Medically Oriented Part-time Jobs

[Hogfan10]

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I have two questions:

I have worked at a retail pharmacy for a little over two years now, first year I was just a clerk but about a year ago I got my Pharmacy Technician liscense. Will this be any benefit when applying to MedSchool? Also, I have the opportunity to become certified by taking a difficult 4 hour 120$ test that doesn't offer any pay raise. But would it be worth becoming certified in the eyes of MedSchool admissions?


What are other ideal medical part time jobs for a pre-med undergrad looking to get in good with Medschool admissions?

 

[Xiao]

The job of a pharmacy tech is very different from that of a doctor. The experience from this job will not be looked upon more favorable than other part-time jobs. That being said, holding any sort of job to pay for your own expenses will help your application -- provided of course, the job is not taking away from your grades, scores, and other extracurriculars such as research, community involvement, etc.

The certification will not help you at all. Save your money if it doesn't get you any work benefits.

 

[Hogfan10]

The job of a pharmacy tech is very different from that of a doctor. The experience from this job will not be looked upon more favorable than other part-time jobs.

Oh, I would have figured it would have been somewhat favored considering that all doctors rely heavily on pharmacy

 

[plumhill]

You'd be better off looking for a position in a hospital. Plenty of hospitals, especially those around universities, hire college-age unlicensed students as patient transporters, receptionists, cafeteria workers, etc..even as patient care assistants. If you are truly interested in going to medical school, you need to know what it's like working in a hospital or clinic setting. Yes, pharmacy is very important and goes hand-in-hand with medicine, but you need to be able to answer "why didn't you become a Pharmacist? Why medicine?"

 

[deep122]

I think it would be favorable. It's certainly healthcare oriented and is a pretty important part of its delivery. It allows you to see a side of healthcare you may not have if you were just working in a hospital. However that said, it's important that you get clinical experience in some way as well.

 

[Ironmandoc]

I think it would be favorable. It's certainly healthcare oriented and is a pretty important part of its delivery. It allows you to see a side of healthcare you may not have if you were just working in a hospital. However that said, it's important that you get clinical experience in some way as well.

Dead wrong.

Do you want to show how much you want to be a pharmacist or a physician? Like dog said, if you are pre-med shadowing a dentist is pretty pointless.

Using the experience as WORK experience like any other job will be the best way to go.

 

[california16]

I have two questions:

I have worked at a retail pharmacy for a little over two years now, first year I was just a clerk but about a year ago I got my Pharmacy Technician liscense. Will this be any benefit when applying to MedSchool? Also, I have the opportunity to become certified by taking a difficult 4 hour 120$ test that doesn't offer any pay raise. But would it be worth becoming certified in the eyes of MedSchool admissions?


What are other ideal medical part time jobs for a pre-med undergrad looking to get in good with Medschool admissions?

ED scribe. Did it, loved it, learned a tonnnnn.

 

[Cambino]

ED scribe. Did it, loved it, learned a tonnnnn.

I'm a current ED scribe.
Highly recommend it.

 

[Keepitclassy]

EMT, CNA, ED Tech, ED Scribe, Phlebotomist, Research Assistant, Lab Technician, etc. are all popular side jobs

 

[deep122]

Hmmm...I guess I'm wrong OP. I'm a scribe right now and I also recommend it.

 

[Morsetlis]

All the successful matriculants from my school seem to have been EMT's / scribes: UCSD, Hahvahd, among others.

 

[Renaissance Man]

Be a patient transporter. It was a pretty fun job IMO. You get to see all the different departments of a hospital and the grunt work will make you appreciate "making it" as a physician one day.

 

[SnowyRox]

Dead wrong.

Do you want to show how much you want to be a pharmacist or a physician? Like dog said, if you are pre-med shadowing a dentist is pretty pointless.

Using the experience as WORK experience like any other job will be the best way to go.

How often does a physician communicate with a dentist? How about with the pharmacist? The answer to these questions would show that it would be to your benefit to understand the workings of a pharmacy. Certainly no substitute for clinical experience but better than being a pizza delivery boy or a cafeteria worker in the hospital.

Definitely don't get the certification (from your description).

 

[neoevolution]

ER techs can draw blood and carry out very basic patient care depending on the hospital, with an EMT cert I've heard some will teach you the rest on the job. If your area has volunteer ambulance services, that's a great unpaid experience with patient care and EMTs can actually take patient histories and do some basic care too. An EMT can also work for paid ambulances but you'll end up doing paid stable transports pretty much all the time.

 

[eefen]

ED Scribe. You get to work with physicians, learn how they think, learn a little medicine, get exposure to some cool stuff, and potentially get some good LORs.

I also used to be a patient transporter. That was fun too, especially since there was more patient interaction. A bit mind-numbing after a while, though.....

 

[GiantFetus]

Hospital transport is a great way to get patient interaction, especially during the occasional down times in the ER. I do this on a volunteer basis at school, but I've seen job postings through other hospitals paying $13/hr for the same work essentially. It's a pretty mindless job which is sometimes a nice break from the school work.

 

[VivaLaVida]

Having been a pharmacy tech and currently a medical student, I would say that this is looked about favorably depending on your job role. I did include it in clinical experience and did so fairly because yes, I worked with patients. Every day that I was at work, I worked with patients. The pharmacists often told me what to tell the patient in terms of counseling dn I relayed said message. I was the one interacting with the patient, not the pharmacist. I also made sure that it showed my understanding of communicating between different health professions. I brought this up in medical interviews and it was well received. A prescription can go from the doctor to the nurse to the pharmacist and I cannot tell you how many times something got messed up along the way. As a physician, it will be essential to understanding the workings of some of these other facets of healthcare. I am doing a program this summer in which I follow mostly physicians, but I just spent a few hours shadowing a PT. Am I going to be a PT? No, I am a rising M2. So why have me follow the PT for a few hours? So I can understand what I am referring patients out for and understand what type of care they are receiving in this healthcare setting.

I fail to see how being pharmacy tech (in which you are directly interacting with patients, I'm assuming...not all positions are alike this) is "looked upon no more favorably than other work experience". You're not a cashier...you are a pharmacy tech! I LizzyM'd that job, thank you very much.

Not sure if it would be worth the expensive test though, OP.

edit: Want to add that although I would count this as clinical experience, I would also make sure to do more shadowing, etc. that involves MD/DO.

 

[Medicinewoman85]

Ed scribe here! Great opportunity to learn.