Best clinical opportunities for non-traditionals?

[sdfa8]

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[Isoprop]

Volunteer @ a hospital. A few hours per week can go a long way.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

i work full time, go to school full time (21 credits) and work at the hospital on the weekends. Patient transport is a simple job that doesn't terrible and offers clinical experience but I would try to get into volunteering if you don't need the money. volunteering at the hospital would be awesome and I would try to throw in a few non-clinical volunteering jobs here and there. something you like (I volunteer in my kids' school). THe non clinical stuff doesn't have to be common, maybe once a month to show some kind of community service diversity.

 

[Dianyla]

Emergency Departments are open 24x7, I get most of my volunteer shifts scheduled for nights/weekends.

 

[ileineo]

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[MacVA]

I cannot get a single ER department to call me back...

 

[familyaerospace]

ER. My shift is 6 to 10 on Saturday nights.

 

[MCAT guy]

Volunteer @ a hospital. A few hours per week can go a long way.

+1.

Forget EMT or CNA if you have other responsibilities and not a lot of time.

Just find an ER and volunteer a few hours a week. I did 4 hours a week, then when I realized how boring and awful it was I dropped to 3 hours. Then 2.

Get a few hundred hours under your belt. Then no one can say, "this guy doesn't know what he's getting into."

 

[TriagePreMed]

I cannot get a single ER department to call me back...

I had this problem too until I realized that not all hospitals are really looking for volunteers. Try calling the volunteering dept and see if they have ED volunteering.

 

[Dianyla]

I had this problem too until I realized that not all hospitals are really looking for volunteers. Try calling the volunteering dept and see if they have ED volunteering.

Yep, exactly. Many of the volunteering programs in any given department of the hospital are not run by that department itself. The volunteering services group is the best place to start.

 

[MacVA]

Yep, exactly. Many of the volunteering programs in any given department of the hospital are not run by that department itself. The volunteering services group is the best place to start.

Sweet. Do you really need a few hundred hours?

OP - I also volunteer @ hospice. Pretty good clinical experience. But can be a big time commitment just starting out...

 

[Dianyla]

Sweet. Do you really need a few hundred hours?

I'd say yes. A lot of formal volunteer programs have a 100-hour minimum to get a letter of recommendation, and it can look kinda lame if you've only done the bare minimum.

The best strategy is to get into a long-term low-weekly time commitment arrangement. Over the past 5 years I've accumulated almost 1,000 hours this way, between two different gigs.

 

[MacVA]

I'd say yes. A lot of formal volunteer programs have a 100-hour minimum to get a letter of recommendation, and it can look kinda lame if you've only done the bare minimum.

The best strategy is to get into a long-term low-weekly time commitment arrangement. Over the past 5 years I've accumulated almost 1,000 hours this way, between two different gigs.

Ouch, too bad I am applying in 7 months...

 

[jinx520]

Ouch, too bad I am applying in 7 months...

Call the hospital's HR department and ask if they have a job shadowing program. I wasn't getting anywhere with shadowing in one particular system until a volunteer coordinator told me that this is how they did it.

 

[aspiringdoc09]

I need ideas on what I can do to successfully get volunteer and shadowing positions. I have transformed into both a nontraditional student (25 yrs and aging) and re-applicant (rejected because I lacked competitiveness).

Anyway, I have tried to obtain clinical experience through my 2 local hospitals volunteer program for the last 3 years and haven't had any luck. If they weren't loosing my application, full, or my schedule conflicted with their department's, I don't know what happened.

My question: How do I go about gaining this clinical experience to show them that I am interested in medicine? I shadowed once through my school's program as a pre-med, and I tried to do that again; however, I lack medical insurance (parents no longer carry me) and am unable to shadow. I would like to reapply in 2012. I will start asking clinics and hospices next week if I can volunteer because I really want to do this, so I can get where I aspire to be. Thanks for your replies in advance?

P.S.: I don't live near any larger cities, so traveling far is not an option unless it is some type of program. I'm trying to stay positive because I have had a great deal of negative since I graduated 2009.

 

[briton]

Ouch, too bad I am applying in 7 months...

Before I applied I volunteered one 4-hour shift a week for six months = about 100 hours. You still have time and 4 hours a week isn't too bad.

 

[Eisen]

aspiringdoc09, check with your school's health office-- perhaps you can afford a "student health insurance" plan?

 

[artsydoc]

I've found volunteering with a hospice organization very fulfilling. They also have a strict 4 hrs/week limit bc they don't want their volunteers burning out. Am in the midst of interview cycles and have a couple acceptances; hospice volunteering appears to have been perfectly legitimate everywhere I've been. Also my only volunteer experience as of application time; hadn't done any shadowing until midway through interview cycle.

 

[familyaerospace]

P.S.: I don't live near any larger cities, so traveling far is not an option unless it is some type of program. I'm trying to stay positive because I have had a great deal of negative since I graduated 2009.

I travel 1.5 hours each way to volunteer and 2 hours each way to shadow. Just keep asking hospitals further and further out until someone says ok. None of the places I've shadowed or volunteered have ever asked me for proof of medical insurance although one asked for proof that I had a family doctor. In volunteering at least, if we are hurt at any point when we are clocked in, we are protected by workman's comp and the hospital pays for everything.

 

[aspiringdoc09]

aspiringdoc09, check with your school's health office-- perhaps you can afford a "student health insurance" plan?

