Does BEING a patient count as medical experience?

[Lukkie]

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I broke my elbow once during basketball and went to the ER a few hours later. A NURSE gave me a sling (I had come in with an old shirt tied around my shoulder and forearm to hold it up). Since I was high priority (I had an actual problem unlike 90% of the people that go into the ER!) I was quickly seen by a RADIOLOGY tech who took some x-rays. About 30 minutes later the ER DOCTOR called me in and explained I had a fracture based on the x-rays. They prescribed me to wear a splint for 3 weeks, a sling for another 2 and then start rehab.

I checked in with the DOCTOR every couple weeks, just to make sure things were progressing ok. I OBSERVED, and FELT as he moved and twisted my arm to test how good it was. This continued until my splint, and finally the sling, were removed and I was able to start rehab, and the DOCTOR prescribed some basic exercises for me.

All in all I had met with medical professionals or been in the hospital waiting rooms (even a bed in the ER once!) for about 20 total hours.

I can put this as clinical experience right?

 

[chessknt]

Yep

 

[fireflygirl]

You could also use this in your PS as well because it would show what it would be like to be on the patient side of things.

 

[bcat85]

Yep

Joke?

 

[UVAbme2009]

People really put this stuff? I guess I should have put that I spent 12 hours in the ER for significant chest pain after first being told I had heart burn, next testing positive for a heart attack, then testing negative for a heart attack, then being told it was idiopathic and to go home. 😱

 

[ChubbyChaser]

welll...you could describe it in your PS...but definitely dont include it in your EC/activities section.

 

[mk8]

one of my ECs was watching Hopkins last night. wait, not watching, "observing."

 

[Buckeye3]

one of my ECs was watching Hopkins last night. wait, not watching, "observing."

Oh man, are you being sarcastic? I just put that on my ECs, so I guess I should take it off now... That show is the basis of my PS too, so this is trouble.

 

[GoldShadow]

I think including this medical experience could only help your application!

When I apply, I'm going to list the ~400+ hours of clinical experience I have obtained from watching Scrubs (though by that time, it'll probably be 600-700+ hours of Scrubs experience).

 

[mk8]

Oh man, are you being sarcastic? I just put that on my ECs, so I guess I should take it off now... That show is the basis of my PS too, so this is trouble.

haha oh man. back to the old drawing board.

 

[shiftingmirage]

No.

 

[chessknt]

SDN's sarcasm detector is broken.

 

[Lukkie]

SDN's sarcasm detector is broken.

i dont think it had one to begin with

 

[chessknt]

i dont think it had one to begin with

Probably not, neuortic stress rods usually take up too much room.

 

[iduwanna]

I broke my elbow once during basketball and went to the ER a few hours later. A NURSE gave me a sling (I had come in with an old shirt tied around my shoulder and forearm to hold it up). Since I was high priority (I had an actual problem unlike 90% of the people that go into the ER!) I was quickly seen by a RADIOLOGY tech who took some x-rays. About 30 minutes later the ER DOCTOR called me in and explained I had a fracture based on the x-rays. They prescribed me to wear a splint for 3 weeks, a sling for another 2 and then start rehab.

I checked in with the DOCTOR every couple weeks, just to make sure things were progressing ok. I OBSERVED, and FELT as he moved and twisted my arm to test how good it was. This continued until my splint, and finally the sling, were removed and I was able to start rehab, and the DOCTOR prescribed some basic exercises for me.

All in all I had met with medical professionals or been in the hospital waiting rooms (even a bed in the ER once!) for about 20 total hours.

I can put this as clinical experience right?

Just don't say "I broke my elbow." It makes you sound clueless.

 

[house vs god]

I can put this as clinical experience right?

Do you have any other clinical experience from the doctor's perspective? It's not necessarily about how much experience you have, but what you've learned from it, right?😎 In an interview, would you be able to discuss any insight you gained about the medical field?
I had an experience similar to this, and I would put it under clinical experience, only because it was in a foreign country and I could talk about my inability to effectively communicate my ailment to the physicians who could not understand or speak English.

 

[HoboCommander]

being a patient has taught me a lot about medicine. my doctors always give me a nice lecture during my operations. surely there is somewhere on the app where we can mention our experience as a patient?

the way i see it, there are 3 (three) aspects to clinical experience:

1) clinical volunteering (interacting with patients)
2) shadowing (seeing what doctors actually do)
3) being a patient (knowing what it's like to be in the shoes of your customers)