Gap Year Jobs, CNA vs. Pt. Transport

[eaglebaseball4]

Need a little bit of advice from anyone willing to give it. I am currently applying this cycle, and I am taking a gap year but having a difficult time deciding what to do for a job. I have been offered a patient transport job at a hospital that I can start immediately. I have also been offered a seat in a FREE CNA (certified nursing assistant) training program that only takes 3 weeks to complete during August. I am from a very rural area, and the local hospital offered free training and I was lucky enough to land one of 3 seats in the program. I am struggling with the decision, and here is why. I only have around 85 clinical volunteer hours on my primary app., and I am concerned that isn't enough hours for my app. I figure I can make up for it in my gap year with a clinical job, and I want to let medical schools know this (my gap year plans) on my secondary (I think). Is it common to give your gap year plans on secondaries? Anyways, which would look better on a secondary app., a patient transport job that has already begun, or a CNA job that I will begin around Sept. 1? Kinda at a crossroads and not sure what to do. Thanks in advance!

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[katie24seven]

CNA, you should try to get as much hands-on patient care as you can.

 

[MarcusSmartMD]

CNA definitely looks more impressive. Have you already sent primaries out? Depending on your other activities, stats, etc. you may want to consider applying next cycle. There are a decent amount of schools that will ask what your plans are for the cycle, but not all of them. Applying with a year's worth of clinical experience (plus other activities that you might do while working as a CNA) would look impressive as you are right in that you are on the lower side of clinical hours.

 

[AdenineThomasPhosphate]

CNA. It's a tough job where you do some very humbling tasks, but you will learn so much, and have a ton to talk about during the application process. You're working alongside nurses and will get to spend some time and really get to know patients. For the patient transport job, you just move people around, spending maybe 15 minutes with them.

I'm biased because I'm a PCA (basically the same thing as CNA, but not state licensed), but I genuinely believe being a CNA would be better.

 

[RNthenDoc]

+1 for CNA, no question