If you had to choose one clinical experience to do that would give you the best experience and value before med school what would you choose??
What is the best option for clinical experience?
- Thread starter UTman7777
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2007
- Messages
- 2,187
- Reaction score
- 511
I wouldn't say there is any one best.
I think the main goals are to see if you like being around sick people and find out more about the role of doctors in the health care system.
I spent time in a large academic hospital, both on a ward and in the emergency department. It gave me two very different perspectives.
Make sure you have plenty of one on one time interacting with patients. Not just spending time shadowing. You need to learn how to talk to sick people and see if you like it. If not, find something else to do.
I think the main goals are to see if you like being around sick people and find out more about the role of doctors in the health care system.
I spent time in a large academic hospital, both on a ward and in the emergency department. It gave me two very different perspectives.
Make sure you have plenty of one on one time interacting with patients. Not just spending time shadowing. You need to learn how to talk to sick people and see if you like it. If not, find something else to do.
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
- Messages
- 1,856
- Reaction score
- 91
The best one is one where you're closest to actual patients and that YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY. If you find something that you feel passionate about, it'll come through in your essays and interviews.
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 0
I agree with the posters above. I think it's really important to find something that you really enjoy, it will make your experience a lot more pleasant.
To answer your question more directly though, I had no experience working/volunteering in a clinical setting and wanted to find something that would help me really understand what healthcare is all about & provide patient interaction. I chose to sign up for AmeriCorps Community HealthCorps (AmeriCorps has a lot of programs, but this one is tailored for those interested in healthcare for the most part).
Not everyone that was in my group loved it (its an 11.5 month program, crap pay/stipend, fulltime hours, etc), but I really enjoyed my experience. I learned a lot and was able to have the direct patient interaction I was looking for (1st yr: helped uninsured chronically ill patients enroll in pharmacy assistance programs for free meds & also did health ed outreach work, 2nd yr: reproductive health educator @ an inner city school based health clinic). I was able to shadow a bit as well since my placement was based out of a hospital & community clinic the first time around.
If a program like that is not your thing, there are tons of other things out there that I think can provide a valuable experience (volunteer at a community clinic, street outreach, ER volunteering/translation (if bilingual)...I've even heard of being an ER medical scribe can be good.
Just make sure you choose something that is right for you and will strengthen professional and personal skills.
Good luck!
To answer your question more directly though, I had no experience working/volunteering in a clinical setting and wanted to find something that would help me really understand what healthcare is all about & provide patient interaction. I chose to sign up for AmeriCorps Community HealthCorps (AmeriCorps has a lot of programs, but this one is tailored for those interested in healthcare for the most part).
Not everyone that was in my group loved it (its an 11.5 month program, crap pay/stipend, fulltime hours, etc), but I really enjoyed my experience. I learned a lot and was able to have the direct patient interaction I was looking for (1st yr: helped uninsured chronically ill patients enroll in pharmacy assistance programs for free meds & also did health ed outreach work, 2nd yr: reproductive health educator @ an inner city school based health clinic). I was able to shadow a bit as well since my placement was based out of a hospital & community clinic the first time around.
If a program like that is not your thing, there are tons of other things out there that I think can provide a valuable experience (volunteer at a community clinic, street outreach, ER volunteering/translation (if bilingual)...I've even heard of being an ER medical scribe can be good.
Just make sure you choose something that is right for you and will strengthen professional and personal skills.
Good luck!
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2008
- Messages
- 8,495
- Reaction score
- 4,911
Had an adcom from a school once tell me the "gold standards" for clinical experience as far as med school goes were shadowing and scribe. You can often times get a job as a scribe and kill two stones with one bird.
That being said, I agree with the previous posters, find something you enjoy that gets your hands dirty so to speak so you can make a good determination if medicine is for you. Thats the "real" goal of clinical experience.
That being said, I agree with the previous posters, find something you enjoy that gets your hands dirty so to speak so you can make a good determination if medicine is for you. Thats the "real" goal of clinical experience.
