Designating Medical/Clinical on AMCAS

[BeMD13]

Since the designation on AMCAS states Medical/CLINICAL, does that imply anything working clinically qualifies? A med student friend questioned my work writing and implementing treatment plans as a counselor at a residential facility. How should I designate this? Also, I worked as a standardized patient and never thought twice saying it was medical/clinical as the work is at a medical school and takes place in their clinic. Any thoughts?

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[claduva94]

A good rule of thumb is if you can smell patients it is clinical. Obviously there are exceptions. If you elaborate we can help you more.

 

[LizzyM]

Are there written orders from a licensed health professional? Do those you care for wear ID/wristbands? Just two quick & dirty questions that might help define whether the people whom you care for are "patients" or something else.

 

[Vans42]

If you can smell the patients it's clinical. However I worked at a camp for kids and adults with disabilities that I designated clinical even though I was never in a typical clinical setting.

 

[Goro]

Did you actually talk to patients? One can see and smell patients while shadowing, but it's not clinical volunteering, even though it's a clinical experience.

A med student friend questioned my work writing and implementing treatment plans as a counselor at a residential facility. How should I designate this?

Being a patient, whether standardized or real, doesn't count as volunteering either. It gives you some insight, though.
Also, I worked as a standardized patient and never thought twice saying it was medical/clinical as the work is at a medical school and takes place in their clinic. Any thoughts?[/QUOTE]

 

[Catalystik]

I worked as a standardized patient and never thought twice saying it was medical/clinical as the work is at a medical school and takes place in their clinic. Any thoughts?

If you are like an actor taking on the guise of a patient so that med students can question and examine you, then YOU are not interacting with patients. This is not a clinical experience for the purposes of AMCAS. It's certainly a very interesting activity that surely gives you insights into medical practice, but I suggest you list it as Employment or Volunteer (depending on whether you got paid)-not Medical/Clinical.

 

[BeMD13]

Did you actually talk to patients? One can see and smell patients while shadowing, but it's not clinical volunteering, even though it's a clinical experience.

A med student friend questioned my work writing and implementing treatment plans as a counselor at a residential facility. How should I designate this?

Being a patient, whether standardized or real, doesn't count as volunteering either. It gives you some insight, though.
Also, I worked as a standardized patient and never thought twice saying it was medical/clinical as the work is at a medical school and takes place in their clinic. Any thoughts?

[/QUOTE]
I have a graduate degree in counseling and worked as a therapist. When I saw Medical/Clinical, I assumed the .../Clinical portion of it implied work done as a clinician?

 

[BeMD13]

Are there written orders from a licensed health professional? Do those you care for where ID/wristbands? Just two quick & dirty questions that might help define whether the people whom you care for are "patients" or something else.

I was a licensed counselor...? I have my graduate degree. In psychology/counseling, we see "clients" not patients and are referred to as clinicians. I assumed that is what the clinical portion of the title Medical/Clinical meant but my friend disagreed.

 

[Catalystik]

Can you give us an idea of the range of diagnoses you might code a visit for?

 

[BeMD13]

I wrote and implemented treatment plans in a residential treatment facility for children but it was not a part of a hospital. I worked with a team of psychologists and nurses provided any medication that was prescribed. I mainly worked with children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, reactive attachment disorder, enuresis/encopresis (not due to a general medical condition), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, or children on the autism spectrum.

 

[Catalystik]

Personally, I would look on this as Clinical Experience (even though you call the children your clients). Designating your job entry as Employment-Medical/Clinical is appropriate, IMO.

Do you have any experience with acutely (medically) ill or injured patients in addition?

 

[BeMD13]

Personally, I would look on this as Clinical Experience (even though you call the children your clients). Designating your job entry as Employment-Medical/Clinical is appropriate, IMO.

Do you have any experience with acutely (medically) ill or injured patients in addition?

Thanks. Aside from counseling, shadowing in the emergency department is my only other medical experience and I see lots of mixed views on designating that, too. I did work at a camp for children with mental ******ation and developmental delays where I was responsible for assistance with toileting and feeding. A nurse actually inserted and monitored the feeding devices though, and this was so long ago I did not even list it on my application.

