Does it really count as clinical volunteering if they didn't let you do anything clinical?

[baratheonfire]

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Last winter break I volunteered at my local hospital for ~150 hours. All I did basically was restock blankets, give patients food/juice, and talk to patients when I got bored. Does this even count as clinical volunteering? If not, what does?

 

[qwerpoiuqwer]

yup. you were interacting with patients. what you did is pretty much what 70% of other applicants do as clinical experience; we all just like to pretend that it was something more substantial for the adcoms.

 

[gettheleadout]

The purpose is not for you to actually provide medical care to patients (which obviously requires specialized training and licensure), the purpose is for you to have experience interacting with people who are receiving that care, often while suffering, scared, and unfortunately sometimes alone.

 

[puglet]

On SDN, the consensus is that if you can smell the patients in a clinical setting, it's clinical experience. Therefore, the hospital volunteering you described counts as clinical experience. You can thank the lovely @LizzyM for that sage advice.

Unless they are specifically trained to do so (ex. EMT, CNA, etc.), premedical students won't be providing any hands-on clinical care for their clinical experiences.

 

[nairopil]

On SDN, the consensus is that if you can smell the patients in a clinical setting, it's clinical experience.

I've read this a hundred times on here, but it still doesn't clear some things up for me. If I volunteer at a free clinic, but I'm behind a desk most of the time, (occasionally sitting beside patients to help them complete forms, understand instructions, etc) is that clinical? As a social worker, if 30% of my job involved going to medical appointments with clients, is that clinical? On the AMCAS, would I divide it out? I don't want to oversell my clinical experience, but both of these were huge factors in my decision to become a doctor, and I worry about not having much on my application marked as "clinical". If I describe the aspects that are clinical, will adcoms notice them if I don't label the whole experience as clinical?

 

[Goro]

Yes. You don't need to be sponge bathing them or putting in central lines.

Try volunteering at clinics, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, Ronald McDonald House, hospice or suicide/crisis hotlines, or camps for sick kids if you want further opportunities to be around patients.

I've read this a hundred times on here, but it still doesn't clear some things up for me. If I volunteer at a free clinic, but I'm behind a desk most of the time, (occasionally sitting beside patients to help them complete forms, understand instructions, etc) is that clinical? As a social worker, if 30% of my job involved going to medical appointments with clients, is that clinical? On the AMCAS, would I divide it out? I don't want to oversell my clinical experience, but both of these were huge factors in my decision to become a doctor, and I worry about not having much on my application marked as "clinical". If I describe the aspects that are clinical, will adcoms notice them if I don't label the whole experience as clinical?

 

[jbuc1081]

Yes. You don't need to be sponge bathing them or putting in central lines.

Try volunteering at clinics, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, Ronald McDonald House, hospice or suicide/crisis hotlines, or camps for sick kids if you want further opportunities to be around patients.

But the sponge baths and cleaning poop is so much fun! I did it for five years and feel like I have PTSD because I don't do it anymore...

 

[Goro]

Just wait until you have to disimpact an impacted stool.

But the sponge baths and cleaning poop is so much fun! I did it for five years and feel like I have PTSD because I don't do it anymore...

 

[Catalystik]

Last winter break I volunteered at my local hospital for ~150 hours. All I did basically was restock blankets, give patients food/juice, and talk to patients when I got bored. Does this even count as clinical volunteering? If not, what does?

You interacted with current patients in a helpful way. For med school application purposes, it's active clinical experience.

 

[jbuc1081]

Just wait until you have to disimpact an impacted stool.

Does holding in a Flexi-Seal for someone taking lactulose count? I smelled like ammonia for a week after that!

 

[LizzyM]

I've read this a hundred times on here, but it still doesn't clear some things up for me. If I volunteer at a free clinic, but I'm behind a desk most of the time, (occasionally sitting beside patients to help them complete forms, understand instructions, etc) is that clinical? As a social worker, if 30% of my job involved going to medical appointments with clients, is that clinical? On the AMCAS, would I divide it out? I don't want to oversell my clinical experience, but both of these were huge factors in my decision to become a doctor, and I worry about not having much on my application marked as "clinical". If I describe the aspects that are clinical, will adcoms notice them if I don't label the whole experience as clinical?

Volunteer activities are labeled as "clinical" or "non-clinical'. IIRC, employment is tagged as "military" or "non-military" (go figure). So if you are employed as a social worker I presume you would use the "employment, non-military" tag and call it a day. If you are a social worker with patients (as compared to students or immigrants or at a senior center) then adcoms would consider you have experience with patients.

 

[mehc012]

Volunteer activities are labeled as "clinical" or "non-clinical'. IIRC, employment is tagged as "military" or "non-military" (go figure). So if you are employed as a social worker I presume you would use the "employment, non-military" tag and call it a day. If you are a social worker with patients (as compared to students or immigrants or at a senior center) then adcoms would consider you have experience with patients.

Employment is now labelled as Medical/Clinical or Not Medical/Clinical as well!

 

[LizzyM]

Employment is now labelled as Medical/Clinical or Not Medical/Clinical as well!

oh! Game changer!