What counts as clinical hours, research and volunteer hours?

[deleted1160192]

I got some great feedback on my last post, so figured I would try and get some input on some basic questions. I am in contact with pre-health advisers, but their availability is limited and the knowledge base on this site is at least equal to theirs!

Question 1: What counts as clinical experience? I have literally thousands of hours working as a paid first responder in the fire service from a few years back (from 3 years ago all the way back to 9 years ago). I also have thousands of hours working as a physical therapist aide in direct contact with patients, from a few years back (7 years ago). Will these count as clinical experience. Do they have an "expiration date"?

Question 2: What counts as research experience? When I think of research, I have this notion of being in a lab making lasers or something. I am currently involved in a research position for credit at my university. It is a harm reduction program for the homeless and those with addiction issues aimed at reducing overdoses and limiting the spread of infectious disease. I spend about 8-10 hours a month in this position year-round. Will this be considered as research on applications?

Question 3: Should I seek out some sort of non-university-based volunteering position?

How many hours should I shoot for with these things?

Statement 4: I understand the physician shadowing aspect and that applicants should have a minimum of 50 hours shadowing a physician. That is in the works.

Apologies on the long-winded thread. I have a year before I apply, just gathering more information.

As always, thanks for the expertise offered here!

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[Mr.Smile12]

If you are imminently applying, I suggest using a WAMC format. Include your descriptions of activities. That way you can get our consensus opinion.

 

[LizzyM]

My definition of clinical experience requires being in close proximity (in the same room) with patients. You certainly have had a lot of that and there is no expiration date. It is also important to show full-time employment that would otherwise show up as a gap in your resume or that was concurrent with your academic work as this demand on your time would go into a holistic review of your application.

Being in a lab working with cells/microscopes/animals, etc as part of an effort to generate new knowledge is certainly the most common type of research I see on applications but if you are out there testing hypotheses about interventions aimed at harm reduction and particularly if you have (or have had) some say in the hypothesis generation, decisions about data collection instruments, data cleaning and analysis, and/or writing up the findings of the research, then you've got a reasonable experience in that regard.

Many pre-meds are motivated by the desire to "help people". Some adcoms would like to see those applicants demonstrate that they want to help people by actually helping people right now, with whatever skills they have. You've been helping people as a paid professional and your research has an aspect of helping people (particularly if you are face-to-face with the people who are using), but if you feel drawn to a community organization on or off campus that serves the very old, the very young, the very poor who are unable to help themselves, and you have the time to do so, go for it, not because it "looks good" but because you enjoy the activity and the people you are involved with need your help. (Before the pandemic, I was part of a group doing nutrition & food prep/cooking activities with kids in a housing project and it was one of the best parts of my week.)

 

[deleted1160192]

If you are imminently applying, I suggest using a WAMC format. Include your descriptions of activities. That way you can get our consensus opinion.

Definitely will do! I haven't put one together yet, just because I have another 2-3 quarters of undergrad and no MCAT yet. I don't want to bore people with hypotheticals!

 

[deleted1160192]

My definition of clinical experience requires being in close proximity (in the same room) with patients. You certainly have had a lot of that and there is no expiration date. It is also important to show full-time employment that would otherwise show up as a gap in your resume or that was concurrent with your academic work as this demand on your time would go into a holistic review of your application.

Being in a ab working with cells/microscopes/animals, etc as part of an effort to generate new knowledge is certainly the most common type of research I see on applications but if you are out there testing hypotheses about interventions aimed at harm reduction and particularly if you have (or have had) some say in the hypothesis generation, decisions about data collection instruments, data cleaning and analysis, and/or writing up the findings of the research, then you've got a reasonable experience in that regard.

Many pre-meds are motivated by the desire to "help people". Some adcoms would like to see those applicants demonstrate that they want to help people by actually helping people right now, with whatever skills they have. You've been helping people as a paid professional and your research has an aspect of helping people (particularly if you are face-to-face with the people who are using), but if you feel drawn to a community organization on or off campus that serves the very old, the very young, the very poor who are unable to help themselves, and you have the time to do so, go for it, not because it "looks good" but because you enjoy the activity and the people you are involved with need your help. (Before the pandemic, I was part of a group doing nutrition & food prep/cooking activities with kids in a housing project and it was one of the best parts of my week.)

Great! I love this position of research I am currently in. I enter data as part of the position and am in direct face to face contact with individuals gathering surveys and making connections. Definitely one of the most enjoyable parts of my undergraduate experience this far.

Thanks!