Nonclinical and Clinical Volunteering

[Adibody]

I want to determine if these activities qualify as clinical and/or nonclinical volunteering:

1. Volunteer at a senior living home: clinical or nonclinical? I would be playing bingo and talking to them, checking up on them in their rooms (make sure they're not suffering from a stroke).

2. For clinical volunteering, does working as an unpaid medical assistant count?

I don't want to go for the soup kitchen/homeless shelter thing for nonclinical, but I'll do it if I have no other option.

thanks in advance!

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[Catalystik]

I want to determine if these activities qualify as clinical and/or nonclinical volunteering:

1. Volunteer at a senior living home: clinical or nonclinical? I would be playing bingo and talking to them, checking up on them in their rooms (make sure they're not suffering from a stroke).

2. For clinical volunteering, does working as an unpaid medical assistant count?

I don't want to go for the soup kitchen/homeless shelter thing for nonclinical, but I'll do it if I have no other option.

thanks in advance!

1) Nonclinical.

2) It doesn't matter if it was paid or volunteer, it could still potentially be clinical. What was your role? Did you work with humans? Under whose direction did you perform your duties?

 

[Adibody]

Catalystik, thank you for your input! I remember you from the forums I was browsing through today.

Regarding the medical assistant position, I have not completely secured one yet. But at the rate at which I'm hearing back, I'll have one within a couple weeks.

I know the work would be clinical since I will be doing vital signs, helping with minor procedures, etc. I will be working directly under a doctor at a private clinic. However, from reading the threads on the AMCAS Work/Activities section, I see that clinical volunteering is also necessary. Since volunteering is unpaid, I was just wondering if I can work as an unpaid medical assistant for a while (covering the clinical volunteering requirement), and then work as a paid assistant. So basically, I would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

thanks again

 

[starspells]

Catalystik, thank you for your input! I remember you from the forums I was browsing through today.

Regarding the medical assistant position, I have not completely secured one yet. But at the rate at which I'm hearing back, I'll have one within a couple weeks.

I know the work would be clinical since I will be doing vital signs, helping with minor procedures, etc. I will be working directly under a doctor at a private clinic. However, from reading the threads on the AMCAS Work/Activities section, I see that clinical volunteering is also necessary. Since volunteering is unpaid, I was just wondering if I can work as an unpaid medical assistant for a while (covering the clinical volunteering requirement), and then work as a paid assistant. So basically, I would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

thanks again

Clinical volunteering isn't a requirement, clinical experience (kind of) is!

If you have the opportunity to get paid, take it.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-clinical-volunteering.1202871/#post-17797206

 

[Catalystik]

Catalystik, thank you for your input! I remember you from the forums I was browsing through today.

Regarding the medical assistant position, I have not completely secured one yet. But at the rate at which I'm hearing back, I'll have one within a couple weeks.

I know the work would be clinical since I will be doing vital signs, helping with minor procedures, etc. I will be working directly under a doctor at a private clinic. However, from reading the threads on the AMCAS Work/Activities section, I see that clinical volunteering is also necessary. Since volunteering is unpaid, I was just wondering if I can work as an unpaid medical assistant for a while (covering the clinical volunteering requirement), and then work as a paid assistant. So basically, I would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

thanks again

If you have sufficient clinical experience through employment, you do not need clinical volunteering, too, but you'd still need some type of (nonmedical) community service so your application will appeal to a broader range of schools. Hands-on service to those in need would be a better choice than fund raising or giving free services to a doc in a well-to-do neighborhood or a school with already-adequate services.

 

[LizzyM]

You do need non-clinical volunteering and rather than a senior living facility, why not make clear it is non-clinical by choosing a similar activity in a senior center. There is no question that these gathering spaces for community -dwelling elderly folks are non-clinical and yet they give you the opportunity to help with things like BINGO, art projects, and so forth.

 

[Adibody]

Clinical volunteering isn't a requirement, clinical experience (kind of) is!

If you have the opportunity to get paid, take it.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-clinical-volunteering.1202871/#post-17797206

I see. Thanks starspells!

 

[Adibody]

You do need non-clinical volunteering and rather than a senior living facility, why not make clear it is non-clinical by choosing a similar activity in a senior center. There is no question that these gathering spaces for community -dwelling elderly folks are non-clinical and yet they give you the opportunity to help with things like BINGO, art projects, and so forth.

LizzyM, I hadn't though of that. Yes, volunteering at a senior center would come across as non-clinical than the same at a senior living center. Thank you!

On a side note, do you think doing Toastmasters would count as an artistic endeavor?

 

[Adibody]

If you have sufficient clinical experience through employment, you do not need clinical volunteering, too, but you'd still need some type of (nonmedical) community service so your application will appeal to a broader range of schools. Hands-on service to those in need would be a better choice than fund raising or giving free services to a doc in a well-to-do neighborhood or a school with already-adequate services.

Got it. Thanks again, Catalystik. Your advice was (as usual) very valuable.

 

[LizzyM]

do you think doing Toastmasters would count as an artistic endeavor?

I'd go more with "hobby or advocation" or maybe there is a section for club membership.... I don't remember.