med students working as nurse's aides?

[leorl]

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Without getting into a debate about doctors vs. nurses and professional perceptions, how is working as a nurse's aide (like as a summer job) viewed when directors look at cv's etc?

 

[surgicane]

Speaking only from personal experience this past interview season, I think anything that you list on your CV that shows PDs your interest in a particular field earns you points in the long run. For example, I worked as a patient care tech in the ED of a Level 1 trauma center throughout medical school, and put this in my CV as "an opportunity to gain exposure to trauma and emergency surgery." During my general surgery interviews, the PDs often took an interest and asked about what my experiences were like.

Regardless, I think a part-time job in the medical field during med school shows a fair amount of interest and motivation on your part, and in the end will be worth more in your CV than a summer spent flipping burgers at McDonalds.

 

[neilc]

do something you are excited about. if you want to get in the hospital and be a CNA, then by all means do it. but, i would stay away from choosing something just because it will look good. i haven't done the residency interview thing yet, but i have had lots of high-level job interviews, and that is pretty much what a residency interview will be. having something on your residency application like that you actually doesn't do much to set you apart, which is what you want. lots of med students have the obligatory "clincal exposure" before and during med school. so, do something you can get excited about, and something different than everybody else, if you can swing it..

i personally would never do the nurse aide thing, mainly because the job sucks, in my opinion. hard work, low pay, and you really don't get much medical experience. just sponge baths, making beds, emptying bedpans. i hold the people who do that in the highest esteem, especially because i just could never do it. they are stronget people than me.

i guess what i am trying to say is, do it if you want to, and you can get excited about it and communicate why it was exciting to you to your potential employer. otherwise, do something else that you can show interest in your field in and show genuine excitement. shadow a doctor, volunteer at the STD clinic, be a lifegaurd, get you EMT certificate, work at a soup kitchen, be a lifegaurd...the list is endless. i personally wait tables for money, and then do some volunteer stuff that i am interested in, like shadow surgeons. but, i also have about 8 years of EMT experience, so i don't really need the clinical exposure.

sorry for the long post, hope it helps...

 

[Mossjoh]

Being a CNA for me in an emergency room was a great experience. I feel that it would be difficult now though after being in medical school for almost a year. The CNA's are restricted to a certain role, and I feel that I would be bypassing that role if I were to work there again. I would be wanting to take more of an active role by doing parts of the physical exam and asking patients questions ect.

If you can stay in the role, great. It would be a good experience. If not, I don't suggest it.

Just my thoughts..

Mossjoh