is this a good EC? perioperative aide job

[the Mannis]

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first post, new member. going to be an undergrad sophomore this fall. I got a job as a perioperative aide in my home city. perioperative aides work in the OR's of hospitals. Perioperative aides clean operating rooms after surgery, transport patients to holding rooms for surg prep, and maintain the supplies of the OR.
Is this good clinical exposure for med school? do adcoms like clinical volunteering more than a paid clinical job like this?

 

[Banco]

It seems like good clinical experience, especially if you get to interact with patients in some way.

Clinical experience can be attained in many ways, be it paid job or volunteering; so no, adcoms don't "prefer" volunteering to paid jobs.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This is a good job to put on an application. No it doesn't replace volunteering in a hospital if that's what you're getting at and means it wouldn't be a very good idea to volunteer in a hospital as well.

 

[the Mannis]

This is a good job to put on an application. No it doesn't replace volunteering in a hospital if that's what you're getting at and means it wouldn't be a very good idea to volunteer in a hospital as well.

you are saying it wouldn't be a good idea to also volunteer in a hospital? why not?

 

[GrapesofRath]

you are saying it wouldn't be a good idea to also volunteer in a hospital? why not?

I said the exact opposite. Hospital volunteering is still something you're going to want to do if you can or make up for it in another way if you can't

 

[Banco]

This is a good job to put on an application. No it doesn't replace volunteering in a hospital if that's what you're getting at and means it wouldn't be a very good idea to volunteer in a hospital as well.

This seems like a way better experience than the typical hospital volunteering. He does not need to volunteer at a hospital if he does this and gets sufficient patient exposure. He can fill the volunteering checkbox through some other activity.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This seems like a way better experience than the typical hospital volunteering. He does not need to volunteer at a hospital if he does this and gets sufficient patient exposure. He can fill the volunteering checkbox through some other activity.

Hence why I said in the second post make up for hospital volunteering if you can't do it. While this job does have some patient interaction in the description, if it in facts turns out there isn't much of it when the OP starts doing it it would be a very good idea to try and still get patient interaction opportunities and this often comes through volunteering in a hospital.

Regardless volunteering still needs to be done some way. If the OP finds solid patient contact exposure with this job and decides to volunteer through another way that will work fine. That said volunteering in a hospital regardless would still at the very least not be a bad idea at all.

 

[the Mannis]

how would you fellas define sufficient patient exposure? to the point where I could talk about it during an interview?

 

[GrapesofRath]

how would you fellas define sufficient patient exposure? to the point where I could talk about it during an interview?

Well you always want to be able to talk about any significant experiences you've had in an interview.

 

[Banco]

how would you fellas define sufficient patient exposure? to the point where I could talk about it during an interview?

If you're transporting patients and perhaps get to see them pre and post-op I'd say that is sufficient. Yeah you wanna be able to talk about it and you want to get the patient's perspective on the matter ideally. Regardless, this job seems like a good opportunity - at the very least you will get an idea of how the surgery dept runs in a hospital.

 

[the Mannis]

you guys are both pre-med, or at least that is what your status is. What types of volunteer activities are you two involved in?

 

[DrDorianTurkleton]

I know the question wasn't directed at me but I volunteered in a ER for about 2 years, once a week for 2 hours. Other than that though, I've had a lot of pretty cool clinical experiences outside of volunteering. I never put as much into my volunteering since it just ended up being pretty menial stuff like restocking, but I think it is just a box you'll need to check off regardless of how much other clinical experience you have.

 

[Banco]

you guys are both pre-med, or at least that is what your status is. What types of volunteer activities are you two involved in?

I'm heading off to med school in a month (I guess I should change my status).

I had clinical experience through shadowing and clinical research, no hospital volunteering. I volunteered at local places though such as reading to kids at schools, and soup kitchens.

 

[the Mannis]

I'm heading off to med school in a month (I guess I should change my status).

I had clinical experience through shadowing and clinical research, no hospital volunteering. I volunteered at local places though such as reading to kids at schools, and soup kitchens.

congratulations on getting in! you earned it; this process is very meticulous and quite a headache sometimes

 

[GrapesofRath]

how would you fellas define sufficient patient exposure? to the point where I could talk about it during an interview?

Volunteered at a hospital and hospice for clinical exposure. Volunteered at a non profit organization in a soup kitchen and tutoring those with disabilities for my non-clinical volunteering(trust me it's a lot less than it actually sounds typing it all out).

 

[LizzyM]

If you are employed in a hospital, you don't need hospital volunteering in addition but it would be important to have some volunteer experience of some kind (helping the poor in some way) . Additional clinical exposure to patients who are awake would be useful too. Perhaps some of the surgeons will let you shadow them in the office where you can see pre-op and post-op office visits and other patient care activities outside of the OR.

 

[the Mannis]

If you are employed in a hospital, you don't need hospital volunteering in addition but it would be important to have some volunteer experience of some kind (helping the poor in some way) . Additional clinical exposure to patients who are awake would be useful too. Perhaps some of the surgeons will let you shadow them in the office where you can see pre-op and post-op office visits and other patient care activities outside of the OR.

well i am per diem for the job, so i only work during summer and school breaks. I think i should continue to volunteer in ER at hospital in my college town, so i can see different aspects of a hospital and medicine.

 

[Psai]

i thought that aides just clean the OR. seems to be the or nurses that bring patients around

 

[the Mannis]

i thought that aides just clean the OR. seems to be the or nurses that bring patients around

i have been at the job for a few days now. No, the nurses pretty much never transfer the patients.

 

[mimelim]

i thought that aides just clean the OR. seems to be the or nurses that bring patients around

i have been at the job for a few days now. No, the nurses pretty much never transfer the patients.

This simply depends on the hospital. There is a fair amount of variation.