Clinical Experience Rejection

[LondonVibes]

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So, I’m aware that the recommended hours for clinical on here are about 150-200 before applying. I had around 200 hours of patient contact experience in summer 2019 (only clinical experience) and was rejected for a lack of clinical experience by a school. What may have caused this rejection (and all the other MD rejections that may have been clinical exposure related) despite having sufficient hours in this category?

 

[LondonVibes]

@LizzyM @candbgirl

 

[LizzyM]

What is sufficient for most schools in not always sufficient for all schools. I have heard from past applicants that a few schools pretty much expect the equivalent of 6 months of clinical employment (1000 hours). Yeah, that's crazy but possible if you worked three summers before applying and anticipated working the summer after applying too. Of course, some people would work during a gap year and have enough. It is rare that a school expects that much but it is not unheard of.

 

[LondonVibes]

What is sufficient for most schools in not always sufficient for all schools. I have heard from past applicants that a few schools pretty much expect the equivalent of 6 months of clinical employment (1000 hours). Yeah, that's crazy but possible if you worked three summers before applying and anticipated working the summer after applying too. Of course, some people would work during a gap year and have enough. It is rare that a school expects that much but it is not unheard of.

Is the fact that my experience was crammed into a summer a factor at all or no?

 

[LizzyM]

Is the fact that my experience was crammed into a summer a factor at all or no?

More likely that it was not enough hours if it was one of those schools that likes to see an enormous number of hours. A single summer can also come across as "box checking" and could leave one wondering why you did something you'd like to be doing for the rest of your life for just one summer and then moved on to other things. Of course, there was little clinical volunteering permitted in 2019-2020 academic year and summer 2020 was a bust.

 

[candbgirl]

Additionally, it could be what your activities were. Just because your activities were in a hospital, doctor’s office, clinic etc doesn’t necessarily mean what you were doing was anything clinical. Like billing, stocking shelves, cleaning rooms after a patient are all in the clinical setting but you aren’t coming face to face with the sick or injured and interacting with them. But who really knows. I think LizzyM ‘s response is probably closer to reality. Back in 2019( seems unbelievable that was only two years ago) there wasn’t a legitimate reason not to have the required/expected hours. And even the Fall 2019 semester was available for activities(I’m assuming you applied in June 2020)! IMO the only required or expected activity that can be done quickly is shadowing. You can knock that out in a week over a school break. The others take planning .

 

[Goro]

So, I’m aware that the recommended hours for clinical on here are about 150-200 before applying. I had around 200 hours of patient contact experience in summer 2019 (only clinical experience) and was rejected for a lack of clinical experience by a school. What may have caused this rejection (and all the other MD rejections that may have been clinical exposure related) despite having sufficient hours in this category?

An alternative explanation is that the interviewer may have found you either scary, boring, foolish, too slow off the draw, having a flat affect, or any other negative humanistic interviewing domain that they won't tell you about when they give you feedback.

My school has rejected people for exactly the above reasons at times.

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

What is sufficient for most schools in not always sufficient for all schools. I have heard from past applicants that a few schools pretty much expect the equivalent of 6 months of clinical employment (1000 hours).

Do you know which schools expect this so I can avoid them with my (what will be at the time of application next year) meager 600 hours?

 

[LondonVibes]

Additionally, it could be what your activities were. Just because your activities were in a hospital, doctor’s office, clinic etc doesn’t necessarily mean what you were doing was anything clinical. Like billing, stocking shelves, cleaning rooms after a patient are all in the clinical setting but you aren’t coming face to face with the sick or injured and interacting with them. But who really knows. I think LizzyM ‘s response is probably closer to reality. Back in 2019( seems unbelievable that was only two years ago) there wasn’t a legitimate reason not to have the required/expected hours. And even the Fall 2019 semester was available for activities(I’m assuming you applied in June 2020)! IMO the only required or expected activity that can be done quickly is shadowing. You can knock that out in a week over a school break. The others take planning .

The summer thing was mainly transporting patients in wheelchairs and more occasionally giving directions so it was clearly clinical! What do you mean when you say the others require planning?

 

[candbgirl]

The summer thing was mainly transporting patients in wheelchairs and more occasionally giving directions so it was clearly clinical! What do you mean when you say the others require planning?

I mean that with shadowing you find a doc and set up a couple of days shadowing with that person and you ask if he has a friend who would let you shadow and you shadow that person. And you are done. With Clinical experiences and nonclinical volunteering the activities are supposed to be over a period of months/years. So you have to make plans with your course work, your real job(if not clinical), schedules of the places you are volunteering at etc. You have to plan because you are making a commitment to the people/facilities where you will be working. You can’t just drop in for a day here and there.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you know which schools expect this so I can avoid them with my (what will be at the time of application next year) meager 600 hours?

Eastern Tennessee and Rush are two that come to mind but there may be others.