Is hippotherapy considered clinical or non-clinical?

[Berburr]

How is a treatment done on a horse by a certified PT not classified as PT on a horse?

It's not physical therapy for the horse, I should have been clearer. Someone called it veterinary medicine. It's not for the horse it's for the patient. It's physical therapy with the use of a horse as part of the treatment.

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[Berburr]

Many adcoms are misinformed about hippotherapy. I've heard the discussions in adcom meetings where someone has hippotherapy listed as a clinical experience in the absence of other clinical experiences and the result is not pretty. Far better to call it "non-clinical" and be lauded for it as a service to others than to try to pass it off as an experience that informs one of what physicians do and the environment in which physicians practice.

Let me tell you I will be one of those therapists advocating to the recognition of hippotherapy as a clinical treatment. That's what we have to do as PTs, advocate our profession and this aspect will definitely be my advocate stand! It's a little ridiculous that they do not recognize it when the AHA inc offers evidence. It is proven and while it's not as popular doesn't mean it doesn't have its place. I'd argue the hell out of it! Ha ha

Of course their is more wrong with our medical field (the whole system) than just not recognizing hippotherapy as a valid treatment. I can't stand a lot of it, but once I get done with my DPT and certification you know I'll be up on my box fully fighting for this type of treatment with the American Hippotherapy Association. Count on that!

 

[sazerac]

Hippotherapy, as practiced by physical therapists, is non-clinical because PT's and DPT's don't take the Hippocratic Oath.

 

[Berburr]

It's non clinical, because PT's and DPT's don't take the Hippocratic Oath.

Hahaha what?

 

[Instatewaiter]

Nonclinical

 

[Berburr]

You necrobumped this thread to respond to an argument no one has made.

This is purely being discussed in terms of how to represent this experience on a medical school application.

No one is arguing the validity of hippo therapy as a portion of physical therapy/rehab (largely because that is far outside our areas of expertise). No one is putting down your pet advocacy field.

Wow someone should learn to read, people were severely misinformed before and absolutely did not credit it. It's not pet advocacy. I really hope you're not going into PT with that rudeness!

In terms if representing it you have to know about it which I made a point you can argue it as clinical. I get the world isn't perfect though and it's a smaller field in the vast general idea of PT and doesn't get the ae recognition, so I merely said I'd be advocating

Seriously though, word of advice, it's not professional to talk down other professions and specialties I guess unless it's lobotomy that wasn't very ethical...

 

[Berburr]

All in all I get when applying rather be safe as someone said, mark it as non-clinical and then have it argued in than the latter. World's not perfect

 

[deleted480308]

Let me tell you I will be one of those therapists advocating to the recognition of hippotherapy as a clinical treatment. That's what we have to do as PTs, advocate our profession and this aspect will definitely be my advocate stand! It's a little ridiculous that they do not recognize it when the AHA inc offers evidence. It is proven and while it's not as popular doesn't mean it doesn't have its place. I'd argue the hell out of it! Ha ha

Of course their is more wrong with our medical field (the whole system) than just not recognizing hippotherapy as a valid treatment. I can't stand a lot of it, but once I get done with my DPT and certification you know I'll be up on my box fully fighting for this type of treatment with the American Hippotherapy Association. Count on that!

advocating for admissions recognition? when do medical school admissions committees talk to PT advocates?

 

[Berburr]

You don't get to "argue". You fill out a box on a form. So if it is misinterpreted your medical school application goes into the trash. So the smart advice, from people who've been there, not people who get twisted up and necrobump threads about horsies, is to list it as non-clinical.

Seriosuly are you in the medical field??? I have no respect for you. I understand your point and it's different when applying but you are seriously so unprofessional and rude. Please dear god tell me you are not. The field doesn't need that.

 

[deleted480308]

you just argued with yourself, berburr

 

[Berburr]

advocating for admissions recognition? when do medical school admissions committees talk to PT advocates?

Advocating for the field in the PT field which may in turn get it recognized on applications as clinical. I know applications are different but I would advocate in hopes that it would be more recognized....is that clear?

