Job as office assistant at family health clinic?

[leagall]

I am considering a part-time job as an office assistant at a family health clinic. The job would require indexing patient records/documentation, assisting in answering phones, making reminder appointment calls to patients and other clerical duties. My question is, would this count as clinical experience? Would med schools look favorably on this type of job?

Thanks

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[Pons Asinorum]

My question is, would this count as clinical experience? Would med schools look favorably on this type of job?

Thanks

No. Probably not. Just a job, like being a secretary anywhere else on earth.

 

[SteveJMarist]

I disagree with the above poster in that it can't be considered clinical experience. You're around patients, work amongst doctors, and get a slight feel for what it's like to work in the health industry; thus, it is a clinical experience.

I agree with the above poster in that I don't think adcoms will be all that excited about it as it is, as just said, just a secretary job like any other.

I'd still take the job over another secretarial-paying job, though. It is definitely extra fodder for your clinical experience hours.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I disagree with the above poster in that it can't be considered clinical experience. You're around patients, work amongst doctors, and get a slight feel for what it's like to work in the health industry; thus, it is a clinical experience.

Clinical experience is when you interact with patients in a clinical way. Calling them to remind them of their appointment or calling their name and telling them to wait in exam room 3 is not clinical. Where is the medicine?

 

[startswithb]

I had a non-clinical job in a physicians' office, and I liked it because 1. it was flexible 2. decent pay 3. I got to talk to physicians occassionally 4. I was inspired by just being in that environment and 5. it opened doors for excellent shadowing.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

5. it opened doors for excellent shadowing.

I think this one is the key.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Where is the medicine?

There isn't any. As there shouldn't be since most pre-meds don't understand medicine. Where is the medicine in a volunteer position where you hand out blankets to patients and occasionally watch procedures you don't understand. Where is the medicine in a shadowing position where you chase around a busy private practice doc trying to keep up with whats going on. The type of the experience isn't what matters, its the quality, and this could be a very quality experience for the OP.

There is costumer service interaction with patients, intermittent interaction with the physicians and responsibility of having a job (I would say at least 60% of my classmates have never had a job....scary)

I say take it OP. Having a job is a huge plus on an application, it shows maturity and professionalism. You may want to still look into some hospital shadowing to get a little more exposure to physicians IF you feel that is lacking at this position. But the fact of the matter is that this job will probably get you more patient exposure than a lot of hospital volunteer positions.

Try to get the most out of the position. Talk to the doctors, talk to the nurses, talk to the patients. If they have patient education programs there during lunch etc. see if you can sit in/participate. Depending on the type of clinic, see if there is room for advancement. I started in a Medicare clinic as a front desk assistant and they trained me as an MA which was even better experience (all unpaid unfortunately😛)

If at the end of the experience you can maturely discuss what its like to work with patients and what its like to be a physician then you will have all the clinical experience you need.

As LizzyM says (she's an adcomm and would know): if you can smell the patients its clinical experience. As the front desk assistant at a clinic you can smell the patients.

 

[darlin]

I had a non-clinical job in a physicians' office, and I liked it because 1. it was flexible 2. decent pay 3. I got to talk to physicians occassionally 4. I was inspired by just being in that environment and 5. it opened doors for excellent shadowing.

I am not sure adcoms would necessarily consider it as 'clinical.' It does, however, sound like a job that might be interesting just on it's own merit. If the pay is good and the hours are good, then that sounds like a great gig if you are working your way through school. It may also work well as an interlude to other, more clinical experiences and opportunities.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

There isn't any. As there shouldn't be since most pre-meds don't understand medicine. Where is the medicine in a volunteer position where you hand out blankets to patients and occasionally watch procedures you don't understand. Where is the medicine in a shadowing position where you chase around a busy private practice doc trying to keep up with whats going on.

There's a reason you don't list those experiences you highlight as "Clinical ______" on the AMCAS. They are non-clinical volunteering and shadowing. Not clinical experience. The job could be perfect for the OP. It's just not clinical, which was the OP's question, and I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to argue.

 

[alwaysaangel]

There's a reason you don't list those experiences you highlight as "Clinical ______" on the AMCAS. They are non-clinical volunteering and shadowing. Not clinical experience. The job could be perfect for the OP. It's just not clinical, which was the OP's question, and I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to argue.

Then I'm honestly curious what you consider clinical experience if working as a front-desk in a medical office, volunteering in an ED or shadowing don't count.... The average clinical experience for a premed is exactly what I listed...

I mean I suppose you could go save babies in Africa, but that is soo cliche.

My argument is I absolutely disagree that the OPs experience will be considered non-clinical. "If you can smell the patient's its clinical experience." Whether you're doing something medical or not.

EDIT: unless there is some sort of new categorization on the AMCAS application since I applied... But clinical experience used to be anything where you had exposure to patients and docs. Which the OPs experience does.

