Clinical Experience?

[modernfam]

So I'm confused about classifying clinical and non-clinical experience. I am thinking about volunteering for the Suncoast Blood Bank, but I want to know now whether it may be beneficial on my application?

The description of the work includes:

• Clerical assistance
• Community Relations—promoting blood drives & representing the blood bank at events
• Courier positions
• Presenting the national education program My Blood, Your Blood ® to 5th grade students
• Volunteer opportunities for high school students fulfilling Bright Future program hours and applying for SCBB scholarship
• Fold T-shirts
• Prepare Marketing Materials
• Data Entry

I'm currently volunteering at a hospital, but this semester all I do is clerical work and I am not really enjoying it. I previously participated in transportation, deliveries, and patient support. Also, I'm trying to get a job as a child care worker. Is this good experience as well? Please list any additional clinical and non-clinical experiences that you guys have done.

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[premeddestiny]

Although I am not a part of ADCOMs, here's my take on clinical experience. As long as you were interacting with patients, in-person, in a medical setting, then you can consider it clinical experience. For each experience:

Suncoast: Not clinical, but valuable otherwise because you can practice interpersonal skills via presentation and assisting students.
Child care worker: Depends on what the job description says. If it is dealing with child patients, then that would be clinical

Other ideas include: hospice, nursing home / retirement home, free medical clinics, Planned Parenthood, medical scribing, CNA, EMT, and phlebotomist

 

[Catalystik]

Other ideas include: hospice, nursing home / retirement home, free medical clinics, Planned Parenthood, medical scribing, CNA, EMT, and phlebotomist

Alzheimer's inpatient unit, receptionist or assistant in a private medical office, physical therapy aide, optometry assistant, VA clinic, child-life assistant in a hospital.

Personally, I'd take retirement home off the previous list. For nursing home, I'd look for a spot in the skilled-level nursing wing.

 

[LizzyM]

First ask yourself, "Am I interacting with patients?" If no, then it is not a clinical experience. Second point, "Am I in very close proximity to the patients?" (e.g. not in the basement stocking shelves when all of the patients are upstairs)

I'm not sure how I feel about situations where the people served are called "clients" rather than "patients". Any of my clinical peeps have insights into this matter?

 

[Goro]

So I'm confused about classifying clinical and non-clinical experience. I am thinking about volunteering for the Suncoast Blood Bank, but I want to know now whether it may be beneficial on my application?

The description of the work includes:

• Clerical assistance
• Community Relations—promoting blood drives & representing the blood bank at events
• Courier positions
• Presenting the national education program My Blood, Your Blood ® to 5th grade students
• Volunteer opportunities for high school students fulfilling Bright Future program hours and applying for SCBB scholarship
• Fold T-shirts
• Prepare Marketing Materials
• Data Entry

I'm currently volunteering at a hospital, but this semester all I do is clerical work and I am not really enjoying it. I previously participated in transportation, deliveries, and patient support. Also, I'm trying to get a job as a child care worker. Is this good experience as well? Please list any additional clinical and non-clinical experiences that you guys have done.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

 

[boogiecousins94]

I volunteer with hospice, but some hospice patients are not "actively dying" per se if that makes sense. I got put in a nursing home where the majority of the residents are just old, but there are a few hospice patients there. I go to a nursing home but was given all the patient info etc. and only see the one person on hospice services.

I assumed this was clinical but is it not since they aren't in a hospital/medical setting? I visit them in their room at the nursing home so its quite different than a hospital room but they are still technically a patient. There are nurses there as well, but not coming into rooms all the time. I work with the hospice company not the nursing home

 

[LizzyM]

I volunteer with hospice, but some hospice patients are not "actively dying" per se if that makes sense. I got put in a nursing home where the majority of the residents are just old, but there are a few hospice patients there. I go to a nursing home but was given all the patient info etc. and only see the one person on hospice services.

I assumed this was clinical but is it not since they aren't in a hospital/medical setting? I visit them in their room at the nursing home so its quite different than a hospital room but they are still technically a patient. There are nurses there as well, but not coming into rooms all the time. I work with the hospice company not the nursing home

People in hospice care are "patients" and they are eligible for hospice care only if they are expected to have not more than 6 months to live due to their diagnosis. I don't believe there is anyone who would not say that a hospice patient is a patient whether they are at home or in a residential facility (their "home" so to speak) or in a hospital hospice unit or in a facility devoted solely to hospice care.

 

[Goro]

I volunteer with hospice, but some hospice patients are not "actively dying" per se if that makes sense. I got put in a nursing home where the majority of the residents are just old, but there are a few hospice patients there. I go to a nursing home but was given all the patient info etc. and only see the one person on hospice services.

I assumed this was clinical but is it not since they aren't in a hospital/medical setting? I visit them in their room at the nursing home so its quite different than a hospital room but they are still technically a patient. There are nurses there as well, but not coming into rooms all the time. I work with the hospice company not the nursing home

*sigh*
Just because it's not in a hospital doesn't mean it's not clinical or the people concerned aren't patients.