed myself, but I would say you have much more than the average applicant at this point. As you mentioned, longevity is the key.

I saw the post about the volunteer work you do haha. That's so nice! Well the nursing home I started before college. And for the clinic and hospital, I will have around 1.5 years done before I apply. I hope this is okay!

If I were to add an experience, it would be volunteering at a hospice most likely. I've heard it can be extremely rewarding though often times very depressing.

 

[senzen]

I have a volunteering gig with Red Cross which has given me about 30 hours. Other clinical experience includes 140 hours of shadowing, 120 of which were through a hospital internship, and just got a volunteering opportunity at a retirement home, which will give me about 50 hours by the time I apply (this June). I've also done SMDEP which had a bit of clinical experience integrated.

My volunteering for clinical is on the low side, but I've put over 300 hours into a karaoke business and 150 hours into a band. I'm hoping that somewhat makes up for it. Running a business and booking shows can be extremely time consuming...

I wouldn't saw you are on the low side. When did you start your clinical experiences? I hear that's oftentimes more important than hours.

I can imagine it's extremely time consuming! That will be something really interesting to talk about during interviews and will surely make you stand out.

 

[MDporfavor8888]

at interviews, all they care about is your insight, maturity and what you took away from the experiences.

someone could have millions of hours of clinical experience and learn less than someone who had 100 meaningful hours

so focus more on the experience you're having and less about the number of hours. good luck on your application cycle!

 

[WRL]

"An ideal applicant has clinical experiences in which the experience spans a long period of time" -previous Stanford adcom said to me.

 

[baxt1412]

2. volunteering at a hospital and my current job.

 

[senzen]

"An ideal applicant has clinical experiences in which the experience spans a long period of time" -previous Stanford adcom said to me.

How would you define a long period of time?

 

[senzen]

2. volunteering at a hospital and my current job.

That's nice! What do you do at your hospital?

 

[baxt1412]

That's nice! What do you do at your hospital?

I don't work at a hospital.

I work for a private allergy company that partners with physicians who want to offer allergy testing and allergen immunotherapy (allergy injections). I administer tests and the injections, do billing, insurance verifications, etc.

 

[Fedekz]

Paramedic with 5 years experience, police officer, SWAT paramedic for my department's SWAT team, used to be a critical care paramedic, counselor at my inpatient psychiatric hospital, telemetry tech at a large hospital, skills examiner for paramedics taking their certification test, FTO paramedic, CPR instructor.

The benefits of being a non-trad

 

[MDporfavor8888]

i would think a long period of time would be at least a year...

 

[PlaqueBuster]

1. abroad medical trip
2. volunteering at local hospital ER
3. volunteering at larger college hospital
4. shadowing MD
5. shadowing DO

 

[WRL]

This adcom said long enough to make meaningful connections with patients. A 10 month clinical experience was sufficient in length for me to make those connections.

 

[MDporfavor8888]

Paramedic with 5 years experience, police officer, SWAT paramedic for my department's SWAT team, used to be a critical care paramedic, counselor at my inpatient psychiatric hospital, telemetry tech at a large hospital, skills examiner for paramedics taking their certification test, FTO paramedic, CPR instructor.

The benefits of being a non-trad

wow that's an impressive list, are you applying to medical school?

 

[Fedekz]

wow that's an impressive list, are you applying to medical school?

Yeah, hopefully this coming cycle. Need to take the MCAT this may. Shooting for LSU-New Orleans

 

[MDporfavor8888]

Yeah, hopefully this coming cycle. Need to take the MCAT this may. Shooting for LSU-New Orleans

good luck!

 

[razzmatazz87]

I'm boring and mostly have shadowing/hospital volunteering.

Sidebar: would working as a pharm tech count as clinical experience? I feel like maybe?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Just one volunteering stint + some shadowing. Nothing super original.

 

[senzen]

I'm boring and mostly have shadowing/hospital volunteering.

Sidebar: would working as a pharm tech count as clinical experience? I feel like maybe?

Hahaha I think most of us have only that. And I'm not sure, you don't get to really be around patients right? It's hard to say.

 

[razzmatazz87]

Hahaha I think most of us have only that. And I'm not sure, you don't get to really be around patients right? It's hard to say.

Hmm I just trolled around some old forums...consensus is no. I'm trying for jobs as a Unit Coordinator and/or pharmtech. I know the Unit Coordinator is clinical...

