Do I have enough clinical experience?!?!

[peppermintparade]

Hi, I am applying to medical school this cycle (for 2019). I was having some second thoughts about applying because I was worried I didn't have enough clinical experience. I graduated in 2015 with a degree in biomedical engineering. I started working at an electronic medical record company, but made a decision to pursue medical school. I changed jobs and started working as a research coordinator, where I was hoping to gain more patient contact/clinical experience. However, IRBs have dragged on, and haven't got as much as I had hoped (worked with patients at tail end of study last fall). I'm a little worried I don't have enough. Studies should start up in June/July and I should be pretty busy with recruiting/working with study patients. I also do research at this job though too, and have my own project (hoping to submit manuscript in fall) and have given poster presentations.

I was wondering if you think I had enough clinical experience to apply? Do hours that are accumulated during gap years count?

Scribing in the emergency department: I started this job in April 2018. I will probably have only 50 hours by application time, but should start working 15-20 hrs/wk June onward.

Shadowing, multiple specialities: 65 hours by time of application

Hospice volunteering: 200 hours by time of application (helping CNAs with re-positioning, feeding, other personal cares & also sit with and comfort patients at the very end of life)

Working at EMR company: would frequently travel to hospitals and help anesthesiologists/nurses/surgeons with software while they were in OR/pre/post (probably 300ish hours of this)

Current job - probably about 30 hours of patient contact here. Will get more in a month or two.

Thanks for your help!

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[Catalystik]

Hi, I am applying to medical school this cycle (for 2019). I was having some second thoughts about applying because I was worried I didn't have enough clinical experience. I graduated in 2015 with a degree in biomedical engineering. I started working at an electronic medical record company, but made a decision to pursue medical school. I changed jobs and started working as a research coordinator, where I was hoping to gain more patient contact/clinical experience. However, IRBs have dragged on, and haven't got as much as I had hoped (worked with patients at tail end of study last fall). I'm a little worried I don't have enough. Studies should start up in June/July and I should be pretty busy with recruiting/working with study patients. I also do research at this job though too, and have my own project (hoping to submit manuscript in fall) and have given poster presentations.

1) Do hours that are accumulated during gap years count?

2) Shadowing, multiple specialities: 65 hours by time of application

3) Working at EMR company: would frequently travel to hospitals and help anesthesiologists/nurses/surgeons with software while they were in OR/pre/post (probably 300ish hours of this)

50 hr-Scribing in the emergency department: I started this job in April 2018. I will probably have only 50 hours by application time, but should start working 15-20 hrs/wk June onward.

200 hr-Hospice volunteering: 200 hours by time of application (helping CNAs with re-positioning, feeding, other personal cares & also sit with and comfort patients at the very end of life)

30-Current job - probably about 30 hours of patient contact here. Will get more in a month or two.

4) I was wondering if you think I had enough clinical experience to apply?

1) You can list future hours on your application, but they pretty much won't be regarded in the decision-making process.

2) The shadowing hours are above average, but this is passive observation, not active clinical experience.

3) Sounds like shadowing, at best, but since patients weren't involved, it's not the type we're looking for.

4) At the time of application, you'll have 280 hours. It will be scattered through Employment-Clinical, Volunteering-Clinical, and (probably) Research entries. But that's OK because it's more than enough.

 

[Goro]

Your EC hours are fine.