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Best Job for Clinical Experience
Started by RBinLouisville
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EMT is great; you could totally do that as a job -- it's one of the main reasons I got into Bryn Mawr's postbac program. I've been told by a few residency directors that hands-on patient contact is key. The class to get certified is also only a few months long and is very easy for an experienced student. I do it volunteer, rather than as a job, and have something of a rare job fulltime. I work managing clinical trials for the NIH in Maryland, which when asked, I told Bryn Mawr was "a way for me to see both the research and the oft-overlooked business side of medicine." In reality, I do barely more than administrative tasks -- very easy job. But it makes me look well-rounded and as though I've put a lot of thought into many different, often ignored aspects of medicine. You should consider something like this, if it's feasible for you -- the jobs are not well-known and thus aren't competitive, and there are research centers in every major city which will hire you. Good luck.
ER Scribe.
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Both of these are good ideas. I also worked as an engineer doing clinical research.
Moving patients is not the best experience.
I volunteer in the OR.
My *official* duties are to process paperwork to relieve the nursing staff but I have weaseled my way into running to pathology, cytology, radiology, and taking blood to operating rooms when necessary.
Although I doubt I'll actually ever work in the OR, I have enjoyed working in that environment.
My *official* duties are to process paperwork to relieve the nursing staff but I have weaseled my way into running to pathology, cytology, radiology, and taking blood to operating rooms when necessary.
Although I doubt I'll actually ever work in the OR, I have enjoyed working in that environment.
Volunteering in the ER - no official responsibilities per se where I was - Denver Health. I jumped in and moved patients, cleaned rooms, so on, without getting in the way. In return, the docs let me see and assist in all sorts of procedures and answered my questions.
ER scribes - there is a poster in the EM forum called "Wackie" who is an ED scribe. Check out that forum and ask him (?) what he does and how much he gets paid. They didn't have the position at DH when I was volunteering.
I'm a patient transporter for the radiology dept at our local hospital. It's ok for now and it pays great (starts at $20/hr with nothing required beyond CPR) but it's definitely a blow to the ego and a little less dignified than I'm used to. I don't like having a college degree from a good school and being talked down to by nurses, and as a transporter you're basically slightly above the cafeteria workers and the housekeeping staff in the very hierarchical environment of a hospital. It's also pretty mindless work and gets old quickly. On the plus side, I do get to see some cool procedures once in a while and the techs let me hang out in CT room when it's slow and are showing me how to read some of the easier pathologies. I do a lot of filing of completed studies to prepare them for the radiologists as well so there's a lot of exposure to every kind of imaging study available. I also get to work in every single department during a shift which is great and have access and exposure to everything from the birthing center to the morgue. But overall if it wasn't for the money and I had the time (working full time now and taking 3 class w/ labs) I'd get an EMT license and shoot for a job in the ED for which our hospital is always hiring. If a p/t gig happens to open up, go for it for the meantime but it's not something I could do for more than a year.
being an ER Scribe gave me A LOT of experience! I took a scribe class the first term it was offered and we had little "clinicals" or practicals where we shadowed different depts critical to ER and patients (e.g. radiology, waiting room, triage, PT and OT dept, doing rounds with residents, etc). In class, we did a crash course on basic anatomy and physiology, coding, and definitely on documentation. really, my professors were an ED attending and a 4th yr resident so they taught whatever they thought was necessary.
i worked in the acute side of the ED, where pts would come in for colds, minor motor vehicle accidents, broken something, cut something, you know the deal.
After my semester-long training, I worked in the ED for the Spring term. I was often the first point of contact with the PT after triage because as it is normally busy, I would take the history of present illness and other relevant histories. Then, I reported back to the attending (like a pretend med student) I'd also accompany the attending and document for them while they did the exams. I was basically the attending's slave during each shift and did anything along the lines of ordering Rx to running around the ED, perhaps for their entertainment.
As long-winded as I can be about how great the experience was and how much I learned, there was a lot of downtime. A LOT. but when it rains, it pours. bottom line: DO IT if you have the opportunity.👍
PM me if you want me to go on. or answer questions.
i worked in the acute side of the ED, where pts would come in for colds, minor motor vehicle accidents, broken something, cut something, you know the deal.
After my semester-long training, I worked in the ED for the Spring term. I was often the first point of contact with the PT after triage because as it is normally busy, I would take the history of present illness and other relevant histories. Then, I reported back to the attending (like a pretend med student) I'd also accompany the attending and document for them while they did the exams. I was basically the attending's slave during each shift and did anything along the lines of ordering Rx to running around the ED, perhaps for their entertainment.
As long-winded as I can be about how great the experience was and how much I learned, there was a lot of downtime. A LOT. but when it rains, it pours. bottom line: DO IT if you have the opportunity.👍
PM me if you want me to go on. or answer questions.