Thanks for you advice. My current school doesn't have a health office. My old school does, do you think they may let me purchase one from them? I am an alumna.

 

[aspiringdoc09]

I travel 1.5 hours each way to volunteer and 2 hours each way to shadow. Just keep asking hospitals further and further out until someone says ok. None of the places I've shadowed or volunteered have ever asked me for proof of medical insurance although one asked for proof that I had a family doctor. In volunteering at least, if we are hurt at any point when we are clocked in, we are protected by workman's comp and the hospital pays for everything.

Thanks! I will try that. The system just seems to be flooded with pre-meds with me included. I figure this is the best time for to do it because I have been unemployed, so I just so well be productive, but I keep meeting roadblocks but I will try hard to turn it into road bumps because I really want to be a doctor. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Self]

I wouldn't say to totally scratch off EMT. The main hurdle there is trying to fit the certification classes with your schedule, but once you do it it doesn't require more than any other volunteer gig. You can do 4-5 hour shifts, once a week, and depending on where you're from, you may get offered a stipend. And in my opinion, it's one of the more impressive clinical experiences you can have.

 

[MCAT guy]

I wouldn't say to totally scratch off EMT. The main hurdle there is trying to fit the certification classes with your schedule, but once you do it it doesn't require more than any other volunteer gig. You can do 4-5 hour shifts, once a week, and depending on where you're from, you may get offered a stipend. And in my opinion, it's one of the more impressive clinical experiences you can have.

Yeah, but it's not.

I have an EMT cert. The only way I think it would be impressive is if you worked as an EMT for 1-2 years and more than just a few hours a week (i.e. 20+ hours a week).

To an adcom, a few hours a week of EMT doesn't mean much more than volunteering at the local ER. Clinical experience is a checkmark and not a huge factor. The adcom doesn't say, "oh, this guy has only hospital volunteering, this OTHER guy has time spent as an EMT... OOOOOOoooh."

Significant clinical hours? Yes or no. check it off. Be able to talk about it in a positive way for 30-60 seconds in an interview.

 

[GeorgiaBelle]

I started working weekends as a unit secretary/patient care tech. My hospital doesn't require CNA certification for techs, or any sort of certification for secretaries (clerks). I went full-time last year. I'd definitely emphasize that if you work in a hospital, you don't have to work in the ER to get good clinical experience. Though, volunteering in the ER would probably be more beneficial than another clinical area.

Also, I volunteered at a free clinic until I went full-time with my job (I work evenings and our clinic hours were after 5 pm). It was also a wonderful experience. The clinic was set-up like a doctor's office, plus a pharmacy. I worked front desk, clerked with the doctors and also did triage in the two years I volunteered there.... so I'd see if you have any clinics in your area. Ours absolutely runs on volunteers, so there is definitely a need for good, committed volunteers.

 

[CookDeRosa]

Hi all,

This may be on the thread somewhere so I apologize if I'm re-posting any questions.

I currently work 40 hours a week for the government - 10 hours a day, 4 days a week, with Fridays off. Every other Friday I go to a university to shadow a cardiologist. Well, I did once, but with a job change, I had to take a couple months break to get settled. I'm restarting this week until...I go to med school.

I'm also taking my pre-med classes in the evening, M-Th, from around 6:30pm to 10:30pm, starting the last week of January 2011.

In addition to all of this, I'm studying to get my CPA completed by around April 2011.

I know, a LOT. But, I want to know if there's some sort of a weekend volunteer/clinical job I could do. I've heard of EMT, CNA, etc., but how feasible, and how worthwhile are those jobs? If not those, any one else know of any good programs, and how to get into them?

What do all the non-traditional out there do, who are both working full time and taking classes part time? I've already accepted that my resume won't be as beefy as the 21 year old who just graduated with a biology major, but, I can still try hard to be competitive.

Thanks in advance!

REALLY? Hospital volunteer work won't be patient care...well, it isn't here. Volunteers push wheel chairs, make coffee for surgery lounge, deliver flowers and work the gift shop cash register (not best shifts, those go the the ladies with seniority- like 30 years seniority)
Here, it's criminal back ground checks, state direct care worker registry, finger printing, immunizations and TB tests, drug screen, 75 hours of a CNA class, CPR for health care workers, passing a state practical and written, 16 supervised clinical hours, and then, maybe. If you beat out the other 100 applicants for the just-over-minimum wage CNA / patient care tech / aid job. I have no idea about EMT jobs. But, you're looking at a newly minted Labor and Delivery Patient Care Tech- and I've been working at getting it for 6 months. I've been rejected 11 times in that period, and I have stellar letters plus one from the L&D charge nurse, 1000+ hours free clinic volunteer work, 6 years as a labor support doula, certification in postpartum doula work, and willing to work any shift. The application/interview/orientation process is about 6 weeks long. They are spending a lot of money hiring me. AND, they'll be paying for $2000 per year toward my premed classes (although they don't know I'm premed).

It's tough to get anything- because frankly, for some people this IS their vocation. It isn't lost on me that I "took" a job away from someone who does this for a career just so I could build my resume. (I, of course, am giddy at this job- I'm SUCH an OB-GYN wanna-be) I'll use my 10 bucks an hour to take my kids to NY or Disney, someone else needs it for rent and they need the health insurance.

I guess my point is, that if you're going to have a meaningful clinical experience, it's going to take more than 5 minutes and you should have some reverence for the activity.