Strange EC - what will admissions think?

[Beandog]

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I landed a job a few days ago - a great job as far as location (right across the street from school), time (27-36 hrs week) and pay (EMT's around here make 40% less than my paycheck.) They were looking for an EMT with clinical experience and I was their guy. Here's the deal though.
It's a men's health clinic. Erectile dysfunction/premature ejaculation is the only vein of work we do. I do the job of a med assistant/nurse as far as prepping patients, paperwork, ordering meds, shots, etc. My concern is how this field looks to admissions. The product, the stuff works and blows Viagra and the like out of the water. However, it's expensive and there is somewhat of a "sales pitch", and numbers and fiscal goals are stressed. Not how I see medicine should be.

Input, wise ones?

 

[n3xa]

How do you feel about the job?

 

[Nymphicus]

It sounds like "real-world" "clinical experience" to me. Of course there are going to be unsavory aspects to medicine, but now you should be wiser about them when approached in interviews/secondaries.

You can also make the point of how, while you learned a lot during your employment, you hope to emulate certain parts of the practice and not others (with your specific examples).

 

[Beandog]

How do you feel about the job?

I'm on the fence still - used to volunteering at "needy" places, (nonprofit, volly firefighter/EMS) so doing work I consider a luxury and with a large for-profit to it, that I don't like.

But, I like the other three facets - location, pay and experience. Yes, it's real life clinical stuff and I'm able to get hands-on without sacrificing on my courses. I'm working for a certified M.D., it's just that like I said, marketing and sales are a chunk of the work we do. Kind of rubs me the wrong way. I'm interested in the overall view of this area of medicine from admissions and other M./Ds.

 

[mzblue]

Look on the bright side: you get to ask for an LOR from your boss. Unless you hate the job then i say don't do something you're unhappy with. Otherwise, it's a form of clinical experience.

 

[PJ meowerton]

I landed a job a few days ago - a great job as far as location (right across the street from school), time (27-36 hrs week) and pay (EMT's around here make 40% less than my paycheck.) They were looking for an EMT with clinical experience and I was their guy. Here's the deal though.
It's a men's health clinic. Erectile dysfunction/premature ejaculation is the only vein of work we do. I do the job of a med assistant/nurse as far as prepping patients, paperwork, ordering meds, shots, etc. My concern is how this field looks to admissions. The product, the stuff works and blows Viagra and the like out of the water. However, it's expensive and there is somewhat of a "sales pitch", and numbers and fiscal goals are stressed. Not how I see medicine should be.

Input, wise ones?

I'd just leave that part out, adcoms don't need to know that

 

[Law2Doc]

I'd just leave that part out, adcoms don't need to know that

Yeah, I f you just spin it as a job that deals with men's health issues, you will be fine. It's not like urologists and FM docs aren't writing scripts for Viagra and CIalis daily. I probably would want to know more about ED by the time you interview though. Much of the time it is Related to BP, systemic diseases and meds, not just because guys want to get their game on, so it's very fair game for n interview question if you are going to claim this kind of experience. And be careful that this isn't one of those non-FDA approved, fly by night snake oils like they advertise on late night TV or in the back of magazines (eg Extenze, etc). Those aren't evidence based and shun clinical trials because the active ingredient is usually just caffeine. getting in bed with that kind of company would hurt you bad with most adcoms. But if they have or are conducting clinical trials, then sure.

 

[isoquin]

Men's health is still health. The only mistake you can make is degrading the legitimate clinical experience in your own mind and then letting it show on your application. I do agree with whoever said you should really know the medicine behind the topic though. Being able to talk about it (without snickering) will show mature health-related experience.

 

[Beandog]

It's not like urologists and FM docs aren't writing scripts for Viagra and CIalis daily.
Yup yup.
I probably would want to know more about ED by the time you interview though. Much of the time it is Related to BP, systemic diseases and meds, not just because guys want to get their game on, so it's very fair game for n interview question if you are going to claim this kind of experience.
We see many of our patients with chronic 10-15 years or more without an erection and this stuff does help change their life. LOTS of our patients are diabetic and like you mentioned, other meds/health problems come into play for our customers.
And be careful that this isn't one of those non-FDA approved, fly by night snake oils like they advertise on late night TV or in the back of magazines (eg Extenze, etc).
Nah, it's similar to http://www.bostonmedicalgroup.com/ - there's no cream and promises for 3 inches added overnight 🙂
Those aren't evidence based and shun clinical trials because the active ingredient is usually just caffeine. getting in bed with that kind of company would hurt you bad with most adcoms. But if they have or are conducting clinical trials, then sure.

Thanks for the input.