You might also consider the wonderful world of Phlebotomy. It is a fairly quick way to get great patient contact with several additional benefits.
good luck!
- broad range of patients from ped to geriatric (in a hospital)
- decent pay considering the amount of training you put in
- great way to network (think LOR)
- great way to become familiar w/ various labs
- opportunity to do more advanced specimen/micro stuff in the lab (if you make the right connections)
- you will be more comfortable w/ needles and such when it comes time to draw blood and start IVs on your fellow med students
- it is humbling and confidence building
good luck!
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I agree with this one, however your exposure will be limited. I have worked as a nursing assistant, phlebotomist, hospital unit secretary, surgical assistant in a surgicenter, and as a medical office manager. And, although it got the least hands on, I would say that I learned the most as a secretary! I got to process the physician orders, review charts/labs/notes/plans/etc. I talked with residents all the time and got to listen in on rounds every day! It was like being a resident myself, without the torturous hours and about the same pay.
A bit more hands on, and still in the same hospital unit, so having some of the above benefits was a nursing assistant. I was able to do more hands on clinical work like phlebotomy/monitoring vitals/assisting nurses, but that included bathing/changing sheets/wiping butts, and really the same pay. (I'd recommend sticking with the secretary position)
If you're surgically inclined, you can be an OR Scrub tech with little or no experience. It is alot of stocking and cleaning, but you are getting alot of OR exposure, and still do alot of the chart work.
I would say EMT. I looked into it, but it is a longer commitment. If you're looking for something to do for a longer period of time, this may work out better for you. But, like I said, this requires more training, and really will be alot more time consuming to get up to speed than the other jobs.
If you ever get a chance to work as a ER scribe, DO IT! I don't know how strict other places are but my place required that you work 40hrs/wk., 10hrs a day, and a 1 yr. commitment. I've heard some places you are more hands on while some places do not allow you to touch the patient.
I'm currently taking a year off after graduating undergrad and working in the ER. It is the best thing I could have done for myself in terms of experience. I work in the Level-1 Trauma center and see everything from small cuts, broken bones, the common GI complaints, to CPR patients, amputations, and everything else imaginable.
I come to work and work aside with an EM physician, I go into the room with the physician and as he/she is examining the pt. I write down the history of the illness, past medical history, physical exam, order labs, meds., etc..basically all the paperwork. You seriously learn a lot, it is unlike EMT and you don't get the hands-on aspect but more of the science. It's okay, I'll get plenty of hands-on experience during clinicals.
You're also there constantly listening to PAs, Residents, and medical students present their case to your physician so you learn how they present, listing pertinent information, the reason why they are ordering the labs and radiology scans for the patients, etc... furthermore, the physicians i work with know that we as scribes are pre-med students so they are always helping us understand how lab results correlate with the patients chief complaint, and explain the results of XRs, CT scans, US, etc.. so you get that early exposure of looking at radiology scans... man i could go on and on and onnn... message me if you would like to more.. seriously the best experience ever!😀
I'm currently taking a year off after graduating undergrad and working in the ER. It is the best thing I could have done for myself in terms of experience. I work in the Level-1 Trauma center and see everything from small cuts, broken bones, the common GI complaints, to CPR patients, amputations, and everything else imaginable.
I come to work and work aside with an EM physician, I go into the room with the physician and as he/she is examining the pt. I write down the history of the illness, past medical history, physical exam, order labs, meds., etc..basically all the paperwork. You seriously learn a lot, it is unlike EMT and you don't get the hands-on aspect but more of the science. It's okay, I'll get plenty of hands-on experience during clinicals.
You're also there constantly listening to PAs, Residents, and medical students present their case to your physician so you learn how they present, listing pertinent information, the reason why they are ordering the labs and radiology scans for the patients, etc... furthermore, the physicians i work with know that we as scribes are pre-med students so they are always helping us understand how lab results correlate with the patients chief complaint, and explain the results of XRs, CT scans, US, etc.. so you get that early exposure of looking at radiology scans... man i could go on and on and onnn... message me if you would like to more.. seriously the best experience ever!😀
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You wanna know what has given me a lot of experience? Being a receptionist in Radiology. You get a lot of patient contact, you learn a lot by watching what goes on in here. I am really good friends with the CT tech, so that helps also. I deal with transporting pts, giving them the oral contrast, helping them ( the women mostly) change or get on the table, and much more. Also, I get a front row view of how to/ how not to order exams. I see some docs that don't really know what they're looking for, so we have to help guide them.
For example, somtimes the referring physician will order a CT of the soft tissue neck W/O iv contrast. Things we have to question are 1) was there a high creat? 2) Is this pt allergic to the contrast or other things? 3) Is the dr. looking for something elso that might not be seen using dye? If not, we know the study should've been ordered with since the neck is so vascular. If you can't find out, don't do the patient until you do because there's no reason to radiate the patient unneccessarily.
