Volunteer Work vs. Clinical Experience?

[Richzz89]

I'm just wondering what is the difference between volunteer work and clinical experience. If you volunteer at a hospital does that qualify as clinical experience? I always thought that volunteer work in the "medical community" meant volunteering at a hospital. Can anyone please clarify?

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[Narmerguy]

You don't necessarily have to volunteer at a hospital or clinical setting. However, if you do, that is also considered clinical experience. Additional clinical experience can come in the form of working as EMT (or related fields) or maybe shadowing a doctor. If you have other jobs at a hospital, depending on the exposure, that could also be considered clinical experience.

 

[jdtx]

it's just like killing two birds with one stone if you volunteer at a hospital (especially emergency dept. for us pre-medders)

 

[PreMedHopeful]

what are some good clinical experiences BESIDES SHADOWING DOCTORS...I want to be original, unique....name a few please

 

[Handinhand]

ER-Tech. In most states all you need is an EMT-Basic or IV-Tech license to get the job, and they are easy to get, especially if you can do the IVs. ERs just LOVE hiring some pre-med kid for a few bucks an hour to handle all the **** that even wastes the nurses time(joke). Plus side? You work in the ER and if you're cool with the docs can see just about anything you want to. It also gives you an in if you want to shadow anybody else in the hospital because you've got a way around HIPPA, or at least moreso than any other premed volunteer.

 

[caniac]

what are some good clinical experiences BESIDES SHADOWING DOCTORS...I want to be original, unique....name a few please

I worked in a PICU (Peditric ICU) for a while. I really enjoyed it--spent a few hours each weekend playing with kids. It was definitely clinical (to quote LizzieM, I could definitely "smell" patients ), because I would help nurses by distracting the kids when they had to fix IV feeds or administer meds. When we'd go for walks around the ward, I had to know how to change the settings on the monitors/IVs so that they could travel too!

I was also able to shadow some by following the docs around on their rounds on the floor. I saw any and everything from brain tumors to rotavirus. I volunteered in the ER as well, but I was a bigger fan of the PICU because I was able to create a real rapport with some of the kids there--a few were there there for a good two to three months.

It's also a very uplifting experience playing with kids who have just undergone painful treatments and surgeries, yet still have a refreshingly sunny outlook on life. Always the highlight of my week. Unfortunately, my project changed to a new client and I had to start working out of town . Cut my hours down to just the ED.

If you can volunteer in a PICU (and like kids, obviously), I'd highly reccomend it--particularly if you're at all interested in pursuing a career in pediatrics.

 

[PreMedHopeful]

well right now I'm shadowing a pediatrician and while it gets boring sometimes, I think I really want to volunteer in the PICU or NICU or any ICU for that matter, because it seems so cool as the person battles for life and the doctor does everything in his power to save a life...it seems to be like thats defining medicine or what it is...so I'm interested in doing this for sure....hopefully she will let me because right now I'm in the ER...and thats alright I guess