 

[deleted480308]

Advocating for the field in the PT field which may in turn get it recognized on applications as clinical. I know applications are different but I would advocate in hopes that it would be more recognized....is that clear?

take a few deep breaths, no one cares enough about this for you to get so worked up

 

[Berburr]

take a few deep breaths, no one cares enough about this for you to get so worked up

Seriously? I'm not worked up, but people should definitely educate themselves. You learn new things. Dear god is the rest of the SDN like this???? What an awful representation.

 

[Berburr]

you just argued with yourself, berburr

Hahaha woops! hit the wrong thing.

 

[deleted480308]

Seriously? I'm not worked up, but people should definitely educate themselves. You learn new things. Dear god is the rest of the SDN like this???? What an awful representation.

yep, the epitome of calm and collected

 

[Berburr]

yep, the epitome of calm and collected

You know what's upsetting? What is upsetting is the way some people act on here. I'm done. You are a poor representation of this site and the other guy is really unprofessional. It's sad that there are sites built to help students...and you have people like you posting rudely to others. It just makes me sad that this is what goes out to help others, and this is probably how you act in the field.

Have a nice day. Hope my original post shed some light on things though I know application processes are different and they aren't changing at the moment, better safe than sorry. Hopefully advocacy in the field will show recognition in turn on applications.

 

[DokterMom]

Hippotherapy is definitely working with patients in a therapeutic context, but it is not working within a 'typical' medical environment in any sense of the word.

So from the viewpoint of "Does this experience show that the applicant knows what it is like to be a physician practicing in an office or hospital?" the answer would have to be that No, hippotherapy does not provide that type of experience.

But from the viewpoint of "Does this experience show that the applicant knows what it is like to work with sick / disabled people in a therapeutic context?" the answer should be that Yes, hippotherapy does provide that type of experience.

In that sense, I could see classifying it both/either way. But understand the caveat that an AdCom member who is not familiar with hippotherapy might not view a 'Clinical' claim as being genuine.

 

[PhysMatMan]

Question: I don't mean to be hyper critical, but are these hypocritical adcoms hip to the new HIPAA regulations surrounding hippo hypnohippotherapy where premeds ride a horse and look into the eyes of a hippo while reciting Hippocrates' Hippocratic oath?

 

[senzen]

I've heard the discussions in adcom meetings where someone has hippotherapy listed as a clinical experience in the absence of other clinical experiences and the result is not pretty.

Do schools really condemn students if they mis-classify? I understand if people are trying to use excuses to make up for other deficiencies in their application but for others, it might be a genuine mistake! An adcom would generally be able to tell if it's clinical or non-clinical from the description.

Do these students get in actual trouble because it may seem like they are lying?

This is frightening!

 

[brootas14]

Do schools really condemn students if they mis-classify? I understand if people are trying to use excuses to make up for other deficiencies in their application but for others, it might be a genuine mistake! An adcom would generally be able to tell if it's clinical or non-clinical from the description.

Do these students get in actual trouble because it may seem like they are lying?

This is frightening!

I wouldn't say that it comes across as lying.

Listing an activity as Clinical demonstrates your understanding of what that means. The question is whether you want to be taken at your word, as DokterMom said. Without context (and on your application, context is limited to x characters), there is confusion about what your motivations for medicine are.

 

[LizzyM]

Do schools really condemn students if they mis-classify? I understand if people are trying to use excuses to make up for other deficiencies in their application but for others, it might be a genuine mistake! An adcom would generally be able to tell if it's clinical or non-clinical from the description.

Do these students get in actual trouble because it may seem like they are lying?

This is frightening!

If the only things listed as "clinical experience" on an application were hippotherapy and maybe a little shadowing, some members of my adcom absolutely would "condemn" the applicant has having had too little clinical experience. It would be a seriously deficient application. If one were to add EMT training without having worked or volunteered as an EMT and call it "volunteer, clinical" , again, the assessment would be that the application was sub-par. Add a semester of playing the piano in the day room of a nursing home or coaching Special Olympics and call that clinical volunteering.
1)hippotherapy
2)shadowing x 20 hours
3) EMT training, not used
4) set foot in a nursing home or coached developmentally disabled kids

All that put together and tell me that it is sufficient clinical experience. I can tell you that many adcoms would want to see more experience in health care settings working with or near physicians or physician extenders.

