Paid clinical activity vs clinical volunteering

[Ghayward20]

I have been a scribe in an outpatient spine center for almost 5 whole months soon and should be at 250 hours soon. I plan on staying until atleast the very latest the beginning of April and my plans after that point, my plans are up in the air. While I love the provider I work with, I was also wondering about my lack of clinical volunteering. Is it okay to substitute clinical volunteering with scribing in terms of clinical experience or it is better to have both. If clinically volunteering will make a difference in my app, I will absolutely seek out an opportunity I will enjoy. If not, I was thinking of maybe scribing in a different department and getting to experience a different field of medicine and still working within the same hospital. The provider I currently work with should be able to write me a great letter also but I don’t think that matters too much

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[DNAJB6]

I have been a scribe in an outpatient spine center for almost 5 whole months soon and should be at 250 hours soon. I plan on staying until atleast the very latest the beginning of April and my plans after that point, my plans are up in the air. While I love the provider I work with, I was also wondering about my lack of clinical volunteering. Is it okay to substitute clinical volunteering with scribing in terms of clinical experience or it is better to have both. If clinically volunteering will make a difference in my app, I will absolutely seek out an opportunity I will enjoy. If not, I was thinking of maybe scribing in a different department and getting to experience a different field of medicine and still working within the same hospital. The provider I currently work with should be able to write me a great letter also but I don’t think that matters too much

250 hrs of scribing looks scant IMHO. Some schools go by total clinical exposure. Others would still want some clinical volunteering too.

 

[Ghayward20]

250 hrs of scribing looks scant IMHO. Some schools go by total clinical exposure. Others would still want some clinical volunteering too.

How many scribing hours should I aim for? If I should aim for a much higher amount I think I might vary the clinics I work in and start working in an oncology clinic

 

[DNAJB6]

How many scribing hours should I aim for? If I should aim for a much higher amount I think I might vary the clinics I work in and start working in an oncology clinic

I'd aim for at least 500-600. Does that 250 count all of your training? At 250, you've just started becoming proficient at efficiently cranking out SOAP notes.

 

[Ghayward20]

I'd aim for at least 500-600. Does that 250 count all of your training? At 250, you've just started becoming proficient at efficiently cranking out SOAP notes.

Ohh okay I always thought the bar was 350-400 anything over that is diminished return but good to know. Thanks!

 

[LizzyM]

When it comes to employment, keep working until you don't need the work. Clinical exposure can come from working or volunteering. If someone is willing to pay you for the work you do, that is a plus because it shows that your work is valued.

You do need to show your willingness to help others who cannot help themselves due to age, disability, poverty, illiteracy, or similar issues. That service can be clinical or non-clinical. Sometimes adcom members like to see non-clinical service precisely because it doesn't count as clinical and isn't double counted. Tutoring kids whose parents are too poor to afford to pay a tutor, helping adults with ESL or GED, friendly visitor to the elderly, Special Olympics coaching, mentor through a program that serves at-risk youth, soup kitchen/food pantry, homeless shelter, working through an agency that does outreach to people living in the streets, etc.