Does this count for non-clinical volunteering?

[oregonian19]

Hello y’all,

I have 215 hours of volunteer time as a pharmacy technician at a charitable pharmacy. The charitable pharmacy was within a free clinic and served specifically uninsured individuals.
There is some uncertainty about whether this is clinical or non-clinical volunteering. On one hand, it had little to no contact with physicians; on the other hand, it involved patients in a healthcare setting.
What is the consensus on how this would be seen by medical schools?

Thank you!

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[Lifeblood_20]

What exactly did you do as a volunteer?

 

[oregonian19]

What exactly did you do as a volunteer?

I would transfer handwritten prescriptions from the clinic's doctors into the computer, count and fill new and refill prescriptions, serve patients at the front counter (i.e. get them their prescriptions), answer the phone, and occasionally help with refilling prescriptions which are part of patient assistance programs.

 

[mindlight1]

I think for clinical the schools are looking for something where you are interacting with doctors/ medical team. To me, you would be safer putting this as nonclinical, but I am curious as to what the adcoms/advisors here have to say.

 

[Lifeblood_20]

I would transfer handwritten prescriptions from the clinic's doctors into the computer, count and fill new and refill prescriptions, serve patients at the front counter (i.e. get them their prescriptions), answer the phone, and occasionally help with refilling prescriptions which are part of patient assistance programs.

That sounds very manual and not that much interaction with patients/underserved people, which is what Adcoms really look for when they ask for non-clinical volunteering, but I think it's still non-clinical volunteering. It's not a superb experience, but experience nonetheless.

 

[theKingLT]

As @LizzyM always says, if you can smell the patients, it's clinical. With that said, you will be "tested" in interviews to see if you really know what it's like to work as a physician and what it's like to work directly with patients, through the good and the bad. This will come largely in the form of questions asking about your personal experiences in clinical settings. Do you feel this position is giving you the experiences you need to answer these questions with confidence? If not, you should be looking for other clinical exposure. There's nothing wrong with also keeping with your current role, especially if you are serving a vital purpose in helping such a population in need, however just keep in mind it may not be sufficient to ensure you know what you're getting into by pursuing medicine

 

[doc05]

It’s free labor. It’s not legitimately worthwhile clinical or nonclinical volunteering.

To clarify: nonclinical volunteering could be Peace Corps, Americorps, Big brothers/sisters, homeless shelter, etc.
Clinical volunteering: in a hospital, hospice, doctors office, EMS work, etc.
Shadowing: isn’t really either, you’re just observing.

 

[oregonian19]

As @LizzyM always says, if you can smell the patients, it's clinical. With that said, you will be "tested" in interviews to see if you really know what it's like to work as a physician and what it's like to work directly with patients, through the good and the bad. This will come largely in the form of questions asking about your personal experiences in clinical settings. Do you feel this position is giving you the experiences you need to answer these questions with confidence? If not, you should be looking for other clinical exposure. There's nothing wrong with also keeping with your current role, especially if you are serving a vital purpose in helping such a population in need, however just keep in mind it may not be sufficient to ensure you know what you're getting into by pursuing medicine

Well, the pharmacy technician experience was a past activity.
My for-sure clinical experiences: currently a scribe for a surgeon (300 hours and counting) and volunteer at a diabetes/endo clinic (60 hours and counting).
At the diabetes/endo clinic, I spend a good amount of time working on a food insecurity project. And I also previously held a job at my university that was health outreach. You could argue that both the clinic volunteering and outreach jobs have aspects of both clinical and non-clinical experiences.

 

[oregonian19]

It’s free labor

Isn’t most volunteering free labor?

 

[907914]

Isn’t most volunteering free labor?

I am pretty sure free labor is the definition of volunteering lol

 

[theKingLT]

Well, the pharmacy technician experience was a past activity.
My for-sure clinical experiences: currently a scribe for a surgeon (300 hours and counting) and volunteer at a diabetes/endo clinic (60 hours and counting).
At the diabetes/endo clinic, I spend a good amount of time working on a food insecurity project. And I also previously held a job at my university that was health outreach. You could argue that both the clinic volunteering and outreach jobs have aspects of both clinical and non-clinical experiences.

In that case classify it as you wish on your amcas app to cover whichever is weaker. Ultimately it doesn't really matter either way as adcoms will read the description of what you are doing and get an idea of the role

 

[oregonian19]

In that case classify it as you wish on your amcas app to cover whichever is weaker. Ultimately it doesn't really matter either way as adcoms will read the description of what you are doing and get an idea of the role

Well I’m mostly asking so I can determine if I need to do some more non-clinical volunteering. If it’s counted as clinical, I’m lacking a little bit for non-clinical.
Do adcoms have any opinion on the matter?

@Goro, @gyngyn, @gonnif

 

[907914]

I have been a volunteer phlebotomists at a student blood drive every summer the last 5 years and will be listing it as clinical...It is with the understanding, though, that I have also been a phlebotomist in a hospital and thus have other more significant clinical experience.

If you are similar, where you have a definite significant clinical experience, then you can list it as whatever you want. If the clinical box is checked, so to speak, then you are good.

 

[mindlight1]

@LizzyM, @Catalystik, @Goro, @gonnif, @HomeSkool, @gyngyn - Would you consider a pharm tech as nonclinical volunteering? (Trying to summon the SDN magical genies!!)

 

[Catalystik]

I have 215 hours of volunteer time as a pharmacy technician at a charitable pharmacy. The charitable pharmacy was within a free clinic and served specifically uninsured individuals.
There is some uncertainty about whether this is clinical or non-clinical volunteering.

I would transfer handwritten prescriptions from the clinic's doctors into the computer, count and fill new and refill prescriptions, serve patients at the front counter (i.e. get them their prescriptions), answer the phone, and occasionally help with refilling prescriptions which are part of patient assistance programs.

@LizzyM, @Catalystik, @Goro, @gonnif, @HomeSkool, @gyngyn - Would you consider a pharm tech as nonclinical volunteering? (Trying to summon the SDN magical genies!!)

I'd suggest listing it on the application as nonclinical, including your duties serving at the front counter (and the % time you did this) along with all the other responsibilities, and letting adcomms reading the entry decide for themselves if they consider that portion of the experience to be "clinical" or not. Regardless, it's a valuable activity, due to the familiarity you've gained with pharmaceuticals, and because you volunteered to do it.

 

[Goro]

I'd suggest listing it on the application as nonclinical, including your duties serving at the front counter (and the % time you did this) along with all the other responsibilities, and letting adcomms reading the entry decide for themselves if they consider that portion of the experience to be "clinical" or not. Regardless, it's a valuable activity, due to the familiarity you've gained with pharmaceuticals, and because you volunteered to do it.

Agree 1000% with the wise Cat.

 

[LizzyM]

When in doubt, always safer to say "non-clinical" and let adcoms mentally upgrade it to clinical if they think that it is rather than to say "clinical" and have them mentally think that it is not and you are trying to pull a fast one.