Also, what the heck is non-clinical shadowing????

 

[dbeast]

Clinical experience is when you interact with patients in a clinical way. Calling them to remind them of their appointment or calling their name and telling them to wait in exam room 3 is not clinical. Where is the medicine?

There is totally a gray area... What would you say about the bajillion applicants who volunteer to push patients around in wheelchairs and list that as clinical without a question? My friends who are current med students said they kind of rounded up on their applications. If it was clinical-ish, it still counts.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Then I'm honestly curious what you consider clinical experience if working as a front-desk in a medical office, volunteering in an ED or shadowing don't count.... The average clinical experience for a premed is exactly what I listed...

Then working the front desk at any office would be clinical experience, because you are doing THE EXACT SAME THING. Clinical experience is experience that gets you closer to the ground game that is the U.S. health care system. As a secretary at an outpatient facility, you are not witnessing anything of the actual delivery of health care, certainly not in the same way that shuffling patients around the ED does. Not that this really matters for the AMCAS, because clinical/non-clinical only pertain to volunteer or community service work, but whatever.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

There is totally a gray area... What would you say about the bajillion applicants who volunteer to push patients around in wheelchairs and list that as clinical without a question? My friends who are current med students said they kind of rounded up on their applications. If it was clinical-ish, it still counts.

Quite true. And adcoms have seen every flavor of EC falling-forward we could possibly dream up, I'm sure. It will be left up to the OP to live or die during their PS/interview about how much the clinical experience of being a secretary changed their worldview and helped form their decision to pursue medicine as a career, which is kind of the point of anything "clinical."

 

[alwaysaangel]

Then working the front desk at any office would be clinical experience, because you are doing THE EXACT SAME THING. Clinical experience is experience that gets you closer to the ground game that is the U.S. health care system. As a secretary at an outpatient facility, you are not witnessing anything of the actual delivery of health care, certainly not in the same way that shuffling patients around the ED does. Not that this really matters for the AMCAS, because clinical/non-clinical only pertain to volunteer or community service work, but whatever.

Again, on SDN there is a very common saying that if you can smell the patients its clinical experience. Whether you are pushing them in wheelchairs, bringing them blankets, or calling them to remind them of appointments and greeting them to take them back. That saying comes from an admissions committee member who I assume is more well-versed in what is considered clinical experience than a pre-med.

The OP will be right in the middle of clinic as a useful employee, he/she will be able to get out of it what she wants including several of the options I listed in my first post. I would argue that if she is proactive it will be far more valuable than a lot of "clinical" experience other pre-meds have. If he/she chooses to take advantage of it, it would be quite useful in really getting a good idea of what its like to treat patients and be a physician. And as long as he/she can adequately verbalize that (which plenty of people who work as EMTs etc cannot) then he/she will be in good shape.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Again, on SDN there is a very common saying that if you can smell the patients its clinical experience. Whether you are pushing them in wheelchairs, bringing them blankets, or calling them to remind them of appointments and greeting them to take them back. That saying comes from an admissions committee member who I assume is more well-versed in what is considered clinical experience than a pre-med.

The OP will be right in the middle of clinic as a useful employee, he/she will be able to get out of it what she wants including several of the options I listed in my first post. I would argue that if she is proactive it will be far more valuable than a lot of "clinical" experience other pre-meds have.

I think you're reading a lot more into the OP's original question and post, and LizzyM's fortune cookie-length version of what adcom's want to see for clinical experience too far. If you think that simply doing the job, as the OP originally described, is all that an adcom wants to see from an applicant for clinical experience, and that they are now off the hook for seeking out other experiences, I would argue that you're quite wrong. And saying that doesn't put me at odds with anything LizzyM or anyone else has every said around here.

 

[Ursa]

It may not be coined as clinical experience, but you would be amazed at the things you learn. I have a similar full time job right now and I definitely think it will have a big impact on my subsequent endeavors and career in medicine.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I think you're reading a lot more into the OP's original question and post, and LizzyM's fortune cookie-length version of what adcom's want to see for clinical experience too far.

No I'm not, I qualified my definition of clinical as if the OP took advantage of the situation beyond the basic requirements of the job. You would realize that if you read posts beyond the first sentence and weren't just trying to argue.

OP - make sure you make the most out of the job. Get exposure to the docs, get a decent understanding of what medicine is about and yes, you can justify it as clinical experience.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

It may not be coined as clinical experience, but you would be amazed at the things you learn. I have a similar full time job right now and I definitely think it will have a big impact on my subsequent endeavors and career in medicine.

No doubt, and I'm not trying to tell the OP that they can't have the same fulfilling experience. But people come here specifically to find out how to shape their narrative as it will appear on their AMCAS primary application. That's the bottom line as it pertains to this particular little internet rabbit hole.