 

[senzen]

Hmm I just trolled around some old forums...consensus is no. I'm trying for jobs as a Unit Coordinator and/or pharmtech. I know the Unit Coordinator is clinical...

What does the position entail?

 

[razzmatazz87]

What does the position entail?

You're on the hospital floor and mostly do patient information processing, help the nursing staff, etc. You need CPR certification most places. No extensive training classes are needed though, which is convenient.

 

[Mad Jack]

ED Tech for a year, RT for 5 years.

 

[premedbrah]

Hospital Volunteer in Surgery, Free Clinic Volunteer and soon to be EMT. I need to step it up on the non-clinical though lol

 

[senzen]

Hospital Volunteer in Surgery, Free Clinic Volunteer and soon to be EMT. I need to step it up on the non-clinical though lol

I heard it's not so much an issue if you have some clinical volunteering at least. What do you do at your free clinic?

 

[ridethecliche]

 

[caffeinemia]

I had 0. A couple of programs were like, WTF. The rest said... oh , so you like research? Cool.

 

[senzen]

I had 0. A couple of programs were like, WTF. The rest said... oh , so you like research? Cool.

Hahaha that's awesome for you!! I think it's mostly recommended that applicants have some sort of clinical exposure prior to applying though haha.

 

[caffeinemia]

Agreed. I think it was a major weakness of mine, but I had poor foresight, as many collegiate bros do.

 

[On Eagle's Wings]

12 combined weeks of international medical missions over 3 years. Did everything from take vitals, scrub-in and assist in various surgeries, sterilize and prepare surgical instruments, care for patients after surgery, and deliver anesthesia drugs. Not making this up; awesome experience.

Also volunteered for 3 years in the GI dept. of a hospital

 

[Lucca]

~100 h shadowing, various MDs.

~100 h so far of hospice + translator at free clinic. I go once a week and I'll probably keep doing it so it'll be like 250-300h by the time I apply.

 

[senzen]

For those that have applied, do you know if you can list all your clinical experiences in one category? I'm starting to worry I'm not going to have enough space to fill all my activities.

If I volunteered at 3 different clinical settings, will I be able to put it all in one category designated as "clinical, volunteer"?

 

[Doctor Dream]

CNA at a healthcare center on the ventilator, post-acute care, dementia, and long-term care units.
Also a hospital volunteer for the past 4 years. I also work in that hospital as a pharmacy tech and wouldn't call it clinical experience, but I've learned tons about the inner workings of a hospital and health care teams.

To answer your last question, I haven't applied to med school but I think you could list it all as one if you wanted. In the description of the activity just state the specifics.

 

[RussianFrolic]

12 combined weeks of international medical missions over 3 years. Did everything from take vitals, scrub-in and assist in various surgeries, sterilize and prepare surgical instruments, care for patients after surgery, and deliver anesthesia drugs. Not making this up; awesome experience.

Also volunteered for 3 years in the GI dept. of a hospital

I don't think the medical service trips are a good thing to mention. Especially the delivering anesthesia part. That is NOT something that you have the skills/training to do. In the eyes of adcom, that probably shows that you don't have concern for the well-being of others if you are willing to do things that you are not trained to do.

 

[JPSmyth]

12 combined weeks of international medical missions over 3 years. Did everything from take vitals, scrub-in and assist in various surgeries, sterilize and prepare surgical instruments, care for patients after surgery, and deliver anesthesia drugs. Not making this up; awesome experience.

Also volunteered for 3 years in the GI dept. of a hospital

"Assist in surgeries"... what country was this in? In the US it seems like volunteers can't even give patients water.

 

[RussianFrolic]

"Assist in surgeries"... what country was this in? In the US it seems like volunteers can't even give patients water.

Probably in a country where there is a shortage of medical personnel or an underdeveloped medical system. This does not excuse OPs actions.

 

[mcatjelly]

Psychiatric Technician on the forensic ward of a state hospital. It's been a really awesome experience thus far.

 

[DezziJo]

I work in a hospital. I assist patients in and out of beds/stretchers/wheelchairs which can be frustrating sometimes, especially with an ICU/CCU or bariatric patient. There were about two times I took a patient down for a test and they eneded up having a stroke/seizure on the way down. I usually take them down to surgeries, tests, etc. It's pretty fun and the interaction I get with patients is great. I have ~500 hours and counting.

I also volunteer in the emergency department once a week. It's much more interesting than the floors because the things I see go in and out are insane.

