clinical experience: future PM&R

[shehak20000]

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Hi all,

I am currently an undergraduate freshmen, hoping to eventually become a pediatric physiatrist.....i've shadowed many doctors and am fairly confident that this is what I want to do.

My question lies in clinical experience. I know that it is required for medical school, and I was wondering whether volunteering in a rehabilitation clinic under a pediatric physical therapist counted as clinical experience. there is a doctor who works there, but they make their rounds there once or twice a week and i am volunteering more than that, under the direct supervision of the pediatric physical therapist. I dont know if this "counts" as a why i want to do medecine type of thing. I would think that it does because they are patients, and even if you work at a hospital, most of the time the volunteers are taking directions from teh nurses and not the doctors...so isn't this the same type of thing? I think its a great opportunity because it puts me directly in a rehabilitation setting, but I need to know if this "counts" as clinical experience. does clinical experience have to be in a hospital? would it be better to get clinical expereince on say a surgery floor even though I know i dont want to do that long term?

thanks!

 

[stretch210]

Congrats on being VERY ambitious! Yes that will be considered clinical experience...for medical school, but don't worry about your residency yet! What you do as a freshman in college is not going to affect that, except if you don't get to work and do the best you can in classes. Your concern now should be to get the best grades as possible, have fun in college, do some clinical stuff over the summers, nail the MCAT's (in three years) and then in medical school you can start worrying about your CV for residency.
Heres an idea...this year do some work at this clinic, and then next year check out another field of medicine in another clinic, expose yourself to lots, and that in return will also get you several recommendation letters for medical school. Good luck...PM with any specifics.

Hi all,

I am currently an undergraduate freshmen, hoping to eventually become a pediatric physiatrist.....i've shadowed many doctors and am fairly confident that this is what I want to do.

My question lies in clinical experience. I know that it is required for medical school, and I was wondering whether volunteering in a rehabilitation clinic under a pediatric physical therapist counted as clinical experience. there is a doctor who works there, but they make their rounds there once or twice a week and i am volunteering more than that, under the direct supervision of the pediatric physical therapist. I dont know if this "counts" as a why i want to do medecine type of thing. I would think that it does because they are patients, and even if you work at a hospital, most of the time the volunteers are taking directions from teh nurses and not the doctors...so isn't this the same type of thing? I think its a great opportunity because it puts me directly in a rehabilitation setting, but I need to know if this "counts" as clinical experience. does clinical experience have to be in a hospital? would it be better to get clinical expereince on say a surgery floor even though I know i dont want to do that long term?

thanks!