Research, Medical Receptionist, Phlebotomist, or....?

[Sophie]

I will be finished with school at the end of July, take the MCAT in August, and then be out in the working world shortly thereafter. I'm not applying to med school until next June, so I'll have 2 years off in which to work. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what part of the working world I want to be in, however, and would greatly appreciate help, comments, ideas, etc.

I wanted to join AmeriCorps or get a job overseas, but I'm in a lot of debt from school and need to earn at least $20k/year, so that's out. The other options I've thought of so far are:

Idea 1) Research. It tends to pay decently, but there are a couple problems with this plan. a) I hate lab work, so I'd want to do clinical research, which is fairly hard to find jobs in. The clinical jobs that are available are usually in psychiatry, which I already have 1.5 years experience in, and I KNOW I don't want to be a psychiatrist. My career counselor said I should probably stay away from these types of research jobs as they'll only lead admissions committees to wonder why the lack of interest in being a psychiatrist when I have so much research experience in it. b) I already have 2 years of research experience and should have 3 publications by the time I apply, so I'm worried that med schools will wonder why I'm not going for an MD/PhD if I have 4 years of research experience and several publications. c) I would love to have an easy job where I just work 9-5 and don't take any of it home with me at night.

Idea 2) Medical Receptionist. I've got 1.5 years of office experience, so I'd probably be able to get a job easily. The pay's not horrible if I go through a staffing company, and I'd get to be in a medical setting. I'm worried it will be looked down on by adcoms, though. Plus, even if it's not actively looked down on, it probably wouldn't help my application any, and would be time spent that could've been used for something that would've helped.

Idea 3) Phlebotomist. It'd be a good skill to acquire, and I'd again get to be in a medical setting. The pay's about the same as for a receptionist, or a little less. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a job market for it, so even if I took the course I don't know if I'd be able to find a job.

Which sounds like the best option? Any other ideas? Please help!

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[Syranope2]

i was in the same boat last year. i talked to a member of an adcom because i was considering phlebotomy, and he basically told me that it was a waste of time. to me, it sounds like you have a lot of research experience, so you should try to beef up the clinical side, either through research or by working in a hospital or doctor's office. the med receptionist probably wouldn't be too bad an idea. try going around to various hospital hr departments, show them your cv, and ask if they have anything interesting you could do. i got a job as an operating room assistant that way, a very cool job.

 

[DemonDeacon]

I was told my an adcom rep at UNC that if you need to work and make money, by all means do it. Plebotomy would be boring, Idea 2 sounds a lot better.

Also, don't forget EMT. You can take an EMT course over the summer and then if you want to work more hours, you can be a paid EMT tech. But this may be something you'll have to look into within your Cali hometown.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

Without a doubt, my advice would be to get clinical experience.

EMT would be fun, as would OR Tech. Your idea about phlebotomy would be an excellent choice, as well. All of these are excellent choices. The idea is, you get to deal with people in a medical environment as well as gain a few useful skills.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

I would say that you should look a little more into a clinical research position. You would by no means have to stay within the field of psych, and you may get a chance to learn phlebotomy along the way. I don't think you need to worry too much about getting pidgeonholed by doing to much research. I did a number of years of research before applying for straight-MD programs, and I don't think I ever had anyone ask why I didn't go for MSTP. It just gave me more to talk about in interviews. I think you might get bored working as a medical receptionist, but that's just me. I recommend that you pick a city or two that you are interested in working in and check the employment webpage of hospitals within that city. Alternatively, check job listings in the local paper, or try e-mailing researchers. Find a few people doing clinical research that interests you, then e-mail them with a resume asking if they or someone they know might have a position for you. I got a few interviews that way, but ultimately ended up going with a really great clinical research job that I found on a job posting website for the hospital. PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[CrazyPremed]

I'm in a situation similar to yours, and I can completely understand where you are coming from. I have been a phlebotomist for about 3 years, and - actually - I think it's a great idea. I worked at the hospital affiliated with the state medical school and made some great contacts at work. Secondly, I was able to learn a great deal about the hospital environment (hierarchy, different departments, etc.) and was involved in procedures that made many volunteers jealous. I learned a skill that is going to make scut that much easier, and I also picked up info about diagnosing disease based upon lab results (H & H levels in anemia, HIV viral load norms, what composes critical K+'s, etc.) The job also kept me fueled about going to medical school while my classes challenged my confidence. I think that it is a great idea.
I am speaking from the standpoint of someone who doesn't have too much research experience (some nutrition and exercise physiology clinical stuff - not too much bench work), so be certain to take what I say with a grain of salt. As far as pay goes, you can expect $18000-23000 a year if you work full time, depending on where you live. If you have any more questions about phlebotomy, feel free to contact me. Good luck with your decision.