Clinical Experience

[mattandrusiak]

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My basic science research lab is situated in an out-patient cancer facility. Due to its location I am in frequent contact with MD's and MD related seminars on clinical trials and various other topics. Aside from this I have no clinical experience in the way of shadowing. So my question is: Is this enough in terms of experience in the clinic?

Personally I think it is since it directly pertains to the translation from lab to clinic and vice versa, however, other people may have a different opinion.

Thoughts?

 

[solitude]

My basic science research lab is situated in an out-patient cancer facility. Due to its location I am in frequent contact with MD's and MD related seminars on clinical trials and various other topics. Aside from this I have no clinical experience in the way of shadowing. So my question is: Is this enough in terms of experience in the clinic?

Personally I think it is since it directly pertains to the translation from lab to clinic and vice versa, however, other people may have a different opinion.

Thoughts?

I think it depends on the rest of your application and the schools to which you are applying. If the rest of your app is very strong and you are applying to the very research-heavy schools (essentially, although not exclusively, those that have MSTPs), you will be fine. As others on the board have noted, either they or their MSTP student acquaintences were admitted to top-10 schools with no clinical experience at all. On the other hand, there are some MSTP's - particularly those that let their MD committee make an "independent" decision on your app - that will probably want a little bit more direct clinical experience. I'm not sure that it has to be shadowing per se; for example, I have volunteered in a few clinical settings but haven't done any actual shadowing, and I think I'm in good shape with regards to clinical experience. In another forum an adcom member has noted that the rule of thumb is "if you're close enough to smell patients, it's clinical experience".

Overall, my opinion is that it probably won't hurt you but you are also missing a component of the application that could potentially help, not to mention help solidify your desire to pursue an MD/PhD (which, as you know, is very important given the long road that we shall tread). If you're very busy (aren't we all?), I would just recommend contacting a hospital and volunteering a couple hours a week for a semester or summer. It will give you "clinical experience", something to talk about in interviews, and hopefully affirm your desire to be a physician-scientist.