Do I need more clinical experience?

[ciestar]

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I have about 225 hours as a nursing student doing clinicals at two nursing homes and an oncology floor at a hospital.

I also have 1000+ hours as a pharmacy tech at two retail pharmacies. I really do believe this is clinical since the people who pick up their medications really are patients and I do interact with them all day long (same share a lot of personal information regarding their health).

But should I get more in an area that's not so gray? Hospital volunteer? VA? Nursing home? Hospice?

I considered scribing but I need a job that will in fact pay more. (Thinking about enrolling to get a certification in phleb or MOA, both would be completed spring of '15 so not much clinical experience would be added to my app next year, but it pays twice what I get at cvs. Also would boost my gpa a bit and that certainly wouldn't hurt 😉).

Probably being neurotic here, but that's my personality. Just need some verification.

EDIT: I have approximately 54 physician shadowing hours (primary care, orthopedic surgeon, radiologist, pediatrician in a primary care setting, and an ophthalmologist.

 

[riqwnx]

If you think you have time to do something else I would do it, maybe a clinical volunteer position like in a hospital or a CNA. Just do something with direct patient contact if you can. I was accepted this year and my clinical stuff included hospital volunteer, EMT-B volunteer and Oncology/Palliative Care Patient Care Assistant. You don't necessarily need more though as long as you can easily talk about clinical experiences and you have had quality exposure to the field. However you only have 225 hours in an actual hospital setting and it was doing clinicals (I don't know how much contact you get with this), and this may be a little on the low side. This is all subjective though and may vary depending on how the rest of your application looks.

 

[riqwnx]

If you want a direct answer, It sounds like you will be applying summer of 2015? If that's the case you should do something, even if its small. If you're in school then even doing something this summer will help.

 

[riqwnx]

If you haven't I would do physician shadowing as well.

 

[Jojokarade]

Your nursing and pharmacy experiences will go a long way in answering "Can this person interact well with patients?" What you need is some physician shadowing. Make it so that there is no doubt in any ADCOM's minds that you know "What it is like to be a physician." Once you have that down (I'm assuming your grades and ECs are good) you will be fine.

 

[ciestar]

If you think you have time to do something else I would do it, maybe a clinical volunteer position like in a hospital or a CNA. Just do something with direct patient contact if you can. I was accepted this year and my clinical stuff included hospital volunteer, EMT-B volunteer and Oncology/Palliative Care Patient Care Assistant. You don't necessarily need more though as long as you can easily talk about clinical experiences and you have had quality exposure to the field. However you only have 225 hours in an actual hospital setting and it was doing clinicals (I don't know how much contact you get with this), and this may be a little on the low side. This is all subjective though and may vary depending on how the rest of your application looks.

Clinical for the first semester essentially is aid work. As is the second, you're just allowed to pass meds and hang IVs at this point. It was all direct!

So the overall consensus is I should do more?

If you haven't I would do physician shadowing as well.

I have over 50 shadowing hours so I think I'm okay there.

 

[ciestar]

If you want a direct answer, It sounds like you will be applying summer of 2015? If that's the case you should do something, even if its small. If you're in school then even doing something this summer will help.

Yes, unfortunately I'm applying next summer. I graduated last August.

 

[riqwnx]

considering that the clinical was good patient exposure, I don't think you would need more. Since you are not in school though you need to make use of your time and it would be beneficial to keep up with volunteer work and or medically related activities because med schools will ask you what you did with your time off of school. Like Jojo said, as long as you can articulate what its like to be in the medical field AND give quality examples from your experiences you should be fine. Just stay occupied while your waiting to apply. I took a gap year and that's when I did my CNA work.
50 hours shadowing is fine too, but more could only help.

 

[riqwnx]

Btw, having a gap year has been absolutely amazing! Don't think of it as delaying your future, use the time to do whatever you want and have some fun before med school!

 

[ciestar]

Btw, having a gap year has been absolutely amazing! Don't think of it as delaying your future, use the time to do whatever you want and have some fun before med school!