Anyone can get on their high horse and make hippothearpy their pet project but it is not going to fly with some old time docs who want to see the usual hospital, hospice or clinic volunteering.

 

[Vain Brother]

if you're close enough to smell the horse manure...

 

[LizzyM]

if you're close enough to smell the horse manure...

On the other hand, if this were therapeutic bull riding, we'd be close enough to smell ....

 

[spartan25]

Piggy-backing off this thread and not wanting to create another one: would working as a phlebotomist at a plasma center count as clinical work? The donors aren't sick but I am trained to handle adverse reactions from the donation process

 

[LizzyM]

Piggy-backing off this thread and not wanting to create another one: would working as a phlebotomist at a plasma center count as clinical work? The donors aren't sick but I am trained to handle adverse reactions from the donation process

AMCAS may have changed the headings in the past year (I don't recall) or may change them in the future but what you are describing is WORK not volunteer and so the issue of labeling something, "volunteer, clinical" or "volunteer, non-clinical" would not apply. Drawing blood as a volunteer -- I wouldn't see that happening unless you were also a licensed clinical provider (e.g. and RN doing a volunteer gig at a health fair and doing finger sticks) in which case the amount of clinical experience would be a non-issue.

 

[CoffeeBean1]

Since this is getting necro-bumped, figured I'd throw in a personal anecdote.. I listed hippotherapy as clinical volunteering (oops?) and talked about it in my personal statement and got ~10 interview invitations. If you have a well-rounded application with other more traditional clinical experiences working with physicians, I don't think an application would be trashed for choosing the wrong heading from the drop-down list. Just don't expect it to totally replace hospital experience.

 

[spartan25]

AMCAS may have changed the headings in the past year (I don't recall) or may change them in the future but what you are describing is WORK not volunteer and so the issue of labeling something, "volunteer, clinical" or "volunteer, non-clinical" would not apply. Drawing blood as a volunteer -- I wouldn't see that happening unless you were also a licensed clinical provider (e.g. and RN doing a volunteer gig at a health fair and doing finger sticks) in which case the amount of clinical experience would be a non-issue.

Great, thanks for the info. I do actually draw blood at a local free clinic (along with other small lab work) even as a non-licensed phlebotomist. So it is a possibility!

 

[LizzyM]

Great, thanks for the info. I do actually draw blood at a local free clinic (along with other small lab work) even as a non-licensed phlebotomist. So it is a possibility!

Drawing blood as a volunteer in a free clinic would be "volunteer, clinical" with no question. Plasma center work would be a twist that could place it in more of a clinical/non-clinical gray zone.

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

a non-licensed phlebotomist. So it is a possibility!

I think you get a extra dollar at most places if you take the test (which is a joke from what I hear). I've never been a phleb though.

I don't think that license matters, all the states I've been in it's been a 50/50ish difference among the phlebs.

 

[senzen]

If the only things listed as "clinical experience" on an application were hippotherapy and maybe a little shadowing, some members of my adcom absolutely would "condemn" the applicant has having had too little clinical experience. It would be a seriously deficient application. If one were to add EMT training without having worked or volunteered as an EMT and call it "volunteer, clinical" , again, the assessment would be that the application was sub-par. Add a semester of playing the piano in the day room of a nursing home or coaching Special Olympics and call that clinical volunteering.
1)hippotherapy
2)shadowing x 20 hours
3) EMT training, not used
4) set foot in a nursing home or coached developmentally disabled kids

All that put together and tell me that it is sufficient clinical experience. I can tell you that many adcoms would want to see more experience in health care settings working with or near physicians or physician extenders.

Anyone can get on their high horse and make hippothearpy their pet project but it is not going to fly with some old time docs who want to see the usual hospital, hospice or clinic volunteering.

That makes a lot more sense, phew! Thanks for the input!!