does this "count" as clinical experience??

[shehak20000]

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Does this sound like clinical experience to you? I'm sorry I know its the age old question, but I am having a hard time figuring it out from the information provided....it is a brain injury rehabilitation center and from what I understood I will be spending time with an individual with brain injury- playing games/hanging out with them.

So what do you think? I've included hte information below, please let me know!

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Title position: Buddy

Responsibilities:

Buddy will assist in therapy sessions; help with evening homework; reminisce with consumers; participate in games, pool, walks, with consumers in evenings; community outings; be a buddy to a home and community-based consumer; gardening, baking, current events.

Qualifications and skills needed:

Interest in working with individuals with brain injuries in a rehabilitation setting. Prefer candidate with experience with individuals with disabilities, but willing to train and be flexible for observation and educational purposes. Also, energetic, personable, reliable, willingness to lead individuals or groups. Currently there is a need for one male and one female due to working individually with individual consumers.

 

[PREMEDWOAHS]

i think not...

 

[Wizard of Oz]

AMCAS has a section for experiences. It's your call as to how you want to label them. There is no magic formula for number of clinical experiences or anything like that. Your interviewers will talk to you about what you've done. This looks like it definitely shows some altruism which is relevant to your career plan. Clinical? Who knows.

 

[BellyDancingDoc]

...maybe...

If you're interested in going into Psych, you might be able to swing this. Otherwise, you're really pushing it.

Honestly, if I were you I would make sure that you had done at least one other clearly, unquestionnably clinical activity.

 

[8744]

Does this sound like clinical experience to you? I'm sorry I know its the age old question, but I am having a hard time figuring it out from the information provided....it is a brain injury rehabilitation center and from what I understood I will be spending time with an individual with brain injury- playing games/hanging out with them.

So what do you think? I've included hte information below, please let me know!

-------------



Title position: Buddy

Responsibilities:

Buddy will assist in therapy sessions; help with evening homework; reminisce with consumers; participate in games, pool, walks, with consumers in evenings; community outings; be a buddy to a home and community-based consumer; gardening, baking, current events.

Qualifications and skills needed:

Interest in working with individuals with brain injuries in a rehabilitation setting. Prefer candidate with experience with individuals with disabilities, but willing to train and be flexible for observation and educational purposes. Also, energetic, personable, reliable, willingness to lead individuals or groups. Currently there is a need for one male and one female due to working individually with individual consumers.

Just lie on your AMCAS essay. Everybody does, it doesn't matter, and volunteer experience is vastly over-rated in the medical school application process. You can spin it to be anything you want it to be as long as you don't get too jiggy with it.

Sheesh.

 

[pennybridge]

if you want to call it a clinical experience, i might suggest one that takes place in, oh, I don't know... a clinic?

try the local hospital.



*but still do the buddy thing if you're interested, sounds rewarding.

 

[8744]

AMCAS has a section for experiences. It's your call as to how you want to label them. There is no magic formula for number of clinical experiences or anything like that. Your interviewers will talk to you about what you've done. This looks like it definitely shows some altruism which is relevant to your career plan. Clinical? Who knows.

I'm not criticising you for saying this because you are absolutely right about the need to show this kind of thing on your application. But it just sounds so wrong.

 

[pennybridge]

I'm not criticising you for saying this because you are absolutely right about the need to show this kind of thing on your application. But it just sounds so wrong.

+1

applying to medical school = the great human experiment

 

[spicedmanna]

Yes, if I had participated in such an experience, I would call it clinical. I don't see any ambiguity; three key things that lead me to think of this as clinical experience: "therapy", "rehabilitation setting" (i.e., outpatient center), and "individuals with brain injuries" (i.e., patients).

Basically, you need to consider your activities in the context of the medical school application process. A significant amount of people applying would NOT have done any true clinical activity; basically, unless you were a healthcare professional, it is unlikely for you to have had significant direct contact with patients in a therapeutic capacity. So, you need to have a reasonable definition of what is "clinical". For me, I see it as any contact with patients (in any setting), or work in a hospital, clinical center, etc. in any capacity (yes, even clinical research at a medical center counts, in my opinion, if you saw patients moving about).

Nobody expects a medical school applicant to have treated patients. I think committees are just trying to see if you have any idea what it's like to be around sick people, and what medicine is all about.

Does this sound like clinical experience to you? I'm sorry I know its the age old question, but I am having a hard time figuring it out from the information provided....it is a brain injury rehabilitation center and from what I understood I will be spending time with an individual with brain injury- playing games/hanging out with them.

