ECs: Difference between volunteering and clinical experience

[Trojan1991]

Hey guys I was wondering if someone would clarify this for me. What is the main difference between volunteering at a hospital (lets say the Emergency Department) and having clinical work experience.

I live in southern California and am also interested in finding some programs that would help me gain more "clinical experience" rather than "volunteer experience". I've looked into the Clinical Care Extenders (CCE) program, but have read not so pleasant things about it. I would really appreciate it if someone could suggest some amazing clinical work programs along with their experience. Thanks in advance guys!

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[Lamel]

Volunteering at a hospital is clinical experience AND volunteering experience. They aren't mutually exclusive.

Any volunteering that isn't at a hospital/clinic is not clinical experience, but still obviously volunteering.

Any clinical job is also clinical experience.

 

[GoPelicans]

Just want to add that although ED volunteering is technically volunteering AND clinical experience, I don't think most adcoms consider it a substantive volunteer experience. You probably want to add more volunteering on top of it.

 

[deleted407021]

I highly recommend you find a need based clinic which serves uninsured patients. I work about nine hours a week for one such organization and I get to work directly with patients all the time. I file charts, answer phones, perform lab tests with Hg counters and a centrifuge and get to see doctors work with patients every week. It practically doubles as shadowing in that respect because all the physicians are eager to let me observe them working. It trumps ED in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[theseeker4]

Just want to add that although ED volunteering is technically volunteering AND clinical experience, I don't think most adcoms consider it a substantive volunteer experience. You probably want to add more volunteering on top of it.

Highly doubtful that this is true for a significant number of adcoms. Many med students had hospital volunteering as their only clinical and only volunteering experience. What you got out of and what you say about your experience means far, far more than what anyone says about how sufficient or acceptable a particular category of experiences would be.

 

[Trojan1991]

Thank you guys so much for the input!

If anyone has any programs that they recommend for undergraduates who are looking for great clinical work experience (me for example ) please let us know! Once again thank you guys!