Another clinical experience question

[Tortaspie]

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By the time I graduate I'll have 400+ hours of laboratory experience (CLS major) which would involve occasionally taking blood from patients. I will also have lab experience studying giardia because I am doing a research project where I'll be trapping beavers and studying the main diseases associated with them.

Do you think this is enough clinical experience? I think the phlebotomy part of being a CLS will allow me to gain patient interaction from time to time.

 

[jesebelle]

Far from an expert here, but from browsing the forums it seems like they want a decent amount of patient interaction. Depending on how often you took blood from patients that could count or maybe you might want to get more and varying experiences as well...
That's pretty awesome that you get that much lab time and take blood from patients though. I'm in the same type of program (though foregoing the internship to apply for med school) and we only draw blood on each other (not too difficult drawing blood on a bunch of healthy 21 year olds!)

 

[Tortaspie]

Far from an expert here, but from browsing the forums it seems like they want a decent amount of patient interaction. Depending on how often you took blood from patients that could count or maybe you might want to get more and varying experiences as well...
That's pretty awesome that you get that much lab time and take blood from patients though. I'm in the same type of program (though foregoing the internship to apply for med school) and we only draw blood on each other (not too difficult drawing blood on a bunch of healthy 21 year olds!)

I have some volunteer experience (worked at a zoo for several years) but as far as clinical that's what I'm working with. I want to eventually do PATH or RAD and honestly I'm not really into working directly with patients. I know patient interaction is a part of med school though and I'm prepared for that.

 

[qkhb]

By the time I graduate I'll have 400+ hours of laboratory experience (CLS major) which would involve occasionally taking blood from patients. I will also have lab experience studying giardia because I am doing a research project where I'll be trapping beavers and studying the main diseases associated with them.

Do you think this is enough clinical experience? I think the phlebotomy part of being a CLS will allow me to gain patient interaction from time to time.

Well exactly how much is the phlebotomy work? That will be a big factor in whether or not it's enough clinical experience. I think it would be a good idea for you to find some sort of volunteer position in a local hospital, free clinic, hospice, etc.

I'm just a premed, but I think it's also reasonable that you think deeply about whether this is the right career path if you are not interested in working directly with patients. You may want to go into path or rad, but obviously that's not a guarantee.

 

[Hospitalized]

There's no such thing as "enough." Every applicant is different. Once you can talk about how that experience has helped you decide on attending medical school (by providing multiple examples), I think that is appropriate.

 

[deleted577188]

I have some volunteer experience (worked at a zoo for several years) but as far as clinical that's what I'm working with. I want to eventually do PATH or RAD and honestly I'm not really into working directly with patients. I know patient interaction is a part of med school though and I'm prepared for that.

Do adcoms care about ones ability to take care of animals or people more?

 

[NeuResurgens]

I don't think examining beavers is going to count as explicitly clinical experience, although it's good for research experience. Clinical experiences generally involve humans, unless you're applying DVM. By clinical, they mean patient interaction, so your blood drawing would fall closer to this. Usually volunteering in a hospital will open some avenues for you to gain clinical experience, and there are of course more basic patient care jobs available in hospitals as well, such as CNA or patient care tech. EMT experience is also good for clinical.

As LizzyM says, if you're close enough to smell patients, it is clinical.