Clinical Experience Question/Dilemma

[h23]

Hey so I need some advice here. I haven't seen anyone post about this and I don't know if I'm freaking out for nothing, but I've been working in a pediatric clinic for a while now and managed to rack up about 4000 hours of clinical experience working there. The problem is that my mom is the only physician there and runs the clinic. I started working there just as a way to earn extra money and thought at the time, it'd be a great way to obtain some clinical experience. But now as the upcoming applications are coming closer, I don't know anymore. I understand med schools don't take it too kindly if you have a recommendation letter written by your own mother, but doing 4000+ hours and just not mentioning it also seems like a stupid move. Anybody got any advice? Should I rack up some clinical experience elsewhere real quickly or do you think its ok if I mention working at my mom's clinic?

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[aformerstudent]

You can put down you have the 4000 hours. Contemplating having a parent write you an LOR is poor judgment IMO. Why would you need the LOR for the 4000 hours to be significant? I mean if you worked in the clinic then you worked in the clinic; regardless if your mother was the physician. Is there honestly no one else in that clinic that could attest to your 4000 hours?

 

[h23]

Its a pretty small clinic. There was another physician who worked there as well and I worked w/ him for a decent period of time, but he unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. I've worked with some of the nurses there as well, but I honestly feel that a rec letter from a physician might look better in this specific case. The only reason I'm asking about a rec letter is cause I feel if I were on a medical admissions committee, I'd think it be weird if I saw an applicant with over 1000 hours of clinical experience but no rec letter from the physician.

You can put down you have the 4000 hours. Contemplating having a parent write you an LOR is poor judgment IMO. Why would you need the LOR for the 4000 hours to be significant? I mean if you worked in the clinic then you worked in the clinic; regardless if your mother was the physician. Is there honestly no one else in that clinic that could attest to your 4000 hours?

 

[RocuROMANium]

Well look your clinical hours are golden. However, you do pose an interesting point. Can you get LORs anywhere else?

 

[aformerstudent]

I'd think it be weird if I saw an applicant with over 1000 hours of clinical experience but no rec letter from the physician.

I agree that is an interesting point. 4000 hours is a lot of time, what about having that be the highlight of your personal statement?

 

[h23]

I suppose I could get letters from elsewhere, like teachers and maybe I could do a bit more volunteering before the applications come out. I just hope medical schools don't look down on me for having all that w/o a rec letter to show for it, but hopefully I'll be able to get my point across in my personal statement and not come across as fake or something like that.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

How recent is your coursework? You don't need an LOR for your clinical hours to mean something.

 

[Goro]

It counts. Just be up front with it being your mom's clinic, and be sure to heavily mention what you learned there, and how it impacted you.

Hey so I need some advice here. I haven't seen anyone post about this and I don't know if I'm freaking out for nothing, but I've been working in a pediatric clinic for a while now and managed to rack up about 4000 hours of clinical experience working there. The problem is that my mom is the only physician there and runs the clinic. I started working there just as a way to earn extra money and thought at the time, it'd be a great way to obtain some clinical experience. But now as the upcoming applications are coming closer, I don't know anymore. I understand med schools don't take it too kindly if you have a recommendation letter written by your own mother, but doing 4000+ hours and just not mentioning it also seems like a stupid move. Anybody got any advice? Should I rack up some clinical experience elsewhere real quickly or do you think its ok if I mention working at my mom's clinic?

 

[timephone]

I suppose I could get letters from elsewhere, like teachers and maybe I could do a bit more volunteering before the applications come out. I just hope medical schools don't look down on me for having all that w/o a rec letter to show for it, but hopefully I'll be able to get my point across in my personal statement and not come across as fake or something like that.

If possible you should try to do some hours of shadowing with some other physicians, your mom must have some practicing friends in your area. Then hit them up for a rec letter!

 

[wasntsowise]

wait how did you not consider this in the first place haha??

 

[Javyc0385]

Hey so I need some advice here. I haven't seen anyone post about this and I don't know if I'm freaking out for nothing, but I've been working in a pediatric clinic for a while now and managed to rack up about 4000 hours of clinical experience working there. The problem is that my mom is the only physician there and runs the clinic. I started working there just as a way to earn extra money and thought at the time, it'd be a great way to obtain some clinical experience. But now as the upcoming applications are coming closer, I don't know anymore. I understand med schools don't take it too kindly if you have a recommendation letter written by your own mother, but doing 4000+ hours and just not mentioning it also seems like a stupid move. Anybody got any advice? Should I rack up some clinical experience elsewhere real quickly or do you think its ok if I mention working at my mom's clinic?

Is this your mom's private practice? Is there anyone else working at that clinic who is also "in charge"? like a clinical director, clinic manager, nurse manager? If so maybe one of these other professionals can vouch for you you can still save those 4000 hours as clinical experience but not as shadowing.