Average Hours/exposure of clinical experience?

[andreweezer]

Does anyone know what a good amount of clinical experience/hours for a med app is? I'm going to have 250ish hours at a Hospital and I'm going to start shadowing a doctor soon. I know there is probably not a "set" average, but what is a good amount to be competitive?

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[Dendrite]

Enough to give you a realistic idea of what medicine is actually like.

But just to throw in my 2 cents, 200-250 hours of clinical exposure seems good, with about 25 hours of shadowing.

Sounds like you're on track.

 

[dd128]

No one asks you, "how many hours have you volunteered?" Maybe you can put on your amcas app or something, but it's to get experience in the medical field, just to make sure it's right for you. I've gotten maybe 50 logged hours volunteering in a hospital, but spent years in various other hospitals with ill family members. That time allowed me to see what's it's like and how much I want to be a physician. If you feel like you've sufficiently exposed yourself to medicine then that's probably enough.

 

[armybound]

50 is probably average, with some doing a ton more and many doing a lot less.

 

[SoFlaKnight]

I believe what they're looking for, clinical experience-wise, is categorized as a s***ton

 

[emttim]

I think it depends on the context. 200-250 hours is probably fine for hospital volunteering since most of those volunteer jobs are somewhat useless anyway unless you get lucky. Now if you're in a position where you're a CNA, RN, EMT, Paramedic, etc. then I'm sure the amount of hours will be a /lot/ more (and they should be) since you're probably doing that as a source of income. Hell, I probably have close to 1,000 hours of clinical experience because every minute at work is clinical experience. *shrugs* Depends entirely on what the specific EC is. I agree with the others though; if you feel you have a good handle on what medicine entails, then it's good enough.

 

[Thewrongstuff]

You know I am really upset at the whole hospital volunteering thing...even as a "nurse assistant" all that I end up doing is sitting in a chair writing stuff for 4+ hours...

This is not helping me understand what its like to be a physician. I REALLY want to know what its like so I decided to go overseas and work with doctors/shadow/be with patients for a few months where the rules arent so strict. Unfortunately it is costing me my life savings lmao. I'm sure itll be worth it though, I speak the native language to where I finally decided to go...woot.

With that being said, I've talked to an adcoms member and they want to KNOW you've had patient experience/contact. I really think getting this across is critical for them. 200 hours sounds good on paper but what is it really worth if its all clerical? Nothing. I am sure some people lie about "exposure" but they are only fooling themselves in the end. It doesn't mean they wont become good doctors but I resent the ones that can't look you in the eye and talk to you like a normal human being.

 

[lord_jeebus]

"Does this applicant know what they're getting themselves into before they sacrifice hundreds of thousands of dollars and the prime years of their life towards a USNEWS "Overrated" career?"

I don't look for a specific number of hours, and I doubt that many adcom members do. People get in without ever volunteering time in a hospital or "shadowing" a physician -- but they still have found their own ways to find out what they're getting into.

 

[Panzer0051]

I don't think it really matters how much hours you did, its more about quality over quantity. You just need to get the experience and be able to tell them in your interview why you want to become a doctor using these experiences.

 

[HSTeacher2MD]

Does anyone know what a good amount of clinical experience/hours for a med app is? I'm going to have 250ish hours at a Hospital and I'm going to start shadowing a doctor soon. I know there is probably not a "set" average, but what is a good amount to be competitive?

I believe there's no specific number. I had hundreds of volunteering hours as an undergrad, but most of them were not clinical. In fact, I have very limited clinical experience (but a TON of experience with working with others in other environments). I got in, so it all depends. I think you're going to be just fine.

 

[pakbabydoll]

I hate volunteering. I really do, I loved it over the summer when I actually got to do stuff~ Our ER got all new physicians and nurses in November and I don't know any of them. I just go and sit there. Actually mostly I just go up to the pharmacy and hang out with people I work with. Actually, I am suppose to be volunteering right now, but since I am at work and can't leave I'll just go and walk around the ER for a while... I have over 200 hours.

 

[TheRealMD]

"Does this applicant know what they're getting themselves into before they sacrifice hundreds of thousands of dollars and the prime years of their life towards a USNEWS "Overrated" career?"

I don't look for a specific number of hours, and I doubt that many adcom members do. People get in without ever volunteering time in a hospital or "shadowing" a physician -- but they still have found their own ways to find out what they're getting into.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. 1 day shadowing my brother gave me WAY more experience than the entire time I was volunteering in the ER. Up at 5am, at the hospital by 6am, conference from 6-6:30, round on patients until 7, surgery cases from 7:30am until the day was finished, which may be 5-6pm if it's a long day. Round on patients on last time then maybe go home. But if it's a trauma day, don't plan on any sleep until the day afterwards.

Yep, life is tough. You gotta love what you're doing!

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

I would say 200 is average...

I have around 300 of clinical volunteering and will have around 75-100 of shadowing.

I also work 15 hours a week (was working more)... and have a chronic disease . So I have decided to back off volunteering- or at least find something closer to home (2 hours each way commute to the hospital with traffic is a lil much!)

Currently going to look into hippotherapy as a new idea

 

[Doctor246853]

You know I am really upset at the whole hospital volunteering thing...even as a "nurse assistant" all that I end up doing is sitting in a chair writing stuff for 4+ hours...

This is not helping me understand what its like to be a physician. I REALLY want to know what its like so I decided to go overseas and work with doctors/shadow/be with patients for a few months where the rules arent so strict. Unfortunately it is costing me my life savings lmao. I'm sure itll be worth it though, I speak the native language to where I finally decided to go...woot.

With that being said, I've talked to an adcoms member and they want to KNOW you've had patient experience/contact. I really think getting this across is critical for them. 200 hours sounds good on paper but what is it really worth if its all clerical? Nothing. I am sure some people lie about "exposure" but they are only fooling themselves in the end. It doesn't mean they wont become good doctors but I resent the ones that can't look you in the eye and talk to you like a normal human being.

W....T...F.... Where the hell do you work? CNA's bust their asses wheather it's in a busy hospital or a nursing home. You actually have time (4hrs at that) to sit down. I think your kinda lucky actually. Man a nurses' aide is hard work with nothing but grunt work.

 

[gettheleadout]

W....T...F.... Where the hell do you work? CNA's bust their asses wheather it's in a busy hospital or a nursing home. You actually have time (4hrs at that) to sit down. I think your kinda lucky actually. Man a nurses' aide is hard work with nothing but grunt work.

Considering that user hasn't posted in 3 years and you just bumped a 4-year-old thread, I'm going to assume that not only will you not get the response you're looking for, but you'll get many you won't like as well.

 

[aSagacious]

Considering that user hasn't posted in 3 years and you just bumped a 4-year-old thread, I'm going to assume that not only will you not get the response you're looking for, but you'll get many you won't like as well.

 

[Doctor246853]

Considering that user hasn't posted in 3 years and you just bumped a 4-year-old thread, I'm going to assume that not only will you not get the response you're looking for, but you'll get many you won't like as well.

Dam I did that? Im at work and must be working too dam hard. I thought this was a new thread, I didnt even notice I bumped a old thread. Sorry guys my bad.

 

[aSagacious]

Sorry guys my bad.

That's alright, you're good people

 

[Bravetown]

Ya dude your workin way too hard, but just for the 4 year old bump

 

[julyegudt]

Does anyone know what a good amount of clinical experience/hours for a med app is?

 

[Bravetown]

Does anyone know what a good amount of clinical experience/hours for a med app is?

boo to you sir or ma'am read the thread they have already had this discussion