No Hospital Experience

[Teisuto]

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Hi all! I'll be applying next cycle and am currently looking into getting more clinical experiences. I'm currently working as an MA at a private practice and I want to try something new in a different setting soon. I might have the option of hospital volunteering, but it doesn't sound super interesting to me compared to my other option, which is volunteering at a hospice home. I would rather do the hospice volunteering. That being said, would it be detrimental if my clinical experiences were limited to smaller settings and not a hospital?

 

[deleted1000960]

You'll actually have more to talk about volunteering at a hospice/private clinic than a big hospital. There's so much rep tape in a big hospital setting that it's difficult to gain meaningful experience (IMO).

 

[Teisuto]

You'll actually have more to talk about volunteering at a hospice/private clinic than a big hospital. There's so much rep tape in a big hospital setting that it's difficult to gain meaningful experience (IMO).

Thanks, that's what I think too and that's why I would prefer volunteering at the hospice. It's just that I would have no experience in a hospital setting, which I hope wouldn't be a red flag.

 

[Catalystik]

I'll be applying next cycle and am currently looking into getting more clinical experiences. I'm currently working as an MA at a private practice and I want to try something new in a different setting soon. I might have the option of hospital volunteering, but it doesn't sound super interesting to me compared to my other option, which is volunteering at a hospice home. I would rather do the hospice volunteering. That being said, would it be detrimental if my clinical experiences were limited to smaller settings and not a hospital?

Keep in mind that all in-home hospice roles will not be considered "Clinical." If you are, eg, cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, that is Not Clinical. So pay attention to the volunteer-position description.

 

[deleted1000960]

Keep in mind that all in-home hospice roles will not be considered "Clinical." If you are, eg, cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, that is Not Clinical. So pay attention to the volunteer-position description.

Man, it's another level of exploitation if you want volunteers to do household work lol.

 

[Catalystik]

Man, it's another level of exploitation if you want volunteers to do household work lol.

How is that different from sanitizing patient beds or stocking shelves in the hospital as a volunteer? If you have a service-minded mentality, you tend to want to help. And it still makes for good nonclinical volunteering.

 

[KnightDoc]

How is that different from sanitizing patient beds or stocking shelves in the hospital as a volunteer? If you have a service-minded mentality, you tend to want to help. And it still makes for good nonclinical volunteering.

This^^^^^^. And keep in mind it's a very low paying job in any event. It's unskilled labor. There are far worse ways to be exploited than helping poor folks at the very end of their lives with necessary chores while demonstrating a degree of altruism to medical schools.

It's not exactly working for free cleaning rooms in a luxury resort! Keep in mind that wealthy people pay for this type of work. Volunteering will typically mean you are in an environment where the people cannot pay. If you're thinking like this (volunteering and not receiving clinical credit = exploitation), you probably won't want to display that to adcoms.

 

[Teisuto]

Thank you all very much for your responses! I feel more at ease that I'll be able to do the hospice work and without feeling guilty of not taking the hospital volunteering. Even if it is not considered clinical I would still do it, that is not really the reason I'm pursuing it. Thank you everyone 🙂