You might think yeah this is good info if you want to be a radiographer, but this will still be helpful if you want to be a PCP, a radiologist, or any other type that usually orders radiologic studies.
Hope this was helpful.🙂
For example, somtimes the referring physician will order a CT of the soft tissue neck W/O iv contrast. Things we have to question are 1) was there a high creat? 2) Is this pt allergic to the contrast or other things? 3) Is the dr. looking for something elso that might not be seen using dye? If not, we know the study should've been ordered with since the neck is so vascular. If you can't find out, don't do the patient until you do because there's no reason to radiate the patient unneccessarily.
You might think yeah this is good info if you want to be a radiographer, but this will still be helpful if you want to be a PCP, a radiologist, or any other type that usually orders radiologic studies.
Hope this was helpful.🙂
what i did was i started out volunteering in a hospital, talked to as many people as i could, and ended up finding out a position i never even knew existed- that had an opening!
my job was called OR aide- essentially, the housekeeping staff was having trouble keeping the ORs running right and on time, basically because most of them didnt speak english. so they created this position for people with a little more education and experience, but it was basically a glorified cleaning job. i worked with a team of other people about my age (20's, mostly in school) and we turned over the ORs. it was a little gross at times but i will tell you, i sure feel comfortable now with blood and bits of bone and whatever else might end up on the floor or ceiling of an OR. that was the bad part of the job (and honestly, it wasnt even that bad, it just sounds bad.) i also got to do stuff like running things to path, getting blood, and they liked to have us in the room when patients woke up in case they reacted badly and they needed us to hold them down! and we helped nurses with various things.
of course, the GOOD thing about this job was that i got to see so much. i could watch through the windows if there was a surgery i thought was interesting. i made friends with nurses and techs, and when my day was slow sometimes they would ask the doc if i could come in and watch a procedure- and they generally didnt have a problem with it. overall, i really enjoyed it and thought it was a good experience, and worth occasionally getting talked down to by nurses, and also getting paid less- i quit my job at a bank to do that job. i wish i could have stayed there longer but i got accepted to grad school and had to go 🙂
the point of this long post, anyway, is that it was a GREAT opportunity i would have never found out about on my own- even if i went on the hospital's website and had seen it, i wouldnt have known what it was or thought i was qualified. so in my case, volunteering really opened the door, especially because the volunteer coordinator gave a great reference to HR for me. so i'd say for now, volunteering is a smart move, and just talk to lots of people. tell them you want to get a job doing something clinical and you may be surprised what someone knows about, particularly if it's a job that only exists at that hospital or in your town, or whatever.
my job was called OR aide- essentially, the housekeeping staff was having trouble keeping the ORs running right and on time, basically because most of them didnt speak english. so they created this position for people with a little more education and experience, but it was basically a glorified cleaning job. i worked with a team of other people about my age (20's, mostly in school) and we turned over the ORs. it was a little gross at times but i will tell you, i sure feel comfortable now with blood and bits of bone and whatever else might end up on the floor or ceiling of an OR. that was the bad part of the job (and honestly, it wasnt even that bad, it just sounds bad.) i also got to do stuff like running things to path, getting blood, and they liked to have us in the room when patients woke up in case they reacted badly and they needed us to hold them down! and we helped nurses with various things.
of course, the GOOD thing about this job was that i got to see so much. i could watch through the windows if there was a surgery i thought was interesting. i made friends with nurses and techs, and when my day was slow sometimes they would ask the doc if i could come in and watch a procedure- and they generally didnt have a problem with it. overall, i really enjoyed it and thought it was a good experience, and worth occasionally getting talked down to by nurses, and also getting paid less- i quit my job at a bank to do that job. i wish i could have stayed there longer but i got accepted to grad school and had to go 🙂
the point of this long post, anyway, is that it was a GREAT opportunity i would have never found out about on my own- even if i went on the hospital's website and had seen it, i wouldnt have known what it was or thought i was qualified. so in my case, volunteering really opened the door, especially because the volunteer coordinator gave a great reference to HR for me. so i'd say for now, volunteering is a smart move, and just talk to lots of people. tell them you want to get a job doing something clinical and you may be surprised what someone knows about, particularly if it's a job that only exists at that hospital or in your town, or whatever.
I think people have written some excellent advice so far!
As a former EMT, I think it was a great experience since before this I had very little patient contact. Being an EMT (or an ER scribe like many have suggest here) allows you to get right into the thick of the action.
You can do volunteer EMT B work - which is what I did - or you can also do paid. That's one of the nice things about being an EMT B; and I think that for many pre-meds - it helps a lot to have some sort of income. It might not be a great income, but trust me it will help since applying to schools can be mighty expensive.
As a former EMT, I think it was a great experience since before this I had very little patient contact. Being an EMT (or an ER scribe like many have suggest here) allows you to get right into the thick of the action.
