Phlebotomy Tech

[deleted393595]

---

Members don't see this ad.

After hearing that my school offers phelebotomy tech courses, I've been considering signing up for the courses and working part-time during the school year as a phleb. My greatest concern is that I will also be putting in at least 10 hours a week into research and may hurt academics and research.

Would this be advisable?

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: Can I just take only the course for the experience, even if I don't do anything else with it?

 

[bucks2010]

After hearing that my school offers phelebotomy tech courses, I've been
considering signing up for the courses and working part-time during the school year as a phleb. My greatest concern is that I will also be putting in at least 10 hours a week into research and may hurt academics and research.

Would this be advisable?

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: Can I just take only the course for the experience, even if I don't do anything else with it?

Depends on your courseload. 18 hrs of science + phleb + research = probably not a good idea. With a lighter courseload it might be doable, though.

 

[willen101383]

I was a phleb starting my freshmen summer of college and continued through until a few months after graduation. That got me into my career in clinical lab medicine (the dude who does all the actual testing work and gives docs results) which I did for 4 years before med school. You will learn a ton about lab testing, what tests are used for what, and just get comfortable touching very very sick patients. Furthermore you will get comfortable working in a hospital environment..not just shadowing...but as an actual EMPLOYEE. You will get to see the BS politics that happen in hospitals and get used to the "ebbs and flows."

The lab is busiest from about 6am until noon. After that (as a phleb anyway) you will have HOURS of nothingness. If you are looking at afternoon PT hours as a phleb in a hospital you will NOT be very busy. You will likely have time to bring books and really get some studying done. It will generally go something like this: study for 45 minutes...phone rings "Hi we need a draw in 327 bed 2 stat." Labels print...you run upstairs draw the patient and come back down...receive the sample in the lab system and hand it to a tech in back....and go back to studying. This only really goes for hospital labs. Ive been in many labs...both doctors offices and hospital labs...and doctors office labs generally go at a steady trickle all day long and it would generally be impossible to study.

In my very experienced opinion...the lab is probably the easiest job in healthcare when it comes to "studyability."

I am an MS2 and I am working full time right now and planning on doing PT hours this fall since I dont go to class anyway...and afternoons in most clinical labs (like I said) are INSANELY slow. Let me know if you have any questions on the lab or lab careers!


EDIT: Dont waste your time taking it and then not using the skills. The phleb courses get you to the MINIMUM level you need in order to do the job (as in you still are going to miss PLENTY of patients and have to ask for help for the tough patients). Phlebotomy takes a WHILE to get proficient in. But once you are proficient you are a VERY valuable person in the hospital. Not to toot my own horn but I cannot remember the last patient I missed a draw on...but it has taken me almost a decade to get to this level. It makes you feel awesome (and think of your clinical years in med school) when all the RNs etc come to you because they know that you will get that sample no matter what it takes.

 

[gettheleadout]

Agree with Willen that you shouldn't take the courses if you don't plan on being able to work with the skills, same goes for EMT certs. Will you have more time to work during another semester?

 

[mvenus929]

I worked as a phleb in a hospital for about 2 years prior to medical school. I applied to the med tech program (the people who run the tests) as well, but after working in the lab a while, I decided it wasn't my cup of tea and reapplied to medical school.

It is a great experience. Every week, I can contribute something to the discussions of actual patients because I worked with so many. I know what tests can be run on which tubes, and which tests can (and cannot) be added on. If nothing else, I can draw blood better than just about everyone in my class (one of my classmates is spending his summer in India working in a remote clinic and he did phlebotomy the other day and said that he was just blindly sticking most of the time, because the only practice he had prior to this was on people with veins that really stuck out.

But, like the others said, I wouldn't take the classes just for the skill. The real use only comes when you actually practice day after day.

 

[halethsonofhama]

Agree with Willen that you shouldn't take the courses if you don't plan on being able to work with the skills, same goes for EMT certs. Will you have more time to work during another semester?

I got EMT certified but never got a job on an ambulance, but I wouldn't say it is a complete waste. I've had the opportunity to use the skills on multiple occasions.

Granted you can learn basic stuff in a first responder course, but at the end of it, I don't think any 'first responder' will have the confidence to step up and use their skills when the time comes.

