Is this sufficient clinical experience?

[Zartye]

Hi all,

I am a non-traditional applicant looking to apply this upcoming June in the 2021 cycle. I decided that I wanted to pursue medicine starting in late 2019. I have already completed all my prerequisites and am looking to take the MCAT this April. I have been working full-time as a non-emergency medical transporter for nearly a year now (1000+ hours) but am now somewhat concerned about my clinical hours after browsing SDN since it appears that medical transportation is disputed as being clinical experience.

At my job I transport patients (usually elderly in their own homes, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities) to medical appointments which include traditional check-ups, dialysis, chemotherapy, non-life threatening sickness, vaccinations, etc. My job duties also include safely moving bedridden patients from the bed to a wheelchair (and vice versa) and moving patients up and down stairs (if present).

I had initially taken this job for clinical experience and decided to pursue it over scribing since the pay is significantly higher. I do enjoy my job, especially being able to chat with patients during the ride, however, I am unsure if I should consider leaving my job after I take the MCAT to become a scribe? I have had around 70 shadowing hours with 3 different doctors (2 in primary care) since the beginning of 2020 and am working on potentially gaining more. Do you think my job along with shadowing will be considered sufficient clinical exposure or should I leave my job to pursue scribing?

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[stickgirl390]

I’m surprised this is a split as you imply; typically the rule of thumb is if you can smell the patient, it counts as clinical experience. If I was an adcom, I’d count it.

 

[candbgirl]

Hi all,

I am a non-traditional applicant looking to apply this upcoming June in the 2021 cycle. I decided that I wanted to pursue medicine starting in late 2019. I have already completed all my prerequisites and am looking to take the MCAT this April. I have been working full-time as a non-emergency medical transporter for nearly a year now (1000+ hours) but am now somewhat concerned about my clinical hours after browsing SDN since it appears that medical transportation is disputed as being clinical experience.

At my job I transport patients (usually elderly in their own homes, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities) to medical appointments which include traditional check-ups, dialysis, chemotherapy, non-life threatening sickness, vaccinations, etc. My job duties also include safely moving bedridden patients from the bed to a wheelchair (and vice versa) and moving patients up and down stairs (if present).

I had initially taken this job for clinical experience and decided to pursue it over scribing since the pay is significantly higher. I do enjoy my job, especially being able to chat with patients during the ride, however, I am unsure if I should consider leaving my job after I take the MCAT to become a scribe? I have had around 70 shadowing hours with 3 different doctors (2 in primary care) since the beginning of 2020 and am working on potentially gaining more. Do you think my job along with shadowing will be considered sufficient clinical exposure or should I leave my job to pursue scribing?

I think it’s clinical. You can’t get much closer than lifting and positioning etc. Sometimes people say ambulance drivers are like taxi drivers and not really clinical . I can see that . Those people just drive but you are directly and physically interacting with your patients. But remember whoever is reading your application might think differently.(Like I’m not impressed with scribing.) Hopefully some of the heavy thinkers will be along to respond.

 

[LizzyM]

They are patients. You talk to them, they trust you to move them safely within their residence and out and about. I'd count it because you are up-close with them and they are patients.

 

[Moko]

I would also see this as a clinical experience, much like how patient transporters and hospital greeters are seen as clinical activities.

To add to what others have said, how you describe your experience on your application will also matter. I suspect many of your passengers have conditions rendering them unable to attend to their iADLs and/or ADLs without assistance. Conditions such as debilitating psychiatry disease (e.g schizophrenia), neurologic conditions (e.g stroke with residual motor deficits, multiple sclerosis, dementia, cerebral palsy, myelopathies), post-op aftereffects/complications (e.g spinal cord injuries, amputations), or other conditions such as blindness, heart failure, COPD, cancer, etc.

To clearly differentiate your passengers as patients, you can consider mentioning some of their underlying conditions to explain why they are dependent on you to get them safely to and from their clinical appointments. Just my thoughts.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

As @Moko said it comes down to how you explain in the application.

 

[7thAndLASTPoopoftheDay]

But remember whoever is reading your application might think differently.(Like I’m not impressed with scribing.)

you people are sick