Jobs in the medical field (clinically oriented)

[Unis]

Hopefully this is the best place to post this question (if not please advise me!). I am hoping to apply to medical school this year. I have a Masters in Science and I used to work in a research lab. I want to look for jobs in the medical field that are more clinically geared/oriented as opposed to research oriented. I really want and need that clinical exposure but I really don't know what kind of jobs are out there for me. I've looked for jobs online and so many of them are research or things like clinical coordinators for those with associate degrees or specialized licenses.

Can someone here help me/inform me about jobs in the medical field that are clinically oriented that can use me, someone with a B.S./M.S., and is looking for a clinical environment. (Please!!!)

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[bydotte]

What I (and many others) did: FORGET your BS/MS, go to community college and get your 11 credit EMT certification, then get a part time job driving ambulances one day a week. Or, you could probably just take a CPR class and get a job at a nursing home changing sheets. Nothing glamorous, but if your school cares about clinical experience this is what they want to see.

 

[DeadCactus]

Phlebotomy, CNA, EKG, EMT-B, and shadowing are the most common sources of clinical experience.

In terms of actually working in the field:
EMT-B has the most variable return and is the most flexible. Phlebotomy is more predictable.reliable in terms of what to expect when you finish.

With your degree, you can probably find a job in one of the diagnostic labs in a hospital.

If you just want clinical exposure for the app, you might want to just shadow. I think people over emphasize the clinical experience angle. You just need enough to be able to demonstrate that you know what you're getting into and you know why you want to do it...

 

[clinicallabguy]

You are probably eligible to work as a Medical Technologist, if you fullfill these requirements:

16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology)

16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry),

one semester (one quarter) of mathematics

I'm sure you fulfill these with no problem.

It's a better paying job than those previously mentioned (usually around 19 or 20/hr), but there isn't as much patient contact unless you work at a smaller facility where you perform phlebotomy as well as doing the analytical work on the blood specimens.

Clinical laboratories will prefer certified MTs, but there is a shortage in laboratory workers so it's worth a try. I know several people with biology or chemistry degrees that work as MTs.

Just look for job postings that say something like "technologist trainee" or "medical technologist in training."

 

[mvenus929]

You are probably eligible to work as a Medical Technologist, if you fullfill these requirements:

16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology)

16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry),

one semester (one quarter) of mathematics

I'm sure you fulfill these with no problem.

It's a better paying job than those previously mentioned (usually around 19 or 20/hr), but there isn't as much patient contact unless you work at a smaller facility where you perform phlebotomy as well as doing the analytical work on the blood specimens.

Clinical laboratories will prefer certified MTs, but there is a shortage in laboratory workers so it's worth a try. I know several people with biology or chemistry degrees that work as MTs.

Just look for job postings that say something like "technologist trainee" or "medical technologist in training."

Most of these require an internship to get the job. Our hospital offers the internship, if you're willing to work without pay for a full year.

But yeah... very little patient contact in that job.

 

[pietachok]

Clinical Research Coordinator/Assistant
It does not require a degree specific to the job and attracts many pre-meds. You can learn what you need to on the job as long has you have some medical common sense.

You will have trouble finding this position, however, if you are going to be available for less than a full year.

 

[clinicallabguy]

Most of these require an internship to get the job. Our hospital offers the internship, if you're willing to work without pay for a full year.

But yeah... very little patient contact in that job.

I haven't heard of any trainee technologist positions that require an internship. The internship is usually part of the 4th year of an undergrads education who is majoring in medical technology. And, you're right that it's not paid.

But, if you didn't major in medical technology and did bio or chem instead, you don't need the internship. You can be hired as a technologist trainee, but the catch is you need 5 years of experience before you can sit for the registry examination to become certified. And will therefore make less money than certified MTs.

Check out route 4 under MT on the American Society for Clinical Pathology's website:

http://www.ascp.org/FunctionalNavig...etCertified/TechnologistCertification.aspx#mt

Here is an example of one of the positions I am talking about:

https://www2.ultirecruit.com/ARU1000/jobboard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*7058A8D697832B32

Anyway, this is a lot of potentially irrelevant information.