But that is beside the point; taking a plebotomy class for the experience would be a complete waste of time. Just grab some needles and practice on your pre-med friends or your comatose grandma


I agree with Willen in that the best part about 'working' in a clinical setting is that you get to see all the BS that comes with medicine. I was an MA, but i'm sure being a phebotomist can see the same BS. Having this knowledge that medicine blows really can earn you points on the interview (no joke)

 

[willen101383]

I worked as a phleb in a hospital for about 2 years prior to medical school. I applied to the med tech program (the people who run the tests) as well, but after working in the lab a while, I decided it wasn't my cup of tea and reapplied to medical school.

It is a great experience. Every week, I can contribute something to the discussions of actual patients because I worked with so many. I know what tests can be run on which tubes, and which tests can (and cannot) be added on. If nothing else, I can draw blood better than just about everyone in my class (one of my classmates is spending his summer in India working in a remote clinic and he did phlebotomy the other day and said that he was just blindly sticking most of the time, because the only practice he had prior to this was on people with veins that really stuck out.

But, like the others said, I wouldn't take the classes just for the skill. The real use only comes when you actually practice day after day.

👍 Med tech isnt my cup o tea either...but i somehow always get sucked back into the lab.....like this (my last) summer. Decent money but oh so monotonous. However, the clinical experience you gain in the lab is second to none...and as a hospital phleb you get involved with some really good stuff from time to time. You are an employee, not a volunteer...and thus can actually really DO things in the hospital vs just observing.

 

[deleted393595]

Thanks a lot guys for your help and the great information. I'll definitely consider working part-time as a phlebotomist. If I can't do it this year, then I'll try again next year.

I was extremely interested in working as a phleb to gain clinical experience for medical school and to have something that would stand out on my application.

Willen, thanks a lot for your offer of help. When working as a phleb and later in clinical lab medicine, did you feel that your job significantly detracted from the time you spent studying, from being involved on campus, and later from the time spent on the MCAT? Also, what would be the best way to find a job in a hospital?

Gettheleadout, I don't know about the second semester. My PI won't let me work more than 10-15 hours a week since he insists that I have a comfortable transition to college but I'll be putting in at least 20-25 hours a week the second semester to make up for the first semester and since I'll be assigned my own project. At least for the first semester, I'll be volunteering at a local hospital and a local community clinic to gain experience in working with my local community in addition to shadowing physicians. I might continue with the same things for the second semester.

Halethsonofhama, I'll be sure to find some people to practice on 😉

Mvenus, I'll definitely reconsider just taking the class for the experience.

One last question: From the perspective of the med school application process, would it be more advisable to immediately start working now or see how my first year goes for me and then get into the job? I guess what I'm trying to say is that will it hurt my application if I start working later?

 

[willen101383]

Thanks a lot guys for your help and the great information. I'll definitely consider working part-time as a phlebotomist. If I can't do it this year, then I'll try again next year.

I was extremely interested in working as a phleb to gain clinical experience for medical school and to have something that would stand out on my application.

Willen, thanks a lot for your offer of help. When working as a phleb and later in clinical lab medicine, did you feel that your job significantly detracted from the time you spent studying, from being involved on campus, and later from the time spent on the MCAT? Also, what would be the best way to find a job in a hospital?

Gettheleadout, I don't know about the second semester. My PI won't let me work more than 10-15 hours a week since he insists that I have a comfortable transition to college but I'll be putting in at least 20-25 hours a week the second semester to make up for the first semester and since I'll be assigned my own project. At least for the first semester, I'll be volunteering at a local hospital and a local community clinic to gain experience in working with my local community in addition to shadowing physicians. I might continue with the same things for the second semester.

Halethsonofhama, I'll be sure to find some people to practice on 😉

Mvenus, I'll definitely reconsider just taking the class for the experience.

One last question: From the perspective of the med school application process, would it be more advisable to immediately start working now or see how my first year goes for me and then get into the job? I guess what I'm trying to say is that will it hurt my application if I start working later?

I am afraid I cant really tell you how my experiences working as a phleb impacted my mcat/studying. I was actually never a premed undergrad and discovered my love for medicine after I graduated college. In graduate school I was able to work quite a bit (like 20 hrs+) a week and I was fine getting As. I say give it a shot...but remember where your allegiance is. This is just a job...medicine is hopefully going to be you career. So if you cant hang and still get good grades jump ship or cut back to per diem or something. As far as finding a job goes: I got my first hookup because my dad worked in that hospital and was able to put me in touch with the right people. Otherwise monster/the local paper classifieds etc are effective. Just keep your mouth shut about your premed status until youre hired because nobody wants to hire someone who plans on leaving.