You can do volunteer EMT B work - which is what I did - or you can also do paid. That's one of the nice things about being an EMT B; and I think that for many pre-meds - it helps a lot to have some sort of income. It might not be a great income, but trust me it will help since applying to schools can be mighty expensive.
In the sense of adding to an application, I feel that what matters most is how you frame your clinical experiences in the context of your interest in medicine. Throughout my interviews, I didn't gather that a certain type of experience was more impressive than another. It seemed moreso true that the most favorable way to demonstrate my interest in the field was to excel on the MCAT. Medical schools believe that they will teach you everything clinical in due time, so it's fine if the clincal stuff that you do before med school doesn't involve any hands-on techiques.
I was briefly a nurse aide. While it didn't give me any experiences that I included on my application, it gave me a great perspective on how doctors see other healthcare workers.
Looking back as a fourth-yr student, I would recommend anything where you learn a useful but basic skill, such as blood draws, injections, whatever.
I was a med asst at a community clinic, which has always scored me big bonus points (even on residency interviews) for Working With The Underserved (I didn't do it for that reason, but because they would actually hire me for the job without any training).
Phlebotomy would be a great skill to have; med students do not learn these skills at my med school, and it is a huge asset.
EMT is fine, but it is so common for pre-meds, the training is expensive, and in some communities it's hard to find jobs.
Anything where you speak Spanish is even better.
I was a med asst at a community clinic, which has always scored me big bonus points (even on residency interviews) for Working With The Underserved (I didn't do it for that reason, but because they would actually hire me for the job without any training).
Phlebotomy would be a great skill to have; med students do not learn these skills at my med school, and it is a huge asset.
EMT is fine, but it is so common for pre-meds, the training is expensive, and in some communities it's hard to find jobs.
Anything where you speak Spanish is even better.
I'm a CNA. I serve mentally challenged people with epilepsy. I love it. I unintentially ended up there. However, now I think it is a good place to work. I think has helped me and helps me to prepare for medical school.
I work as a CNA on a med/surg floor. It is a great experience. You understand the communications process that is very important to success in medicine. You develop an understanding for proper vitals. The butt wiping shouldn't bother you much after a couple days. One of my favorite things about the job; however, is how appreciative the patients are. Some days it seems like you get paid to talk to people and nothing more. There are definitely days that suck though. Also, the nurses love the fact that you are starting at the bottom of the food chain, this way you'll develop an understanding and caring nature for the whole medical team.
That's the cake taker. What a sweet gig. Congrats on whatever permitted such serendipity.
I was an EMT & loved it. But I think it is worth noting that the training committment is significant. My course was about 120 hrs. In this time you're not getting any real clinical experience. The training itself is not particularly valuable, unless, one really uses it. If one just volunteers for a couple of shifts a months, it's hard to improve your skills. (You may be an out & out liabilty).
So although being an EMT is good experience, be prepared to invest a good amount of hours. For many people, a hospitable based job may be a more time efficient way to get clinical experience.
EMT can be a great job for clinical experience, but a lot depends on your EMS system and how much time you're willing to put into it. If you go to a paramedic academy and become a medic (think 6 more months as a full-time student, but with a good job at the end), then you'll get phenomenal clinical experience and do things most medical student's cant until their third or fourth year like intubate, perform surgical crics, etc.
As an EMT-Basic, you're basically a paramedic's assistant and ambulance driver.
As an EMT-Basic, you're basically a paramedic's assistant and ambulance driver.
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If you scroll back up you will see an explanation.
I am a certified drug and alcohol counselor, which is a lot of clinical contact, but zero medical contact.
I started volunteering at the public hospital ER one evening a week, which is a lot of patient contact, but i rarely see any doctors running around. I think it is because I am in triage. Usually the nurses intake people or paramedics bring them in and if they are real bad they get whisked out very quickly. A lot of the tougher decisions seem to be made by ARNPs. I am still learning the ropes and maybe I will figure out if I am in the wrong place. I had first started in the trauma unit but that was beyond boring because everyone was medded out and asleep.
I feel like I might be in the wromg section, but who really knows. It cant be hurting me to be there and I feel like I am helping people. I just dont think it is giving me any idea what doctors do.
I started volunteering at the public hospital ER one evening a week, which is a lot of patient contact, but i rarely see any doctors running around. I think it is because I am in triage. Usually the nurses intake people or paramedics bring them in and if they are real bad they get whisked out very quickly. A lot of the tougher decisions seem to be made by ARNPs. I am still learning the ropes and maybe I will figure out if I am in the wrong place. I had first started in the trauma unit but that was beyond boring because everyone was medded out and asleep.
I feel like I might be in the wromg section, but who really knows. It cant be hurting me to be there and I feel like I am helping people. I just dont think it is giving me any idea what doctors do.
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