Concern about clinical experience

[Avatararrow]

Hi,

I am currently part of an organization at my university that is pretty much all I've done in terms of clinical experience. I do BP screenings for homeless populations in my city, and by the time I graduate, I will have completed 100-150 hours over 2 years

I am heavily considering doing Americorps during the first out of my 2 gap years, and then likely doing part time work in a clinic along with maybe doing some research at a local school in my home town. This is just so that I have something to add to my application if I do not get in for the cycle I will be applying to during my second gap year.

I am very worried that my clinical experience isn't varied enough, especially given it isn't the traditional clinic setting I work in. I was considering doing Hospice, and I have also tried to find health related Americorps positions that could also work as clinical experience. However almost all of the VISTA positions I found revolve around expanding the clinic and educating people, developing clinic procedures, as well as developing medical treatment programs for people affected with things such as addiction. I doubt these are considered clinical experience. I have also considered the National Health Corps, but given its competitiveness, I don't want to rely on getting any position there.

I would love to do part time work as a medical assistant during my undergrad, but I want to focus on research and the MCAT so will not have enough time for such a commitment.


Should I buckle down during my first gap year and work part time in a clinic? Or would working in a health-related (but not necessarily clinical experience-based) Americorps position?

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[Goro]

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

 

[Avatararrow]

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

Thanks for your reply. In regard to your mention of crisis hotlines, is that considered a type of clinical experience, or were you just discussing volunteering in general? I actually am by coincidence doing volunteering for a crisis and suicide hotline, but I never considered it as clinical experience given most of my interactions with people are over the phone and not face to face (and hence do not fit the "if you're close enough to smell the patient" rule of clinical experience).

And thank you for your reassurance about being taught more by reaching out to more vulnerable populations. I do as much work as I can with the homeless and my interactions with patients while volunteering have truly been profound on me, but given their lifestyles, I can only volunteer up to 150 hours, and hence thought it would seem ingenuine of me to have earned such few hours for such an important activity.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Crisis hotline work is non clinical but you will miss the direct contact like in a shelter, which could have more impact on you.

 

[Goro]

I consider crisis hotlines to be clinical, your mileage may vary with other Adcoms.

It's a valuable EC all the same

 

[Avatararrow]

From what I understand, Americorps is an incredibly prestigious extracurricular considered on par with things like City Year, Peace Corps, etc.

You could do Americorps and then also volunteer in a hospice setting or similar on weekends.

Do you think doing Hospice and my already aquired experience doing BP screenings would be adequate in terms of clinical experience? I am really worried I don't have that much to show for clinical experience, and because of MCAT studying I dont have much free time.

 

[chilly_md]

Do you think doing Hospice and my already aquired experience doing BP screenings would be adequate in terms of clinical experience? I am really worried I don't have that much to show for clinical experience, and because of MCAT studying I dont have much time.

Yes, hospice volunteering is great clinical experience. Particularly if you will be doing it over a long period of time before applying.

 

[LizzyM]

Have you done any shadowing or been employed in a clinic or hospital, that is a traditional location for delivery of health care services? Beyond having face-to-face contact as part of a screening program for hypertension and hospice (home hospice or in a facility?), I would like to see some experience with a work setting similar to one (or more) that physicians typically work in.

 

[Avatararrow]

Have you done any shadowing or been employed in a clinic or hospital, that is a traditional location for delivery of health care services? Beyond having face-to-face contact as part of a screening program for hypertension and hospice (home hospice or in a facility?), I would like to see some experience with a work setting similar to one (or more) that physicians typically work in.

I have shadowed an opthamologist for 50 hours and will have shadowed a psychiatrist next week for about 30 hours. I plan to shadow 2 more doctors after that to about 125-150 hours.

I don’t believe I’ll have time in my schedule to actually work in a hospital setting until my second gap year, so that will be something I probably won’t be able to say much about given I’ll have already submitted my applications around the time I will start working part time in a clinic.

Is shadowing enough to show me viewing the traditional work setting? I will guaranteed eventually actually work in such a setting, but I want to do it after I do Americorps (which has a chance of being in a clinic setting, but not actual clinical experience given I will not assess patients.

And to your question about hospice, I will likely be working in hospice in a facility.

 

[LizzyM]

Too much shadowing!!! You are unlikely to get much more after the first 10-15 hours. Do the psychiatry thing for one day and do at least one day with a primary care provider and then you'll have more than enough.

Why not just get a clinical job for your first gap year, or get a lab job and and do some hospital based volunteering for a few hours each weekend? What's the appeal of VISTA?

 

[LizzyM]

Isn't Americorps a really strong extracurricular?

Not if it is technically non-clinical and the applicant is lacking in clinical exposure (other than too much shadowing).

 

[Avatararrow]

Too much shadowing!!! You are unlikely to get much more after the first 10-15 hours. Do the psychiatry thing for one day and do at least one day with a primary care provider and then you'll have more than enough.

