what is the meaning of patient contact

[chucky85]

what is the meaning of patient contact? I was told by the premed advisor at my school, you can have clinical experience but you also need patient contact experiences. What is patient contact?

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[trichomoniasis]

my guess would be some sort of experience where you come into contact with patients. Look up "contact" in the dictionary for further clarification.

 

[Johnny_one_eye]

I would assume by clinical experience s/he means shadowing a doc and learning about the profession. Patient contact meaning actually working with patients, whether as a volunteer or a job or something. Like Lizzy likes to say, if you're close enough to smell them, put it down

 

[Oceaner]

would standing in front of the hospital door and moles... err touchy-greet people coming in count as patient contact?

 

[Law2Doc]

Like Lizzy likes to say, if you're close enough to smell them, put it down

Along the same lines, a former adcom member I know used to say that good patient contact is one in which you have a substantial chance of getting thrown up on.

Basically the goal is for you to deal with patients, and get to see the doctor patient interaction. Because that is the basis of medical practice in this largely service industry. The goal is to see if that's something you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life, and if so, maybe get some good experiences to put in your PS.

 

[ana]

This post was just too precious to pass up.

This is patient contact: there is a patient in the room. You say hello and shake their hand. There, you just made contact.

Seriously, what the person trying to give you advice wants you do to is to work with patients directly so that you know whether you will like doing it or not. Patients are human beings (I know... so obvious...); they can be happy, sad, cranky, angry, stinky/smelly, rude, polite, gracious, ungrateful, bright, dangerous, cooperative, etc ... all depending on the circumstances.

ADCOMs just want to know that you won't be freaked out the day you are asked to perform a guiac on a homeless guy who hasn't showered in 6 months.

Good luck.

 

[chickenlittle84]

what about doing home visits (not shadowing, by my self) with cancer patients that involve taking weight, medical history, etc? Is that not "clinical" because it wasn't in a hospital? But it should count because I was in a caregiver role....no?

 

[ana]

what about doing home visits (not shadowing, by my self) with cancer patients that involve taking weight, medical history, etc? Is that not "clinical" because it wasn't in a hospital? But it should count because I was in a caregiver role....no?

Well, I haven't done medical school interviews and admissions in a while... but seeing as how you actually spoke to, helped, and layed hands on a real human being who was a patient, that sounds like patient contact.

 

[TomWestmanRules]

What is patient contact?

The definition of this is quite literal. Med schools admissions departments at Top 25 Schools want to see that you successfully hooked up with at least 3 patients. Bring video cameras for proof.