Little help from some med students?

[jinsoojoo]

Hello, and thanks in advance for your reply.
I am a premed trying to make plans for this summer.
It would be ideal for me to get a job as a patient care tech, EMT, or nurses assistant during my time off from school. It would be a great way to get real clinical exposure, as well as save money for school. Is there anyone that is reading this and has done just that? Any tips on achieving this goal?
Thanks.
JJJ

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[HomerJ]

I think landing a hospital job is a great way to experience what working with patients is like and what kind of environment health professionals work in. Also, this would be great for your med school applications and interviewers love to hear about those experiences. I worked as in orderly in surgery and I loved it. I worked there full-time my first two years of college and worked part-time my last two. I am starting med school this Fall. During my interviews, my clinical experience always came up. It was definitely a plus. However, it can be difficult getting a job at a hospital. To get my job, I did volunteer work at that hospital and it gave me an advantage in landing a job, not to mention it looks good on your med application. If you can do both. Good luck!!!!

 

[Mango]

Technical Difficulties...

See next post...

[This message has been edited by Mango (edited March 30, 2001).]

 

[Mango]

Yup. I was a PCT for 16 months before med school. And you're right, it's a GREAT way to learn about clinical medicine, and it will help you see the real behind-the-scenes, non-glamorous side of health care. I think this is something everybody should see before choosing medicine as a career.

Anyhow, I just applied at a large urban hospital in my hometown. It was easier for me being from a large city with many hospitals to choose from. Also, most will "require" previous patient care experience, but I had none, and was still hired. I think they can usually tell that you will be a quick learner, and therefore up to the job. Due to the increasing nursing shortage, you may have an even easier time landing a PCT job. And incidentally, if given the choice, you should probably chose to work on a med/surg floor. This will give the most exposure to different types of patients, and ranges of diseases. I had a friend who was a PCT on a cardiac floor, and what he learned from the experience was limited by the homogeneity of the patient population.

Good Luck, and feel free to ask other questions.
Mango MS-1

 

[GreatPumpkin]

I was an ER clerk during undergrad. Great job for being right in the middle of it all.

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Rob
4th year med student at MCV/VCU in Virginia. Matched to Pathology at MCV.

 

[jinsoojoo]

Thanks for your great reply Mango. Could you elaborate on your suggestion to get a job on the surg/med floor? Your message gives me an incentive to go out soon and look for a job.
Thanks again.
jinsoojoo

 

[Mango]

I'm glad you're so interested. I've included a link to a discussion we had way back when (about a year ago). I described my job more in depth on that thread. As to the med/surg thing, I feel that I saw a wide variety of patient types, ages, diagnoses, etc. We saw a LOT of diabetics, and renal patients since the inpatient dialysis clinic was on my floor. In addition we saw post-op patients, all sorts of infections, CHF, HIV, pneumonia, dementia, EtOH/drug addicts, plus we had a ventilator step-down unit which only specially trained nurses and techs could work in. But I was trained to work there after about 10 months. Once they considered you to be "Vent Competent" you could work in the vent unit.

Anyhow, med/surg is great for learning to care for many types of patients. If you work a different patient population, you will still learn volumes about hospital care, working with nurses, and the day-to-day life in a hospital. I guess the point is, take whatever job they offer you, as long as direct hands-on patient care is involved. It will be the hardest job you've ever had, but also the most valuable!

Good Luck, and here's the link:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/bbs/Forum1/HTML/000488.html