Clinical Experience: Clinical Research or Scribing

[expressojoe]

I'm a reapplicant. Graduated 2019, worked a year in neuroscience research for a year at T10 school so I racked up a lot of research experience (already had 3 years in undergrad tho). Cycle didn't work out and now that I'm reapplying I'm looking to switch jobs. I have nearly 3000 research hours but only about 200 clinical + 80 shadowing. This 2nd gap year I have gotten several job interviews and a few offers too.

(1) clinical research at same t10 school but this time working in clinical trial. I conduct interviews with participants, give them cognitive tests, and work with some imaging scans too. Bc of covid, some of these interactions will be virtual with hopes to reallow people back into the hospital for these trials. The trial's population isn't clinical (otherwise healthy people) but I still would be working in a clinical setting. PI is super famous in the field (cited like crazy) and pumps out lots of publications.
(2) scribing at urgent care facility. Not a fancy position but will let me experiences many types of medical interventions. Bc of the incredible demands for covid testing in my city, the urgent center is seeing 100-200 people a day. To help manage the patient overflow, scribes are trained to help draw blood and perform other diagnostic tests so this would be a great learning experience.

Which would be a better option in your opinion to better round out my app?

CR seems like a great opportunity overall plus pays almost double as scribing, but may not look as clinical (or am I wrong?) Scribing sounds exciting, super clinical, and flexible hours, though minimum wage would make more than half my salary go to rent.

At the end of the day I'm looking at what will help me with admissions. If I got to live extremely frugally, it'll suck and I'll have to find a second job to help cover cost of living.

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[asmallpremed]

Hey man,
If you have a lot of research already, it's best to work on clinical experience. Unless you're going top-tier MD PhD, schools would much rather see you interacting with physicians/patients. Also, be sure to get service for those less fortunate. Nice score improvement. How did you do it and how long did you study for the first and second time?

 

[GreenDuck12]

The schools that you are applying to may impact this decision. I would lean towards option 1 because the CRC position is a good one to have. Would scribing part time be possible?

 

[candbgirl]

You said yourself the population in Option 1 aren’t patients. Although Option 1 might be more to your liking go with scribing. At least those people are patients. And that’s what you need. Face to face interaction with sick people! How is you nonclinical volunteering to those less fortunate than yourself?

 

[expressojoe]

The schools that you are applying to may impact this decision. I would lean towards option 1 because the CRC position is a good one to have. Would scribing part time be possible?

I've applied several places but so far the companies that I've interviewed with are only offering full time

 

[GreenDuck12]

What feedback did you get from schools that you interviewed at? Did they indicate you didn't have enough clinical experience?

 

[expressojoe]

What feedback did you get from schools that you interviewed at? Did they indicate you didn't have enough clinical experience?

So I thought that may have been the rain and asked specifically. They said it was enough the problem was more with rushed essays and unclear ps both of which I have taken a lot of time to address

 

[expressojoe]

Actually thanks for the input everyone, I got an offer that's kind of the best of both worlds. Got offered the full time scribing position, but with their 12 hour shifts, it's. Only 3 weekdays/1 weekend of work. My current PI just offered to let me stay part time for the two other weekdays and keep doing Neuroscience research. While the research isn't clinical, I'll have the scribing job to take care of that.

This probably will be an exhausting year of work, but I've already been working 6-7day weeks this first gap year and I think I can get the best of both doing this.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Best of luck to you on your upcoming application cycle