phlebotomy, life exp etc

[LAB0430]

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How long does it take to become a phlebotomist?
I'm taking two years off of school before i apply for medical school. im finishing with a 3.92 gpa, massive amounts of research hours, a mediocre volunteering, hours teaching orgo...

The thing is-- I want life experience before I apply and commit myself to medicine. I want to see people and see things that help me become more empathetic and deepen my understanding of myself and others. Would phlebotomy training be intense/ time consuming and take away from this? I just really can't bear staring at a book or being stuck in a lab anymore.

Any one with good gap year work suggestions for a single mom that needs to make a dollar, but that is still rewarding?

 

[AllBleedingStops]

needs to make a dollar

This is limiting. I know you can't help it but I question the choice to do 2 years off with stats that briefly sound like they could be competitive now. I am not sure any particular money-making job would allow you to gain empathy.

 

[21Rush12]

I have an idea based on my own experience, but it’s long — send me a PM

 

[LAB0430]

Well I'm taking two years because I will not take the MCAT until August (I will begin studying in June), and I've read you shouldn't apply late so I was going to wait until the next cycle... Also, a single mom, gave birth and started college within two months. I want to spend some time with my child... Maybe the better way to put it is -- i want to have a job that exposes me to people with different stories than mine, so that a better understanding of the world.

 

[oldman]

i did a year of phlebotomy. i had on the job training, so after a week i was off on my own. pay wasnt good, but experience was great. i had background doing anesthesia on rabbits having to place ivs on them, so that probably helped me land the job. i didnt make much as i mentioned, so not sure about that paying the bills. i had the luxury of living with my parents.

 

[oldman]

if you get an emt license or medical aide certificate, could get a job in ED.

scribe for ED would be a nice option they didnt have in my day.

 

[Select All That Apply]

@LAB0430 What type of "life experience" do you expect from working as a phleb? Going for just being a phleb tech means that you will be earning close to minimum wage as the role has been consolidated into a medical assistant certification degree and a mandatory skills requirement for nurses. Places that have the labs draw their own routine specimens often run their technicians on a timer so you don't have that much time to connect with patients. You will be the most over qualified phlebotomist and will have taken 6 steps backwards for the quarter of a step that it takes in a medical school program to be trained for drawing blood.

 

[treatem-and-streetem]

I got trained in two months, took the national licensing exam and then got a job. My advice would first be to search for a lab that will train you on the job then you can skip the class. You can PM me if you have questions I've done phlebotomy for 4 years now.

 

[LAB0430]

@Select All That Apply all valid points.
@oldman someone else has mentioned scribing to me- just looked into it. Sounds like a great idea!

 

[Medic741]

I would give anything to have time time to pack up a van and dirtbag climb around the country... Do some of the crazy stuff you’ve always wanted to... medical school will always be there to suck the life out of you.

Want a cool job? Being a paramedic was awesome. Fast flycars, sick patients and a big scope of practice. You can get a license in a year and will experience a verry different side of life.

+1 that phleb sounds like a gross waste of time

 

[oldman]

@LAB0430 What type of "life experience" do you expect from working as a phleb? Going for just being a phleb tech means that you will be earning close to minimum wage as the role has been consolidated into a medical assistant certification degree and a mandatory skills requirement for nurses. Places that have the labs draw their own routine specimens often run their technicians on a timer so you don't have that much time to connect with patients. You will be the most over qualified phlebotomist and will have taken 6 steps backwards for the quarter of a step that it takes in a medical school program to be trained for drawing blood.

I found my time doing phlebotomy for a year to be helpful. My job is to do something painful with every patient encounter. So I learned to make quick connections with patients. Since I worked in a small hospital I got to know the doctors throughout the building and also did outpatient lab draws there so got to know patients who kept coming back for frequent checks. I had the opportunity to do blood work in the pediatric Ward and nothing builds your ability to hone your bedside manner like trying to get blood out of a newborn with a parent staring you down.

The docs in the hospital knew I was applying so whenever there was something interesting they would teach me or show me interesting pathology. This was at a small community hospital so again the experience was skewed by a more of a family environment.

So I think the experience can be what you make of it. Financially it's not a great way to go. Being a paramedic isn't great financially either. These are all jobs that I think would keep you hungry for getting to your goal. I couldn't see myself doing phlebotomy forever so I wasn't lured by good pay as a disincentive for pushing into medical school.

Another job I had was working in a physical therapy department as a physical therapy Assistant. Again I trained on the job. This one I worked with patients long periods of time as they were in rehab. Amazing to see someone who wasn't ambulating to watch them walk out the door.

 

[LizzyM]

Well I'm taking two years because I will not take the MCAT until August (I will begin studying in June), and I've read you shouldn't apply late so I was going to wait until the next cycle... Also, a single mom, gave birth and started college within two months. I want to spend some time with my child... Maybe the better way to put it is -- i want to have a job that exposes me to people with different stories than mine, so that a better understanding of the world.

Bartender. Not kidding.

 

[Select All That Apply]

@oldman Where are you meeting the thread starter at? She's burned out. I imagine if I had anything like a 3.92 with ECs and being a single mom then I would also be massively burned out with a post-graduate existential crisis. Despite all that, a week of R&R though does absolute wonders. PT schools, phleb job, or paramedic school for life experience all have questionable outcomes. Especially when she has a competitive application to get into medical school where all those skills will be rehashed and relearned in a week. Empathy, self understanding, and patient understanding aren't necessarily OJT healthcare gained skills.