Why not just get a clinical job for your first gap year, or get a lab job and and do some hospital based volunteering for a few hours each weekend? What's the appeal of VISTA?

I really want to do VISTA because I've really felt a calling to helping people in impoverished areas, and I also feel like it makes sense given the nature of my extracurriculars in the past, and could probably give me a boost in terms of my X factor and emphasize that I really do enjoy serving people in less developed communities.

In regard to your question about doing a clinical job instead, I have thought about that, but I thought that if I did Hospice over the weekends (I assume this is what you mean by hospital based volunteering) or some other kind of clinical volunteering during Americorps, it would be enough. Americorps is like a fulltime job too, so I know I'd have time outside of work and on the weekends despite its intensiveness.

 

[LizzyM]

You have to play the game. This means having enough of each of the expected elements to at least check the box plus something that sets you apart from the mere cookie cutter applicants.

A year as a VISTA volunteer will set you apart for community service but without sufficient clinical activity (volunteer or paid, but not merely shadowing) before you apply is putting the cherry on top without having enough below it.

If you feel a calling to help people in impoverished areas, you can do that as a physician but first you need to get into medical school. That might mean foregoing VISTA and doing something less "special" like straight up clinical employment.

 

[Avatararrow]

You have to play the game. This means having enough of each of the expected elements to at least check the box plus something that sets you apart from the mere cookie cutter applicants.

A year as a VISTA volunteer will set you apart for community service but without sufficient clinical activity (volunteer or paid, but not merely shadowing) before you apply is putting the cherry on top without having enough below it.

If you feel a calling to help people in impoverished areas, you can do that as a physician but first you need to get into medical school. That might mean foregoing VISTA and doing something less "special" like straight up clinical employment.

Okay, thanks for the advice. Would doing part time work as a medical assistant and also doing research be fine? I feel like doing a full time job for me seems like doing too little in a gap year.

Also, as a caveut, I go to school out of state and am starting research (biochemistry related) over the summer. By the time I will have graduated I will have done a years worth of research, but I am a transfer student and also did physics research for a year and a half before I switched to premed. If I were to take a gap year it would be easier for me to just go back to my home town and do research at a nearby medical school (UTSW), and I would probably be able to get some experience doing clinical research. Do you think going back to my hometown would be better than staying in my college's city for another year after graduating? I would be doing the exact same work except in a different location, and if I stay in my college town I could also continue with the same lab. Do you think it would reflect poorly if I decide to switch labs for a 3rd time?

 

[LizzyM]

If you are a year or more from graduating and planning to apply after your first gap year, then it is too soon for me to say what you have on your application that is "enough" and where there are gaps (unchecked boxes) that must be filled before you are ready to apply.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay, thanks for the advice. Would doing part time work as a medical assistant and also doing research be fine? I feel like doing a full time job for me seems like doing too little in a gap year.

Also, as a caveut, I go to school out of state and am starting research (biochemistry related) over the summer. By the time I will have graduated I will have done a years worth of research, but I am a transfer student and also did physics research for a year and a half before I switched to premed. If I were to take a gap year it would be easier for me to just go back to my home town and do research at a nearby medical school (UTSW), and I would probably be able to get some experience doing clinical research. Do you think going back to my hometown would be better than staying in my college's city for another year after graduating? I would be doing the exact same work except in a different location, and if I stay in my college town I could also continue with the same lab. Do you think it would reflect poorly if I decide to switch labs for a 3rd time?

In brief, you can make your decision based on whether you enjoy the work or you need more experience (clinical or not). Don't make decisions based on what you think admissions committees think about your decision in this case unless you are not meeting the basic expectations for clinical and non clinical experience.

 

[Avatararrow]

Have you done any shadowing or been employed in a clinic or hospital, that is a traditional location for delivery of health care services? Beyond having face-to-face contact as part of a screening program for hypertension and hospice (home hospice or in a facility?), I would like to see some experience with a work setting similar to one (or more) that physicians typically work in.

Hi again, sorry for the late reply, but would working as a medical receptionist in a clinic be good for clinical exposure? I know it isn't clinical experience because I don't actually administer patient care or observe that aspect when working, but I wanted to know whether it was still worth it given I still do get to talk to patients, bring them in if they cant walk, and answer calls related to their patient care. Is it worth continuing since I guess it is technically clinical exposure (not experience) in a traditional physician setting?

 

[LeeSin]

could probably give me a boost in terms of my X factor and emphasize that I really do enjoy serving people in less developed communities.

not the right way to think about the things you do

 

[Avatararrow]

not the right way to think about the things you do

My bad, I just poorly worded it. I just wanted to emphasize that it would've been an avenue I could take and would also help my application. I've wanted to work for Americorps before I was even a premed.

 

[LizzyM]

If you are face-to-face with patients in a clinical setting, the experience is clinical according to my definition. You don't need to be providing medical services (being an EMT or PCT) to call something "clinical" for most schools (Rush is the exception tot he rule -- it loves people who have been licensed providers).