 

[Catalystik]

shadowing in the emergency department is my only other medical experience and I see lots of mixed views on designating that, too.

How so?

 

[BeMD13]

I meant that some say it is medical/clinical because of being "close enough to smell patients" and others say it isn't because an observer is only observing.

 

[Catalystik]

My view of "clinical experience" is that there are two kinds: 1) active clinical experience, where you interact with patients in a helpful way through work, volunteering, or research, and 2) passive clinical experience, which is an observership or shadowing, where your focus is on what the physician does. Different med schools value these activities in various ways. Some discount shadowing, some have stated requirements, some have an unstated expectation that you'll seek these experiences to gain a good idea of what docs do all day and to be sure you're comfortable around those who are ill, while others may be satisfied with shadowing as a sole source of clinical experience. In order for your application to have the broadest appeal to a lot of schools, having both types of clinical experience is a good idea.

The AMCAS application allows one to separate out these various experiences very nicely so they're easy to assess by adcomms according to their own criteria.

 

[Aamli]

Hey guys, I'm hoping there is still some life in this thread.

I volunteer at a dementia care unit, where I spend most of my time interacting with the residents. This can be as a feeding assistant, a friendly visitor, someone providing encouragement during physical therapy etc.
Would you list this as clinical volunteering experience??

Cheers,
M

 

[Catalystik]

I volunteer at a dementia care unit, where I spend most of my time interacting with the residents. This can be as a feeding assistant, a friendly visitor, someone providing encouragement during physical therapy etc.
Would you list this as clinical volunteering experience??

Is this a daycare program, or is it a residential facility for those who can no longer stay in their homes?

 

[Aamli]

Is this a daycare program, or is it a residential facility for those who can no longer stay in their homes?

It's a nursing home/residential facility

 

[Catalystik]

It's a nursing home/residential facility

Then it is a clinical volunteering experience.

 

[jbutke12]

Then it is a clinical volunteering experience.

Know this is an older thread but if it is home-based does that mean you would not count it as clinical? I worked as a Direct Support Professional for adults with ID/DD and am wondering whether or not to count that as clinical

 

[Catalystik]

Know this is an older thread but if it is home-based does that mean you would not count it as clinical? I worked as a Direct Support Professional for adults with ID/DD and am wondering whether or not to count that as clinical

What was your role exactly? Did others like yourself cover round-the-clock care? Did you write reports? Was a nursing professional on the premises at times? Who did you report to, a relative, an agency, or what?

 

[jbutke12]

What was your role exactly? Did others like yourself cover round-the-clock care? Did you write reports? Was a nursing professional on the premises at times? Who did you report to, a relative, an agency, or what?

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the delay! I missed the notification.

My job was to implement their independent support plan and enable them to live in the community. I helped them cook, clean, go out into the community. I also administered meds and, for some, helped with OT/speech therapy exercises. I worked for a company that arose as institutions were being shut down. We had to report on everything and it was reviewed by their social worker, psychiatrist, etc.

 

[Moko]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the delay! I missed the notification.

My job was to implement their independent support plan and enable them to live in the community. I helped them cook, clean, go out into the community. I also administered meds and, for some, helped with OT/speech therapy exercises. I worked for a company that arose as institutions were being shut down. We had to report on everything and it was reviewed by their social worker, psychiatrist, etc.

This is clinical. You're giving meds and performing OT and speech exercises to a very vulnerable population of patients. Doesn't matter that this took place in their home.

 

[Catalystik]

My job was to implement their independent support plan and enable them to live in the community. I helped them cook, clean, go out into the community. I also administered meds and, for some, helped with OT/speech therapy exercises. I worked for a company that arose as institutions were being shut down. We had to report on everything and it was reviewed by their social worker, psychiatrist, etc.

This is clinical. You're giving meds and performing OT and speech exercises to a very vulnerable population of patients. Doesn't matter that this took place in their home.

I agree with @Moko, but please also take into account the percent time you are performing the duties we consider "clinical" (including the report writing, IMO) compared to the housekeeping duties before deciding how to classify the entire activity.

Also, I would hope that you have or plan an activity with folks who are more traditionally receiving medical services for illness and/or injury, perhaps in a clinical facility to broaden your experience with "patients."