Clinical Experience, Classes, FT Job

[zebradoc]

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[Seihai]

I've been reading about clinical experiences, but wanted to get some input from others here before leaping toward any training that will likely be required for jobs that will give me clinical experience. Presently, I work FT (1-10pm) in a technical position. It's for a university and offers flexibility with regard to courses, as well as giving me benefits that allow me to have 3 free classes a year. Perfect for premed prereqs and grinding away to improve my GPA. Working FT needs to continue to have this arrangement. I have Fridays and Saturdays off, and will be taking courses in the morning M-F this Fall (BIO 111/L and Calc 1).

What would be clinical experience that might be a good fit for this type of schedule? Being realistic, I'm not sure I could do nursing home CNA work, but I'll cross that bridge if I must. EMT? Medical Assistant? Anything that might let me get experience without requiring a separate program outside of my premed courses? I have a limited amount of time to work with, but I want to get quality experience and am trying to start early in my prereqs to maximize what time I do have.

I'm just getting started, but know others in NonTrad have taken a similar path, so would like to pick your brains!

Are you amenable to the idea of volunteering? It seems to me that a more flexible schedule in volunteering to get clinical experience would be a better fit with your schedule, especially as you work a full-time job. Don't underestimate the amount of time you'll need to study for your courses (especially Calc 1, if you're not good at math/an engineer).

 

[Seihai]

I'm totally amenable to volunteering. I make a full enough salary at my current job, so anything that would let me volunteer for experience is great. The only caveats being any training that might need to be done to prepare for that, if any. I'm completing BLS CPR July 30.

Simple volunteering usually doesn't require much training other than basic HIPAA and minor protocols training. It wouldn't be as hands-on as being an EMT, but you do usually get a chance to be involved in helping patients (usually not actually being involved in their care, but being peripheral support).

 

[futuremdforme]

Clinical volunteering is two birds, one stone. I would not choose something paid because a) it doesn't show the commitment to serve the community without gain for yourself like volunteering does and b) it won't be as flexible if you can't make it one week, etc.

 

[peregrino]

If you do volunteer, do not let it take over your remaining free time or your life, or ruin your GPA.

 

[Cornfed101]

Clinical volunteering is two birds, one stone. I would not choose something paid because a) it doesn't show the commitment to serve the community without gain for yourself like volunteering does and b) it won't be as flexible if you can't make it one week, etc.

I would say it is good to have non-clinical volunteering as well. OP, do you have any non-clinical volunteering experience?

 

[Cornfed101]

Just a little. Nothing directly able to track. I’ve done IT/design stuff for a couple of LGBT charities in the past, and I regularly set up boxes at work for food donations to give to the homeless shelter in town. I need to diversify still...

It's always good to have something long term (even just a few hours a month) that you can show some extended dedication to. For clinical stuff, I did 50 hours volunteering in a Children's hospital, which was awesome. I just held kids and played with them. I currently work as an Ophthalmic Tech taking histories, doing refractions, doing special testing, etc. Depending on your state, you don't need any certifications to do my job (I didn't have any previous experience). It's great experience and pays twice what I was making as a scribe