Clinical research

[GodComplex]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi everyone,
I've been a long time lurker on here. I have a question that I have searched the forums for, but cannot find a clear answer.

I have been volunteering in the ER doing clinical research for a couple of years and over 400 hours. The research aspect normally involves getting consent from the patients for the studies and occasionally administering the studies when it involves surveys.

When there are no patients eligible for the studies in the ED, I am able to shadow the ER residents and attendings. I am usually allowed to interact with the patients in limited ways when shadowing, such as turning the patients over, holding c-spine on trauma, and feel the patients when certain symptoms are present and the residents want me to feel something.

My question is (for those of you that may know or are about to apply), will this count as both clinical and research experience, or just one? Is a double dip allowed? My time was pretty evenly divided between duties. I have read mixed responses in the previous threads on this and would like to get a more clear consensus. I have one year before applying and am going to try and get more experience in both, but I don't want to apply just to find out that most admission committees will say I have no clinical experience.

Thanks

 

[Ismet]

Anytime you interact with patients is clinical experience. This can be in a work role (as a CNA, EMT, etc), in a volunteering role, or as part of clinical research.

The shadowing that you do is clinical experience.

 

[Josh7]

How is it research? Do you do data analysis or are you just walking around the hospital asking patients to sign forms..?

 

[GodComplex]

My official role is research associate. I explain all of the procedures for the research, go through the IRB process, in one particular study I go through a 10 to 20 minute brief intervention with them about their drinking habits and then do follow up calls to how their habits have changed with the intervention versus those without. I also did data input to see how patient care and consultation times changed when the hospital switched for paper to and electronic system.

 

[PanRoasted]

I think what Josh7 is getting at is that unless you had some kind of creative input, it's not technically "research" (which I believe is false). Dipping your toes in IRB process is about as much clinical research experience as med school can reasonably expect you to have.

 

[Josh7]

I think what Josh7 is getting at is that unless you had some kind of creative input, it's not technically "research" (which I believe is false). Dipping your toes in IRB process is about as much clinical research experience as med school can reasonably expect you to have.

If all they were doing was calling people on the phone or having patients sign things than in my opinion, it isn't research.

What GodComplex explained does sounds like research to me though since it's a little more involved and you can actually get a feel of the scientific process.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Hi everyone,
I've been a long time lurker on here. I have a question that I have searched the forums for, but cannot find a clear answer.

I have been volunteering in the ER doing clinical research for a couple of years and over 400 hours. The research aspect normally involves getting consent from the patients for the studies and occasionally administering the studies when it involves surveys.

When there are no patients eligible for the studies in the ED, I am able to shadow the ER residents and attendings. I am usually allowed to interact with the patients in limited ways when shadowing, such as turning the patients over, holding c-spine on trauma, and feel the patients when certain symptoms are present and the residents want me to feel something.

My question is (for those of you that may know or are about to apply), will this count as both clinical and research experience, or just one? Is a double dip allowed? My time was pretty evenly divided between duties. I have read mixed responses in the previous threads on this and would like to get a more clear consensus. I have one year before applying and am going to try and get more experience in both, but I don't want to apply just to find out that most admission committees will say I have no clinical experience.

Thanks

Of course. If you work as an RN prior to applying, do you have to choose between "paid employment" and "clinical experience?" On the AMCAS you ahve to classify it, but it's not one or the other. This sounds like a great activity.

 

[GodComplex]

Ok thanks everyone. I appreciate your input.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Ok thanks everyone. I appreciate your input.

Be sure to list the shadowing time separately from the job. Just make it super obvious you watched doctors talk to patients. Some schools are very anal about this, so you have to put blinking lights around it on your app.

 

[GodComplex]

Ok thanks for clarifying. Would I be listing all shadowing experience in one slot on the application? Or would I list something like surgery shadowing in a different slot? Sorry, I'm just not very familiar with the filling out of the application.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

I put all mine in a mega entry. Not sure how other people do it.

 

[GodComplex]

Alright thanks.