 

[Ursa]

No doubt, and I'm not trying to tell the OP that they can't have the same fulfilling experience. But people come here specifically to find out how to shape their narrative as it will appear on their AMCAS primary application. That's the bottom line as it pertains to this particular little internet rabbit hole.

F'sho. Its not all about the app. The other stuff, non-app padding stuff, will help alot in interviews. Jus' sayin'.

 

[darlin]

Again, on SDN there is a very common saying that if you can smell the patients its clinical experience.

That is gorgeous. Definitely something to keep in mind!

 

[LizzyM]

I am considering a part-time job as an office assistant at a family health clinic. The job would require indexing patient records/documentation, assisting in answering phones, making reminder appointment calls to patients and other clerical duties. My question is, would this count as clinical experience? Would med schools look favorably on this type of job?

Thanks

Two things:

You say this is a job. If so, you will classify it as "employment, non-military" and that's it. You can elaborate on what you do as "Job title: office assistant" at "Organization Name: Bigtown Family Health Clinic" in the narrative section.


Will you be interacting face to face with patients? What you list here could be done from a call center in Bombay which is why I ask. If you will be interacting with patients face-to-face then you should mention that in the narrative. If you are in a file room in the back all day and not interacting with health professionals or patients (face-to-face) it is a less strong experience but it is a paying job 👍 and it may give you introductions to docs you can shadow 👍 and maybe the opportunity for a promotion to a patient care roll (such as medical assistant).👍

 

[SteveJMarist]

Again, on SDN there is a very common saying that if you can smell the patients its clinical experience.

👍

This is not just an SDN saying. My school's pre-health committee echoes this all the time.

This is definitely a clinical experience. Whether it's a good one or not is up for debate. I agree with the nay-sayers that this isn't a great one.

 

[mvenus929]

I don't know if most Adcoms would consider it patient experience, but whether it is or not, it will be valuable to you. You'll be able to see the daily workings of a physician's office, know the demands on his/her time, etc.

I worked as a file clerk in a physician's office for over a year. I very rarely saw patients, but did a lot with their charts and accounting stuff. I learned a lot in that job about how a private practice works, and I think it was a very valuable experience. But it wasn't clinical experience... that I got working in the hospital.

 

[Der Kaiser]

There is costumer service interaction with patients, intermittent interaction with the physicians and responsibility of having a job (I would say at least 60% of my classmates have never had a job....scary)

This is scary. Working regular jobs gives one humility and a sense of what its like for a lot of people out there. As a doctor you should be able to connect or empathize with the patients you treat. Even though it is difficult to talk about on apps, I've always felt that the regular joe jobs I've had have been the greatest learning experiences and surprisingly the most satisfying.

Working in a doctor's office exposes you to everyday practice. Perhaps you will be able to ask simple questions before the doctor sees them to speed up the appointment? Like what is their primary complaint for instance. Also, communication and interacting with people, especially when they feel vulnerable, because they are visiting the doctor, is always useful. These things are what you make of them. Unfortunately, it's not assisting in surgery and I am not sure it can be called clinical experience.

 

[halethsonofhama]

I had a very similar job. Within a month I began to train as a medical assistant with direct PT contact (History, Vitals, Injections, blood draws and the like). Take the job and be very assertive that you would like to progress to a clincal position

Even if you are stuck as an office assistant, it is still a medical environment that lets you get a good idea of the paperwork behind medicine (insurance procedures and such) which is always good information to have.

 

[darlin]

This is scary. Working regular jobs gives one humility and a sense of what its like for a lot of people out there. As a doctor you should be able to connect or empathize with the patients you treat. Even though it is difficult to talk about on apps, I've always felt that the regular joe jobs I've had have been the greatest learning experiences and surprisingly the most satisfying.

Agreed. Working in low paying sucko jobs is a sweet reminder later on, when presumably you are doing well, to be nice to people who really are stuck in a corner. As a doctor, there are going to be people coming to you at a very vulnerable time in their lives for assistance. The real, sincere humility is sometimes built best by clawing and scrapping one's own way from the bottom.

IMO😀

 

[darlin]

Then again, I am not sure how well that translates to a med school application...

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You would realize that if you read posts beyond the first sentence and weren't just trying to argue.

Your ad hominem bores me, but best of luck.

 

[MB333999]

i did this for over 5 years here are some pros and cons off the top of my head that i found.

Pro's
- you will start to build connections with physicians (got me a research opportunity)
- can lead to a solid letter of rec from a physician
- you ARE in a clinical setting, this DOES give you an idea of what a life as a physician may entail
- gave me the chance to shadow one of the physicians
- money

Cons's
- pretty freaking boring most of the time
- Opportunity cost AKA anything you will not be able to do because you took this job.

My opinion: Unless you have something obviously better lined up, i would take the job.