Best Part-time Patient Care Jobs are...?

[Tac86]

Hello I’m here with another question. Right now, I’m looking to get a part-time job doing patient care while I go to school. I’m just wondering if I could get some recommendations of good jobs that would be ideal wth going to school. At this very moment, being a TA is out of the question as I’m just going to a new school.

If you could use some of these details in your answer that would great:

* Position
* Job that looks good on med school application
* Best way to apply
* What to tell them
* Flexibility on hours
* Degree needed?
* Things to put on application
* Previous Jobs or personal experiences
* etc


Thank you so much! Any help and advice would be great!

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[RocuROMANium]

1. Care Partner/Patient Care Tech or Emergency Department Tech
2. Great on app because it's direct patient care. It's hard work but this is TRUE patient care experience.
3. Apply through health system of interest
4. Be honest with them. Tell them you are looking for patient care experience to help you become a doctor one day.
5. It depends. At my hospital you can work PT where you work two 12 hour shifts a week or you can be PRN (as needed) where you fulfill a certain amount of hours in a given period.
6. CNA/PCT cert or EMT cert
7. You will figure that out once you have worked for a while

 

[Mooseforkicks]

Working as a PCT/CNA in pretty much any area of the hospital is going to give you great patient contact experience, which will be valuable for med school apps.

Apply broadly online to hospitals in your area. If you need a very flexible schedule, I suggest applying to PRN/Flex positions. Depending on your state of residence, you’ll may need a certification (which you can get done in a few weeks for a couple hundred dollars).

It can be difficult to get a job at a hospital if you have no past clinical experience/employment. In that case, I would highlight any volunteer experience as evidence that serving others is important to you, then tie that in with helping patients.

 

[Tac86]

So from what I’m sniffing it’s pretty essential to get CNA certified, correct?

I’m assuming that would give me a big edge over other applicants who are also seeking for similar work, right?

What about becoming a certified phlebotomist...?

 

[RocuROMANium]

So from what I’m sniffing it’s pretty essential to get CNA certified, correct?

I’m assuming that would give me a big edge over other applicants who are also seeking for similar work, right?

What about becoming a certified phlebotomist...?

I recommend that you get certified in phlebotomy if that is the ONLY thing you want to do in order to interact with patients. However, one of the perks I have found while working as a CNA/EDT is that I do phlebotomy, patient transport, EKGs (too many!), and many other skills all under one cert. But there are many ways to gain clinical experience so do a lot of research to find the way that works best for you and makes you happiest. The more you love what you do, the more you will have to talk about during your interviews and the more convincing you will come across to the admins.

 

[Mooseforkicks]

No, it won't give you a big edge over your competition. It will simply fulfill the clinical experience requirement.

I don’t think this is accurate. If you are applying for a job that recommends a CNA/EMT certification, having one will tend to give you better odds of getting hired in comparison with someone who isn’t certified.

Check the job listings in your area and see what the requirements and recommendations are for positions you are interested in. You can use that to decide if you need to get a certification.