Haha, well, I've already had one gap year. Starting another this year and I'm applying next year so that'll total 3 if I get in for 2016.

And I unfortunately, I can't afford too much fun 😛 I work at cvs and that's likely the opposite of fun, tbh.

 

[ciestar]

I'm currently studying for my mcat, so I've been cutting back my work hours. But for the most part this past year, I've been working on average, 30 hours a week. I've been volunteering with a dog rescue and I'm starting volunteer work for disadvantaged kids in the area sometime soon.

I was considering some type of clinical volunteer position but I'm not so sure if I should or not.

Still weighing my options for phleb, MOA, or maybe something else. I'm not really sure right now. I have several months to decide and obviously mcat is more important that what I might be doing for my time a year from now.

 

[ciestar]

Would love more opinions on this! 🙂

 

[ciestar]

😀

 

[Euxox]

You already have plenty of clinical experience, and since it sounds like you have a packed schedule as is, I would pass on the volunteer position. Focus on your MCAT prep for now. You can always do more volunteering afterward if you want to.

 

[ciestar]

You already have plenty of clinical experience, and since it sounds like you have a packed schedule as is, I would pass on the volunteer position. Focus on your MCAT prep for now. You can always do more volunteering afterward if you want to.

Appreciate it! Thanks

 

[ciestar]

Just one last question…
Does the fact that my 225 clinical hospital/nursing home hours I referred to occurred in 2011 and I'm applying in 2015?
I am able to get a clinical volunteering position at a hospital, where I essentially work with the older patients at the hospital. I feel as though this could be a rewarding experience, but I wouldn't even consider starting until after I take the MCAT. This would be on top of the two non-clinical volunteering positions I have (one is about 5 hours a week, the other is about 2). I'm getting more neurotic by the day. 😳

 

[Catalystik]

1) Does the fact that my 225 clinical hospital/nursing home hours I referred to occurred in 2011 and I'm applying in 2015?

2) I am able to get a clinical volunteering position at a hospital, where I essentially work with the older patients at the hospital. I feel as though this could be a rewarding experience, but I wouldn't even consider starting until after I take the MCAT. This would be on top of the two non-clinical volunteering positions I have (one is about 5 hours a week, the other is about 2). I'm getting more neurotic by the day. 😳

1) It certainly gives lift to an eyebrow, unless you plan to apply to pharmacy schools as a backup.

2) Go for it. Listen to your gut.

 

[ciestar]

1) It certainly gives lift to an eyebrow, unless you plan to apply to pharmacy schools as a backup.

2) Go for it. Listen to your gut.

I've considered it, but honestly, pharmacy school isn't for me. I honestly have no idea what I'd do if this doesn't work out. I tried the nursing thing once, but I'd probably revert back to that and work towards my NP.

But the more it's discussed, the more I think I actually have no choice. It may have been way too long ago at this point and I want a fighting chance.

 

[Catalystik]

I know you feel you are getting quality patient experience in the pharmacy and that it pays well, and certainly it's a very useful experience considering your goals, but I fear some adcomms will discount it (assuming most of the folks at the window are walking well or relatives) and wonder why you didn't further test a medical vocation with sicker or injured people in these more recent years.

 

[ciestar]

I know you feel you are getting quality patient experience in the pharmacy and that it pays well, and certainly it's a very useful experience considering your goals, but I fear some adcomms will discount it (assuming most of the folks at the window are walking well or relatives) and wonder why you didn't further test a medical vocation with sicker or injured people in these more recent years.

It's mainly the pay that keeps me at CVS, not much else. The quality patient exposure happened years ago.
However, I am considering pushing back my mcat, yet again. How bad would it look to pick something like this up in like November, and then apply in June? I know longterm is supposed to be super important, but I don't have that kind of time.

 

[Catalystik]

How bad would it look to pick something like this up in like November, and then apply in June?

Your long-ago clinical hours are already well above the average listed, so I think it will look fine as an augmentation. I'd expect you would want to continue with it through the application cycle, especially now that one can list future hours on AMCAS.