Working in the hospital also has its bonuses. I've been able to make connections with some physicians to also get some opportunities to shadow.

 

[On Eagle's Wings]

Probably in a country where there is a shortage of medical personnel or an underdeveloped medical system. This does not excuse OPs actions.

Perfectly legal where I did it. Under supervision of an attending surgeon, of course.

 

[allantois]

Perfectly legal where I did it. Under supervision of an attending surgeon, of course.

And yet that kind of activity is discouraged by AAMC

"taking on tasks that are beyond your training could make you look unethical, unknowledgeable about the health professions, irresponsible"

https://www.aamc.org/download/181690/data/guidelinesforstudentsprovidingpatientcare.pdf

 

[senzen]

Would being allowed to take vitals be an issue regarding that?

I know at many free clinics they allow people to draw blood, and do other things that perhaps a medical assistant can do with training. They don't need to be licensed.

 

[medic86]

Would being allowed to take vitals be an issue regarding that?

I know at many free clinics they allow people to draw blood, and do other things that perhaps a medical assistant can do with training. They don't need to be licensed.

Vital signs?

Lol.

 

[senzen]

Vital signs?

Lol.

Lol I can't help but wonder if it would be looked down upon...

 

[RussianFrolic]

Would being allowed to take vitals be an issue regarding that?

I know at many free clinics they allow people to draw blood, and do other things that perhaps a medical assistant can do with training. They don't need to be licensed.

Vitals are fine. Things that undergrads are allowed to do in the US can be done in countries abroad as long as ethical standards are followed.

 

[RussianFrolic]

Perfectly legal where I did it. Under supervision of an attending surgeon, of course.

It was probably "legal" where you did it because they were in need of those services. That does NOT make it okay. It would not be legal in the US, and standards from the US should be carried with you where ever you go. If I was living where you went and knew that my daughters/sisters/friends life was put at risk (delivering anesthesia is risky beyond belief) by some American undergrad with no sense of ethics/morals, I would not want you to be a physician at all. It might seem cool and something to brag about, but we are talking about people's lives, specifically people who have limited resources for adequate healthcare already.

Sorry for the thread hijack, but this is a REALLY important issue that more undergrads need to be aware of.

 

[JLaw13]

Perfectly legal where I did it. Under supervision of an attending surgeon, of course.

What organization did you go through for these international missions? I ask because I am very interested. This has nothing to do with making my application more competitive. I genuinely want to travel internationally and gain as much foreign medical experience as possible. A response or PM would be greatly appreciated

 

[ugagrad1116]

197 hours volunteering in the hospital for 3 years.
Around 55 hours of shadowing with two physicians and a nurse.
A medical mission trip abroad for 2 weeks (we created rural clinics and worked with physicians to provide clinical care to the citizens unable to access it). Before people jump on my case, I didn't do anything that would be considered unethical. I took vitals and the patient history, and the physician would ask our opinion, we would give it, and then he would diagnose the patient and explain why and then give the patient a treatment. To whoever said they gave anesthesia: I would absolutely NOT tell an interviewer that. It is very questionable, and the interviewer will probably not look upon it highly.
A month of a study abroad where I learned medical spanish, learned about the clinical diseases in the country, and shadowed a lot of physicians at three different hospitals.
And a couple of volunteer opportunities packaging medical supplies for countries in need of them and fundraising to provide clinics and things needed (like stairs) to rural towns in countries in need through some of the clubs I was part of.

For the person who was asking about length of time: at a recent interview, the interviewer seemed to be impressed that I had volunteered for 3 years. He mentioned that he thought it was impressive because most premeds volunteer for a few months and then move on to something else once they've "served their time." So I definitely think the amount of time helps and shows consistency. And he's right that staying in a place for that long is not the norm. When I called to ask how many hours I had, the volunteer coordinator said that she thought that was the highest number of hours she had ever told someone. Plus, it gives you a lot to talk about during your interview if you actually pay attention and value that experience. Quality over quantity!

 

[Cookie04]

-200 hrs of volunteering in PICU, NICU, and Newborn nursery (feeding babies, playing games with kids and keeping them occupied)
-100hrs of shadowing child and adolescent psychiatrists, Geri psych, and neurology
- Internal medicine/ family medical clinic scribe
- and I'm not sure if this is really clinical but I'm a mentor at a residential treatment center for kids with emotional and/or behavioral disorders

I love kids and I love psych!