So what do you think? I've included hte information below, please let me know!

-------------



Title position: Buddy

Responsibilities:

Buddy will assist in therapy sessions; help with evening homework; reminisce with consumers; participate in games, pool, walks, with consumers in evenings; community outings; be a buddy to a home and community-based consumer; gardening, baking, current events.

Qualifications and skills needed:

Interest in working with individuals with brain injuries in a rehabilitation setting. Prefer candidate with experience with individuals with disabilities, but willing to train and be flexible for observation and educational purposes. Also, energetic, personable, reliable, willingness to lead individuals or groups. Currently there is a need for one male and one female due to working individually with individual consumers.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

I'd have to agree, I believe the accepted standard around here for clinical is "if you are close enough to smell the patient, it's clinical."

So firstly, they are patients. And OP is playing a direct role in their rehab process, so I'd say it's clinical. He'd probably get more experience with patients than your average run of the mill ER volunteer who stands in the corner inspecting the potted fern.

 

[NYyanx28]

Does this sound like clinical experience to you? I'm sorry I know its the age old question, but I am having a hard time figuring it out from the information provided....it is a brain injury rehabilitation center and from what I understood I will be spending time with an individual with brain injury- playing games/hanging out with them.

So what do you think? I've included hte information below, please let me know!

-------------



Title position: Buddy

Responsibilities:

Buddy will assist in therapy sessions; help with evening homework; reminisce with consumers; participate in games, pool, walks, with consumers in evenings; community outings; be a buddy to a home and community-based consumer; gardening, baking, current events.

Qualifications and skills needed:

Interest in working with individuals with brain injuries in a rehabilitation setting. Prefer candidate with experience with individuals with disabilities, but willing to train and be flexible for observation and educational purposes. Also, energetic, personable, reliable, willingness to lead individuals or groups. Currently there is a need for one male and one female due to working individually with individual consumers.

What you have described is a typical volunteering position.

Clinical includes any position/shadowing where you observe doctors TREATING patients. Try shadowing doctors in a local hospital, clinic, etc. If you can, there is a program at Columbia Presb/Children's Hospital of New York that I can tell you about, where I worked and actually got paid. It was an amazing opportunity to watch surgeries 40 hours a week and get PAID. PM me if you'de like some info.

 

[LizzyM]

As the adcom who coined the much quoted phrase, I will say that this is clinical (without saying that patients in rehab for brain injuries smell). Clinical experience does not require that one watch a doctor. If that were the case, being an EMT would not be a clinical experience nor would providing HIV counseling and testing be "clinical". Becoming familiar with patinets with these injuries and the difficulties that they encounter could be a step toward a career in rehab medicine. This is not one of the more "sexy" and desirable specialties but it is one that is of huge importance to the community of people with disabilities. I would count it as "clinical experience" if it showed up on an AMCAS application that I was asked to review.

 

[GoodDoctor]

As the adcom who coined the much quoted phrase, I will say that this is clinical (without saying that patients in rehab for brain injuries smell). Clinical experience does not require that one watch a doctor. If that were the case, being an EMT would not be a clinical experience nor would providing HIV counseling and testing be "clinical". Becoming familiar with patinets with these injuries and the difficulties that they encounter could be a step toward a career in rehab medicine. This is not one of the more "sexy" and desirable specialties but it is one that is of huge importance to the community of people with disabilities. I would count it as "clinical experience" if it showed up on an AMCAS application that I was asked to review.

HIV counseling and testing is "clinical"? I've done HIV-prevention counseling and testing at several locations including AIDS Foundation, drug clinics, and glbt events. Is this the same thing? I also taught classes and worked in a food bank for people living with AIDS. This was all part of the same organization. I put it as "community/volunteer" on my app. I debated between the two, but decided that since there were no doctors in the building and it wasn't a clinic that it was "community service" aimed at public health. If this could count as "clinical" it would really up my hours.

 

[LizzyM]

HIV counseling and testing is "clinical"?

Yes, I believe it is. You are providing health information and people are making decisions about medical testing based on the counseling you provide. The testing is a clinical laboratory service.

I also taught classes and worked in a food bank for people living with AIDS.

Not clinical. That's general education and social service.

Split them and label one "clinical volunteer" and the other "non-clinical volunteer".

 

[pennybridge]

meh. your 3rd and 4th years you do "clinical" rotations in a hospital.

