Does this count as clinical experience?

[cwein]

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So I have done some research into what I can log as clinical experience, and I keep on seeing "if you can smell patients, it's a clinical experience." I have also read that clinical experience requires a clinical environment.

I have three activities that seem to satisfy one of these requirements but not the other, so I am worried that I will not be able to log any of them as clinical.

My first and most prevalent activity is my summer job. It's not a clinical environment. I manage a park pool and am responsible for the instruction of CPR, First Aid, and lifeguarding skills before we open. Throughout the season, a large portion of my time is spent doing first aid. Generally it's only scratches and bee stings, but occasionally I deal with more serious things like seizures and broken bones. Does this count as clinical?

My next two experiences are linked through a group that I work with at my university. I work in the Health Center (clinical environment) on campus, but I am not doing anything with patients, I merely prepare and present research for health education events on campus. The next activity through this group is operating a satellite location of the Health Center (not sure if this is a clinical environment). It's basically just an office that students can come in and check out cold medicine, band aids, condoms, and more. We follow HIPPA regulations here, but I am still unsure if this counts as clinical because it's not very comparable to an actual doctor's office.

Please let me know what your thoughts are! I appreciate any and all help.

 

[Mednight]

Your experiences are not clinical whatsoever.

Maybe you could scribe.

 

[Aerus]

lemme ask u one question: what do u smell?

 

[Catalystik]

1) I manage a park pool and am responsible for the instruction of CPR, First Aid, and lifeguarding skills before we open. Throughout the season, a large portion of my time is spent doing first aid. Generally it's only scratches and bee stings, but occasionally I deal with more serious things like seizures and broken bones.

2) operating a satellite location of the Health Center (not sure if this is a clinical environment). It's basically just an office that students can come in and check out cold medicine, band aids, condoms, and more. We follow HIPPA regulations here, but I am still unsure if this counts as clinical because it's not very comparable to an actual doctor's office.

It's possible to get active clinical experience, where you interact in a helpful manner with patients, in a nonclinical environment (eg, battle field medic, special camp environments, paramedic). For #1, I think you could spin the % time at your pool management job spent on First Aid as clinical. Depending on your description of your duties for #2 and level of interaction with the sick students, that might fly, too, but it's much more iffy.

Regardless, if you decide to list these as Clinical, you will not be excused from gaining experience in a clinical environment, too. And you need more experience with a variety of illnesses and injuries, if possible.

You might consider listing them as Nonclinical, but describe the clinical components involved, and let adcomms make up their own minds.

JMO.

 

[cwein]

Thank you everyone for your opinions,

This is close to what I expected after I posted, but it's good to hear from others.

I think that I will list these as nonclinical but describe the clinical aspects. Thanks Catalystik for that advice.

 

[tarheelpenner]

what kind of pool do you work at the you spend the majority of your time doing first aid? I lifeguarded for 4 years (year-round), and I barely did any first aid. Not a single seizure or broken bone, only a handful of bee stings. You must work in a dangerous park 🤣

 

[cwein]

what kind of pool do you work at the you spend the majority of your time doing first aid? I lifeguarded for 4 years (year-round), and I barely did any first aid. Not a single seizure or broken bone, only a handful of bee stings. You must work in a dangerous park 🤣

Well it's not dangerous but we have a lot of seizure prone kids come to our pool through camps. Also, since I'm a manager (not a lifeguard) I generally will take over the situation so lifeguards can return to watching water.

 

[tarheelpenner]

Well it's not dangerous but we have a lot of seizure prone kids come to our pool through camps. Also, since I'm a manager (not a lifeguard) I generally will take over the situation so lifeguards can return to watching water.

+1 to the manager. Sounds like a stressful job lol.