If all I get to do is observe, is that ok for clinical experience?

[Tofurkey]

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Hello,

This past semester I've been volunteering in a neurologist's office. All I got to do was observe. This semester I found a volunteer position in a free clinic for Native Americans, but again, all I get to do is observe.

I called everywhere in the city I'm in and every place said, "because of HIPPA, all you can do is observe."

My question is: is observing enough to characterize the experience as "clinical experience" to adcoms? Do adcoms really care what you do there so long as you're getting some sort of exposure?

Thanks,

Tofurkey

 

[Lux Aeterna]

Tofurkey your experience sounds good to me. Many people I know have not been able to even shadow physicians b/c of HIPAA. I also think adcoms will be interested in hearing about your observations and the target population your clinic served.

I would definitely mark that down as clinical experience. Do not worry about it, and good luck!

 

[jetjulia]

You might also want to look into other areas you can volunteer in outside of a clinic. I started volunteering with hospice last summer, and though the setting is entirely different, I have been able to learn a whole lot about health care and the role doctors play in the lives of the terminally ill.

 

[Tofurkey]

Are other people in this same situation--or are you allowed to do more than obvserve if you have an EMT license? I'd heard that free clinics, like the one I'm working at, allow students to do more--but the clinics in my city don't seem to allow that.

 

[exmike]

If i watch ER and scrubs, does that count as clinical experience?

 

[confewshz]

exmike....sure. just memorize all of the one-liner phrases they say in these shows and regurgitate them to your interveiwer...He/she will be VERY impressed with your lingo 😉

 

[allmightylong]

yes exmike

I am using entire past season's "resident's life" episodes as my clinical experiences. 😀

 

[Hallm_7]

I hate HIPAA!!!!

I've tried volunteering........no luck.

I got kicked out of the OR the other day (I've previously spent hours upon hours in the same OR suite before HIPAA) because of the new regulations.

This makes it soooo much harder for us to get good clinical time. Luckily I got into hospitals before HIPAA came into effect, but for those who didn't start college until after the new rules......I feel for you.

 

[shag]

Originally posted by allmightylong
I am using entire past season's "resident's life" episodes as my clinical experiences. 😀

Whoa! Are you some kind of psyco-gunner? I think that for most normal folks Scrubs will suffice...

 

[Jason110]

For those of you who are having difficulty finding clinical experience because of HIPAA regulation, did you ask if you could go through the HIPAA training prior to beginning clincial exposure?

Jason

 

[skypilot]

Or EMT training are options. I don't think most applicants have very much hands on anyway. If you work in an ER as a receptionist you could even include that as relevant experience.