Clinical Experience?

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

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Hey everyone,

Would being a caregiver count as viable clinical experience? I would be assisting the elderly with ADL’s (bathing, tolieting, dressing, etc.) Thank you!

 

[Moko]

Hey everyone,

Would being a caregiver count as viable clinical experience? I would be assisting the elderly with ADL’s (bathing, tolieting, dressing, etc.) Thank you!

I would say yes (though others may disagree). Many of these people will be debilitated from some underlying medical condition, which you are helping to address. However, this should not be your sole clinical experience. I would also recommend seeing and caring for patients who are more acutely ill (e.g in a hospital, hospice, acute or subacute rehab, etc). Just my thoughts.

 

[LizzyM]

Are they patients? What is the setting?

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

If this is a volunteer or paid position acting as home aide, I would consider it a secondary clinical experience, If this is for a relative, then it loses much of its impact as a clinical experience as obligation is considered the strong motivation for doing so

Gonnif,
I did take care of my cousin with cerebral palsy for two years and got mixed feelings about it. I emailed like 4 schools and some said they would accept it as clinical and that it would hold weight and some said no

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

Are they patients? What is the setting?

So they are patients. It would be in different settings such as senior centers, hospice, in home, etc. I will also be helping with patients that have dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc.

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

I would say yes (though others may disagree). Many of these people will be debilitated from some underlying medical condition, which you are helping to address. However, this should not be your sole clinical experience. I would also recommend seeing and caring for patients who are more acutely ill (e.g in a hospital, hospice, acute or subacute rehab, etc). Just my thoughts.

This is a good point because at orientation they said that many do have underlying conditions and that’s why we should expect some to pass away during our time there.

 

[LizzyM]

You can take care of a child in the child's home and that child can have asthma or type 1 diabetes and you'd still call that "babysitting" or 'nannying". You could work as a barista in a Starbucks in the hospital and serving coffee to people who have underlying health conditions would not make it a clinical experience.

That they are "patients" does make it clinical in my definition but you need to be careful... you should also have some experience, paid, volunteer and/or shadowing in a facility where people are receiving medical services from physicans while you are present.

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

hence why I didnt discount it as a clinical experience but noted that it would lose impact if a relative. Part of the reason for that is, besides motivation for it is often familial obligation, it can be very uneven from helping "grandma" around the house to a much more serious conditions.

Okay, thank you for your advice!

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

You can take care of a child in the child's home and that child can have asthma or type 1 diabetes and you'd still call that "babysitting" or 'nannying". You could work as a barista in a Starbucks in the hospital and serving coffee to people who have underlying health conditions would not make it a clinical experience.

That they are "patients" does make it clinical in my definition but you need to be careful... you should also have some experience, paid, volunteer and/or shadowing in a facility where people are receiving medical services from physicans while you are present.

I just feel like because I'm doing hands on ADL's with a patient that it would be clinical. Some patients may be in settings that have physicians there etc. I'm just confused as to why some would not consider this clinical. It is not like I am on the sidelines, I'm actually actively doing something. I do believe that this experience will make me a better physician. Thank you for the help!

 

[LizzyM]

I just feel like because I'm doing hands on ADL's with a patient that it would be clinical. Some patients may be in settings that have physicians there etc. I'm just confused as to why some would not consider this clinical. It is not like I am on the sidelines, I'm actually actively doing something. I do believe that this experience will make me a better physician. Thank you for the help!

There are two things one is learning/demonstrating with clinical experience. One is the experience of dealing with people who are sick or injured or seeking preventive services. Another is the experience of working as part of a team in a health care setting. Finally, there is the opportunity to see the physician role and the role of the other members of the health care team.

If you are assisting adults in bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, and grooming, that is a way in which you are dealing with people who are disabled due to an illness or injury. However, depending on the site of care, you may not be in a clinical setting or being part of a team that includes physicians. While you can list this as clincial volunteering (or paid clinical, if that is the case) I would like to see other experiences that cover the other aspects of clinical experience.

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

There are two things one is learning/demonstrating with clinical experience. One is the experience of dealing with people who are sick or injured or seeking preventive services. Another is the experience of working as part of a team in a health care setting. Finally, there is the opportunity to see the physician role and the role of the other members of the health care team.

If you are assisting adults in bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, and grooming, that is a way in which you are dealing with people who are disabled due to an illness or injury. However, depending on the site of care, you may not be in a clinical setting or being part of a team that includes physicians. While you can list this as clincial volunteering (or paid clinical, if that is the case) I would like to see other experiences that cover the other aspects of clinical experience.

What other aspects would be good?

 

[LizzyM]

You should have some experience in a hospital or clinic where you are either observing (shadowing) or taking an active part (as an assistant, a scribe, etc) in care being provided/overseen by a physician.

Hands on care is fine but it is important to know how health care institutions operate and what role physicians have and how they interact with others as part of a team.

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

You should have some experience in a hospital or clinic where you are either observing (shadowing) or taking an active part (as an assistant, a scribe, etc) in care being provided/overseen by a physician.

Hands on care is fine but it is important to know how health care institutions operate and what role physicians have and how they interact with others as part of a team.

Would working in my university’s clinic count also?

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

You should have some experience in a hospital or clinic where you are either observing (shadowing) or taking an active part (as an assistant, a scribe, etc) in care being provided/overseen by a physician.

Hands on care is fine but it is important to know how health care institutions operate and what role physicians have and how they interact with others as part of a team.

I have about 30 shadowing hours. How much more do I need?

 

[LizzyM]

Would working in my university’s clinic count also?

Is it a clinic limited to students or does it serve a broader population including faculty, staff and familes? How many employees are working at any given time? If it is a big clinic that serves a broad demographic, that would be fine. If it is limited to handling college students with preventive services and those with minor, self-limiting illnesses, while referring the rest, then you are a bit limited in your exposure to health care delivery.

I have about 30 shadowing hours. How much more do I need?

The general rule is that a minimum of 50 hours is good but don't do more than 75-80... if you have more time, do something active rather than passive shadowing. Be sure that some of that shadowing is with a primary care provider.

 

[chemistry hahgdgjjhdf]

Is it a clinic limited to students or does it serve a broader population including faculty, staff and familes? How many employees are working at any given time? If it is a big clinic that serves a broad demographic, that would be fine. If it is limited to handling college students with preventive services and those with minor, self-limiting illnesses, while referring the rest, then you are a bit limited in your exposure to health care delivery.



The general rule is that a minimum of 50 hours is good but don't do more than 75-80... if you have more time, do something active rather than passive shadowing. Be sure that some of that shadowing is with a primary care provider.

So it did serve faculty, staff, and their families. We would have 2 physicians, two NP’s, a MA and three nurses working at a time. That was just for the urgent care, which was the part I worked in. The clinic was big overall, even had a radiology part to it. What do you think? For shadowing, I did 30 hours with a primary care doctor, so I may shadow with a surgeon next.

 

[LizzyM]

So it did serve faculty, staff, and their families. We would have 2 physicians, two NP’s, a MA and three nurses working at a time. That was just for the urgent care, which was the part I worked in. The clinic was big overall, even had a radiology part to it. What do you think? For shadowing, I did 30 hours with a primary care doctor, so I may shadow with a surgeon next.

That sounds like a reasonable ambulatory care clinic experience dealing with people of a variety of ages who were sick or injured.