Clinical Exposure?

[Shirafune]

Would being a caregiver of a quadriplegic be considered clinical exposure? I would be giving the disabled person a shower, getting him dressed, and helping him get ready for the day or night, for example. However, this would all happen at his home.

Could this job even be considered an intermediate level of clinical exposure? I'm trying to beef up my clinical exposure hours and get some employment experience and money for the next application cycle. Currently, I have 160 hrs in traditional inpatient hospital departments and 180 hrs at an outpatient pediatric autism site. I will likely have around 200 hrs inpatient experience and 280 hrs at the pediatric autism site by the time I apply.

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[LizzyM]

Providing what amounts to hands-on, physical care of a disabled adult is good experience.
I would want to see that you also have some experience in a setting with health care providers. Have you been in a setting where you could observe physicians and/or other clinicians going about their daily tasks?

 

[Shirafune]

Providing what amounts to hands-on, physical care of a disabled adult is good experience.
I would want to see that you also have some experience in a setting with health care providers. Have you been in a setting where you could observe physicians and/or other clinicians going about their daily tasks?

Unfortunately, I do not have formal shadowing experience. About 10 - 20% of the time at the pediatric autism site was observing cases and asking physicians questions, if time permitted. My inpatient experience involved work in the ER and pediatric floor. Volunteers were allowed to observe coding cases in the former. For the latter, I would go around the rooms and give parents a break to grab food and etc. Or I would stay in the playroom to play with the sick kids and stop them from running around with their IV poles.

I finished my degree in 3 years so I didn't have much time for ECs. Quick list of ECs so far:

2000 hrs basic science research (3rd author pub from lab 1, 1000 hrs independent project from lab 2)
340 hrs clinical volunteering
90 hrs teaching
1 year club leadership
3 years special interest club

Hopefully adding this academic year:

600 hours basic science
140 hrs clinical volunteering (40 inpatient, 100 pediatric outpatient)
50 hrs non-clinical volunteering for elderly
180 hrs teaching
50 hrs shadowing
350 - 450 hrs employment (position specified above)
UCD Surgical Internship

Career goal: pediatric subspecialist with moderate to major research component.

 

[LizzyM]

Just be sure to have a reasonable idea of what the day in the life of a physician is like and the type of work the physician does in contrast to the work done by other members of the health care team as well as the length and variety of the days.