CNA or EMT experience required?

[TheGoodDoc83]

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Hello thread responders,

I have a volunteer pre-med advisor from NAAHP. He said that med schools need direct patient interaction on your application and that shadowing isn't enough. He suggested getting certified as a CNA or EMT and then work in the field to get that experience. Is this absolutely necessary? I have no doubt that it would help your application, but I do not believe that it is, or should be, an absolute requirement to get in. I also don't want to pay any more money than I have to. As a non-traditional student, I need to take my pre-reqs over again as it is.

Does he have any idea what he's talking about, or is it me?

 

[Moko]

He said that med schools need direct patient interaction on your application and that shadowing isn't enough. He suggested getting certified as a CNA or EMT and then work in the field to get that experience. Is this absolutely necessary?

No, not necessary at all. He is right that you need to have direct patient interactions for your application, but this can take many forms, from clinical volunteering (in the hospital, in nursing homes, hospice, etc), to paid clinical work (such as CNA, EMT). You'll need both clinical activities to show that you can care for the sick and suffering, and also volunteering to demonstrate altruism. In addition to clinical volunteering, also be sure to have some non-clinical volunteering mixed in.

 

[TheGoodDoc83]

Actually, you may not need direct patient interactions at all. Here's an article from AAMC: https://students-residents.aamc.org.../five-ways-gain-experience-without-shadowing/

When reading this critically, they give alternatives to shadowing, so they consider everything listed, as well as shadowing, as clinical experience. They also recommend to look at each school's requirements, so it seems as if schools themselves have their own service requirements (which may require CNA/EMT and direct patient interaction for all we know). But to sum it up, direct patient interaction is not an absolute requirement for entry to every medical school. I think shadowing and volunteering for kitchen service for the homeless would be enough service activities in my case. I'm a non-trad in my mid-30s, having worked as a lab tech/grosser for a number of years in hospitals and labs. Should be enough.

 

[ihoop24]

Im confused. You asked a question, got a good response from a knowledgable person, and then replied disagreeing with the response. Shadowing =/= clinical experience.

 

[TheGoodDoc83]

Im confused. You asked a question, got a good response from a knowledgable person, and then replied disagreeing with the response. Shadowing =/= clinical experience.

so why does the website I just listed equate shadowing with clinical experience?? It comes from AAMC itself. They even state "clinical shadowing."

Shadowing, volunteering in a non-health care service-oriented field, previous years of hospital/lab work experience, taking pre-reqs over again (hoping for high GPA), getting rec letters, MCAT, and applying will be my plan. I'll see where I'm at in about 2 years when this is all done and I self-assess what I accrued in that short time frame. If scores are high enough and I get those hours of volunteering/shadowing in, should be a shoe-in. I don't know why I bother signing up for this website. It was probably just to seek validation for my plans or whatever, like airing out concerns (which frankly, I don't give a dam* what people think about it). I don't need validation from others just to make me "feel good." I'll just do my thing and succeed. Easy as that. Just if anybody gets in my way, they will be met with fierce resistance, so I hope none of that happens, for their sake mostly. It's bad enough that my undergrad college lied to me about which prereqs are good for med school and the fact that licensing changes went into effect that totally screwed up my profession. Lots of vocational trauma here, and it would not be good to unleash that on somebody if they try to stop me or do anything funny. When I go for education, I expect to come out of it with the ability to get a good job to provide me with security. When that's threatened, all hell breaks loose. This is my last ditch attempt at education in order to do what I enjoy for a decent living. If this is disturbed, criminality could truly happen. There's a very razor-thin line between "do no harm" and "harm." I'm choosing the "do no harm" side.

 

[Gurby]

 

[Moko]

so why does the website I just listed equate shadowing with clinical experience?? It comes from AAMC itself. They even state "clinical shadowing."

Shadowing, volunteering in a non-health care service-oriented field, previous years of hospital/lab work experience, taking pre-reqs over again (hoping for high GPA), getting rec letters, MCAT, and applying will be my plan. I'll see where I'm at in about 2 years when this is all done and I self-assess what I accrued in that short time frame. If scores are high enough and I get those hours of volunteering/shadowing in, should be a shoe-in. I don't know why I bother signing up for this website. It was probably just to seek validation for my plans or whatever, like airing out concerns (which frankly, I don't give a dam* what people think about it). I don't need validation from others just to make me "feel good." I'll just do my thing and succeed. Easy as that. Just if anybody gets in my way, they will be met with fierce resistance, so I hope none of that happens, for their sake mostly. It's bad enough that my undergrad college lied to me about which prereqs are good for med school and the fact that licensing changes went into effect that totally screwed up my profession. Lots of vocational trauma here, and it would not be good to unleash that on somebody if they try to stop me or do anything funny. When I go for education, I expect to come out of it with the ability to get a good job to provide me with security. When that's threatened, all hell breaks loose. This is my last ditch attempt at education in order to do what I enjoy for a decent living. If this is disturbed, criminality could truly happen. There's a very razor-thin line between "do no harm" and "harm." I'm choosing the "do no harm" side.

Seems like you're all set. Good luck