Do you really want to go through years one and two and then BAM figure out you hate being in a hospital?

yes. there are many aspects of medicine that don't revolve around the hospital, but to complete a medical education you have to spend a ton of time in a hospital. Methinks it would be irresponsible for an adcom to lead a student to the slaughter knowing they haven't been in a hospital since their delivery (you know, assuming they weren't born in a taxi cab, bathtub, or pirate ship)

 

[psymedicus]

As the adcom who coined the much quoted phrase, I will say that this is clinical (without saying that patients in rehab for brain injuries smell). Clinical experience does not require that one watch a doctor. If that were the case, being an EMT would not be a clinical experience nor would providing HIV counseling and testing be "clinical". Becoming familiar with patinets with these injuries and the difficulties that they encounter could be a step toward a career in rehab medicine. This is not one of the more "sexy" and desirable specialties but it is one that is of huge importance to the community of people with disabilities. I would count it as "clinical experience" if it showed up on an AMCAS application that I was asked to review.

I had a lot of problems with the definition of "clinical experience" as well. I volunteer at a crisis helpline where ~80% of people who call are patients with mental illnesses, and I also do pet therapy at hospices and special schools, but I was kinda hesitant about listing them as "clinical".

Although I think it really depends on the adcom. One interviewer asked me whether I knew being a doctor entailed; I told him I had shadowed a dr in outpatient clinics and he just dismissed it with a "yes, what else?". 😕

 

[LizzyM]

A fair amount of the first year is spent in a gross anatomy. Should applicants have demonstrated experience in that environment so they don't end up BAM finding out that they hate the anatomy lab?

Less and less medicine is practiced in the acute care setting. Sure, you need to do clinical rotations (and more of those are "ambulatory care" now than in your grandpa's era) but finding out that you aren't fond of the hospital environment doesn't mean you are doomed as a doc.

I am more concerned that you are aware of and willing to spend your life in service to patients than exposure to a particular environment.

 

[pennybridge]

A fair amount of the first year is spent in a gross anatomy. Should applicants have demonstrated experience in that environment so they don't end up BAM finding out that they hate the anatomy lab?

Less and less medicine is practiced in the acute care setting. Sure, you need to do clinical rotations (and more of those are "ambulatory care" now than in your grandpa's era) but finding out that you aren't fond of the hospital environment doesn't mean you are doomed as a doc.

I am more concerned that you are aware of and willing to spend your life in service to patients than exposure to a particular environment.

while I understand what you are saying, I guess there's a line to be drawn between applicants who are aware of the different types of environments. For example Applicant A who hates hospitals, but wants to practice in one of the outpatient/therapy/etc environments talked about earlier versus Applicant B who has no opinion either way about the hospital setting and has never been in a hospital and classifies what is clearly a Big Brother/Mentor position as "clinical experience"

I mean, it's pretty obvious when people actually make an effort to find out if medicine is right for them vs. people who grab the AMCAS and start filling out the blanks.

edit// and for that matter, say OP comes to you for an interview and his only "clinical" experience is that in the original post. You could ask him the "why medicine?" question and do you really think he'd have a fighting chance at answering why he'd want to be a doctor and not a physical therapist or a professional caregiver for disabled people? Only if he had a negative experience as a "buddy."

the question that needs to be asked I guess is "Do you know what a doctor does?" and "how do you know that's what you want to do"

and theoretical answers only go so far, observation is much more enlightening.

 

[Dr. Josh]

I'd have to agree, I believe the accepted standard around here for clinical is "if you are close enough to smell the patient, it's clinical."

So firstly, they are patients. And OP is playing a direct role in their rehab process, so I'd say it's clinical. He'd probably get more experience with patients than your average run of the mill ER volunteer who stands in the corner inspecting the potted fern.

I agree; there are patients involved; how is it not clinical?

I'm sure people who volunteer in the ER but mostly do paperwork call it clinical; this is much more clinical than that.

 

[indo]

if making copies and faxing and carrying poop samples to the lab is clinical than this is too. Besides, schools are looking for compassion. They realize that it is hard for undergrad students to get clinical experience.

 

[pennybridge]

it is hard for undergrad students to get clinical experience.

no, it's really not.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I'm not criticising you for saying this because you are absolutely right about the need to show this kind of thing on your application. But it just sounds so wrong.

Agree. Just a shame that you have to try to use a paper application to try to "prove" that you are a good person.