Questions about clinical experience

[coasterfan12]

Hi, I am applying this upcoming cycle and had a couple of questions regarding clinical experience.

First, I volunteered last semester at a COVID testing site at my school. My role was to be a swab coach and instruct the students that came in what to do. Would this be considered clinical experience?

Also, at the time of the application cycle, I would have around 180 hours volunteering in a private practice clinic and 90 hours at a hospital. I did find the private practice volunteering to be valuable as I had tons of patient contact, but I’m concerned how this would look compared to other people that have hundreds if not thousands of hours. Would this be considered competitive for med school?

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

You're fine, this is all good clinical work. Sounds like you've got at least 300h which is double the minimum recommended.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Hi, I am applying this upcoming cycle and had a couple of questions regarding clinical experience.

First, I volunteered last semester at a COVID testing site at my school. My role was to be a swab coach and instruct the students that came in what to do. Would this be considered clinical experience?

Also, at the time of the application cycle, I would have around 180 hours volunteering in a private practice clinic and 90 hours at a hospital. I did find the private practice volunteering to be valuable as I had tons of patient contact, but I’m concerned how this would look compared to other people that have hundreds if not thousands of hours. Would this be considered competitive for med school?

There is always going to be someone with 100x more hours in something than you. It's not a numbers game, you may have had a more meaningful experience / growth opportunity in 5 hours somewhere than they did 5,000 hours somewhere. (They likely have some weakness somewhere else on their app). You can't compare yourself to others, just focus on making as good of an app for YOUR story and why YOU want to be a doctor.

I would wait for an expert's response on whether to list the teaching of the swabbing as "clinical" but depending on the details of your other activities it may be more beneficial to list it under another box.

 

[LizzyM]

The people getting covid tests were students, not patients. I would not call it clinical. Your other experiences, that you mention being in contact with patients, are clinical experiences.

Call the covid thing non-clinical volunteering or other. This will avoid pissing off the adcoms who don't think it is clinical and give you a bit of a boost by those who think that it is and that you are being too modest.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Agree with @LizzyM , the way you describe the swabbing, it is more perr health education that is not clinical.

Don't worry about comparing your hours with others. Talk about what you have learned.