Is this "clinical" experience?

[HopefulReapp]

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Are grand rounds considered "clinical" or "non-clinical" experience?

Thanks!

 

[EthylMethylMan]

As always, refer to LizzyM's rule of thumb: if you can smell the patients, it's a clinical experience.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Unless there is a patient physically there at grand rounds then it isn't in itself sufficient to be your only clinical experience, but it would be quite helpful in the context of a larger clinical experience..

 

[chillaxbro]

As always, refer to LizzyM's rule of thumb: if you can smell the patients, it's a clinical experience.

What if I work as a desk secretary? Making appointments, signing them in, calling people in, etc.
Doesn't sound very clinical to me

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Is reading a pathology book clinical experience? No.

Grand rounds? No.

 

[Catalystik]

What if I work as a desk secretary? Making appointments, signing them in, calling people in, etc.
Doesn't sound very clinical to me

If you are interacting with the patients when you do those things, it sounds clinical to me.

 

[HopefulReapp]

I should have clarified. If a patient is physically in the room at grand rounds, is it clinical experience?

Likewise, if I am linked in by live video to a surgeon and I can interact with him (verbally ask questions, see the patient, etc), is it clinical experience even though I can't "smell" the patient?

 

[mmmcdowe]

I should have clarified. If a patient is physically in the room at grand rounds, is it clinical experience?

Likewise, if I am linked in by live video to a surgeon and I can interact with him (verbally ask questions, see the patient, etc), is it clinical experience even though I can't "smell" the patient?

Yes, a lot of this would be considered sufficient by itself.

Yes, but again not sufficient in itself because it doesn't involve the physician-patient interaction.

A rule of thumb to ask yourself would be "If I did a 1000 hours of this and no other clinical work, would the adcom buy it?" If the answer isn't an overwhelming yes, then consider diversifying.

 

[legendarg]

As always, refer to LizzyM's rule of thumb: if you can smell the patients, it's a clinical experience.

This rule never made sense to me. Does shadowing a doctor count as clinical experience? I can definitely smell the patients, just don't really interact with them much.

 

[Ismet]

This rule never made sense to me. Does shadowing a doctor count as clinical experience? I can definitely smell the patients, just don't really interact with them much.

Yes, it counts. You're learning about what the doctor does day-to-day. It's usually more beneficial and more exposure than restocking patient welcome kits and bringing warm blankets to people.

 

[legendarg]

Yes, it counts. You're learning about what the doctor does day-to-day. It's usually more beneficial and more exposure than restocking patient welcome kits and bringing warm blankets to people.

Hmm, that's interesting. I had always heard that shadowing was necessary, but that other clinical volunteering is a de facto requirement as well.

 

[Ismet]

Hmm, that's interesting. I had always heard that shadowing was necessary, but that other clinical volunteering is a de facto requirement as well.

Just because the majority of applicants has some kind of clinical volunteering doesn't mean it's a requirement. You need clinical exposure, and it's also beneficial to have some kind of community service activity to demonstrate that you really do want to help people. It kills two birds with one stone to do clinical volunteering, and volunteering gigs at hospitals are usually readily available. You can get clinical experience by working as a CNA/EMT, shadowing, volunteering in a clinic, and so on, back to LizzyM's adage.

 

[Geebeejay]

sounds more like shadowing to me

 

[LizzyM]

Two issues here:

1) should you list attendance at Grand Rounds on your application as a stand alone activitiy and if so, how should you tag it. I can't answer the first part of the question in a vacuum and how it should be tagged would not involve either of the two tags that contain the word "clinical": volunteer, clinical and volunteer, non-clinical. If anything, I'd tag this as conference attended unless it is part of a larger activity such as employment or shadowing.

2) Is this a cliical experience? In so far as it gives you an idea of the continuing education that is part of a physician's practice and in so far as it provides you with information about how physicians think/reason and make clinical decision using information gathered from a patient and knowledge of science/medicine to reach a decision about diagnosis/treatment, then yes, it is a clinical experience. However, in and of itself, it is not sufficient.

Some activities that involve interacting with the sick, injured, dying or disabled -- or other people who are anxious, afraid, angry, distraught, etc -- is helpful in learning how to interact with people who you will interact with a s a medical student and physician. These activities may be different from your shadowing activity and they may be clinical or non-clinical volunteering or employment.