Is this clinical experience?

[Mopsd]

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Interested in getting a job as a premed student and came across a healthcare security officer position at a local hospital. I would be in close proximity, and constantly interacting with patients, doctors and nurses in a hospital setting—making sure their health and safety needs are met (though in a non-medical way). I’d also gain a fairly good idea for how a hospital functions and to a certain extent observe doctors doing their thing. Does this job meet the criteria for clinical experience or am I dreaming? Would this be a good job to have as a pre-med student?

 

[Catalystik]

Interested in getting a job as a premed student and came across a healthcare security officer position at a local hospital. I would be in close proximity, and constantly interacting with patients, doctors and nurses in a hospital setting—making sure their health and safety needs are met (though in a non-medical way). I’d also gain a fairly good idea for how a hospital functions and to a certain extent observe doctors doing their thing. Does this job meet the criteria for clinical experience or am I dreaming? Would this be a good job to have as a pre-med student?

Would you be a hospital security guard? Or does your insertion of the word "healthcare" in the title of the position imply a different purpose completely? What is your job description?

 

[Mopsd]

I would say hospital security officer instead of guard as we aren't stationed at one given place everyday. The posted job description isn't very specific but a couple officers I spoke with described the usual security officer duties, just in a hospital setting, and therefore come with duties that come with working at a hospital.

Their basic security duties include patrolling/ making rounds inside the hospital, de-escalating situations, writing reports, preventing security breaches and maintaining professional relations w/ the guests and medical professionals, etc).

Specific duties that provide exposure to the medical field for example, would include doing morgue transports and other "behind-the-scenes" exposure, interacting with patients and their families, preventing entrance to restricted areas by guests, finding/restraining "lost" (runaway) and violent patients and supervising at-risk patients.

 

[Catalystik]

I would say hospital security officer instead of guard as we aren't stationed at one given place everyday. The posted job description isn't very specific but a couple officers I spoke with described the usual security officer duties, just in a hospital setting, and therefore come with duties that come with working at a hospital.

Their basic security duties include patrolling/ making rounds inside the hospital, de-escalating situations, writing reports, preventing security breaches and maintaining professional relations w/ the guests and medical professionals, etc).

Specific duties that provide exposure to the medical field for example, would include doing morgue transports and other "behind-the-scenes" exposure, interacting with patients and their families, preventing entrance to restricted areas by guests, finding/restraining "lost" (runaway) and violent patients and supervising at-risk patients.

I am skeptical that the majority of adcomms will view this job as clinical, considering the likelihood that interaction with the patient population of the hospital will be minimal and infrequently related to their patient status.

That said, it's still a good job for the other reasons you mention.

Mine is but one opinion. If you take the job, let us know if it turns out to be different than written.

 

[LizzyM]

I do see the word patients in the description and it is in a hospital setting and in some cases, unfortunately, the employee may have to be in physical contact with an aggressive patient, so that is "close enough".

Employment, clinical would fly in my book but I'm only one adcom member.

I would strongly recommend additional shadowing or other clinical experience in addition to this job.

 

[Goro]

I don't consider it clinical. Employment is always good.
Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.