Clinical hours for CLS rotation

[The Real Premedonna]

So, right now I am majoring in clinical laboratory sciences. The program requires clinical rotations in a laboratory setting. Would this experience count as some type of clinical experience for medical school? I keep hearing conflicting answers from pre-med counselors, and the internet. During this clinical rotation, we learn how to analyze patient samples in hematology, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology. We even have a phlebotomy rotation. Can anyone that majored in or is currently studying medical laboratory science share your experience on how you documented/plan on documenting clinical rotations for your medical school applications?

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[Mr. Babe]

This sounds like research experience to me. But you are also in a clinical setting so it could be documented as clinical volunteer work. It doesn't sound like something with patient interaction so it's probably not going to do you any good to use it as volunteering. Stick with writing it up as research.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

My PH.D. interviewers this cycle were underwhelmed or ignorant of CLS.

I would not list this as research nor clinical volunteering. In fact, I would not mention it at all. Let the degree speak for itself and fulfill the B.S. requirement.

Fill the 15 activities on your app with other worthwhile ECs.

 

[Catalystik]

I am majoring in clinical laboratory sciences. Would this experience count as some type of clinical experience for medical school?

We even have a phlebotomy rotation.

The type of "clinical experience" adcomms are looking for would be the type where you interact with current patients in a helpful way. The phlebotomy rotation hours involving face-to-face time during blood draws would count toward this expectation. Keep a log of the time spent and be sure your instructor is willing to be your Contact who can affirm them.

The experience isn't Volunteer or Employment, as it is a curricular requirement, so you'd list it under the "Other "category (maybe titled "Student Phlebotomist").

 

[Pholaffle]

I'm a medical lab technologist. The work experience gained in the lab satisfies neither clinical exposure (no patient contact except the little phlebotomy you may have) nor is it research oriented lab work.

I had been working in my position for over a year at the time of application, so I included it as nonclinical employment. I did not add the internship experience because it'll already be on your transcript. Feel free to write about more salient details of your experience in essays if you feel they demonstrate your motivations to pursue medicine.

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

So, right now I am majoring in clinical laboratory sciences. The program requires clinical rotations in a laboratory setting. Would this experience count as some type of clinical experience for medical school? I keep hearing conflicting answers from pre-med counselors, and the internet. During this clinical rotation, we learn how to analyze patient samples in hematology, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology. We even have a phlebotomy rotation. Can anyone that majored in or is currently studying medical laboratory science share your experience on how you documented/plan on documenting clinical rotations for your medical school applications?

I documented it as clinical work experience while I was applying this past year. No one really remarked about the internship/degree during interviews whether or not they knew about it from my application, or when I brought it up during blind interviews. I would suggest close patient contact hours being a focus though, because that will be the majority of your life as a doctor unless you become a pathologist. It’s great experience though because you will have a unique perspective into a world that is very backstage, but vital to a doctor’s ability to accurately diagnose problems. So definitely don’t see this experience as not being meaningful to a well-rounded medical school applicant.