What makes for better experience?

[calnation]

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I'm a newb first year premedical student (also new to this forum(already addicted)) working part time as a certified pharmacy technician at a chain pharmacy and i recently got offered a Lab Technician Position at a local high school. I've worked as a tech for about 6 months. The lab technician position actually pays better than my job but it involves generally boring-er stuff such as setting up labs, cleaning lab equipment, etc...

upside of the lab tech position is having less annoying impatient customers who expect instant gratification and complain no matter how hard you try to help them, downside.. helping people generally makes me feel accomplished and ill lose that with the lab tech position as well as exposure to medicine, insurance, and prescriptions)

I know medical schools are interested in lab related positions but I definitely think my job right now is exposing me to more of what ill need to know later on. It gives me an idea of what goes on at the patient end, after the prescription has been given and the patient sent off; how much the patient really knows about their conditions, how much they know about the medication, and how they feel about their doctors.

What would be a good plan to get some proper clinical experience? I was thinking of giving it another six months or so and trying to shift over to working as a hospital pharmacy tech. Working at a chain store is starting to feel too "mcdonaldsy".

also

How do people get research positions? (I'm way interested) What kinds of qualifications do you need to get something like that and where do you look?


Sorry for the long post, best of luck to everyone waiting for interviews and such

 

[neuro1617]

I would stay at the position you're at since you're being exposed to patients and medications like you said. Also med schools like to see a long-term committment to things. It just seems like there's more benefits to the job you have now in regards to usefulness for your application. But maybe after giving it 6 more months there I might move to working at a hospital pharmacy.

I'm not sure you need qualifications for every research position. Try emailing professors to get into their labs or find a summer research program to apply to.

Hope this was helpful-I can't say much more about teh research part as I'm trying to find s/t w/ that myself😎

 

[Cranial Gavage]

I'm working part time as a certified pharmacy technician at a chain pharmacy and i recently got offered a Lab Technician Position at a local high school. I've worked as a tech for about 6 months. The lab technician position actually pays better than my job but it involves generally boring-er stuff such as setting up labs, cleaning lab equipment, etc..."

It's certainly to your advantage to be pursuing these opportunites early. Both the pharmacy and lab tech positions can enhance your med school application in different ways. You can describe your pharmacy work in terms of the patient care issues, and the lab tech position could be presented to reflect an interest in education. After 6 months, you may have maxed out what retail pharmacy can teach you about healthcare, so feel free to pursue other jobs if appropriate.

What would be a good plan to get some proper clinical experience? I was thinking of giving it another six months or so and trying to shift over to working as a hospital pharmacy tech. Working at a chain store is starting to feel too "mcdonaldsy".

I'm not sure that the duties of a hospital pharm tech would be drastically different from the retail position. However, a position in a hospital could help you approach physicians to shadow. Med schools are especially interested in your understanding of the doctor's role in medicine.

How do people get research positions? (I'm way interested) What kinds of qualifications do you need to get something like that and where do you look?

It can be difficult to get a research position as an undergraduate, depending on your situation. Research labs within your institution may be the most approachable. Ask your advisor if there are any such opportunities. Extramural research fellowships are much more competitive (e.g. summer research programs).

 

[mrjbb]

I would stay at the Pharmacy...

However, once you apply there *might be some interviewers who will speculate on why you were only working at a Pharmacy and not getting any clinical experience... "Did you want to use pharma as a back up?" This is the question they *might be thinking about...

While you may see and interact with patients, realistically speaking where's the clinical experience in that? I would try to "balance" it out by minimally volunteering at a hospital or whatever... that way you can get some exposure...

Could be off though

 

[kenmc3]

...I recently got offered a Lab Technician Position at a local high school. I've worked as a tech for about 6 months. The lab technician position actually pays better than my job but it involves generally boring-er stuff such as setting up labs, cleaning lab equipment, etc... upside of the lab tech position is having less annoying impatient customers who expect instant gratification and complain no matter how hard you try to help them, downside.. helping people generally makes me feel accomplished and ill lose that with the lab tech position as well as exposure to medicine, insurance, and prescriptions)

Honestly I don’t really think that medical school would care whether you had a job as a lab technician or a pharmacy technician. Even though working in a pharmacy is healthcare related, all schools really care about is that you are out doing something with your life and not just sitting around the house surfing the net all day and playing X-Box. Trust me, you are so so so early in your career now that the healthcare experience you get working at a pharmacy is not going to help you all that much in the years to come. So my recommendation is to not worry so much like all premed students do about the details… ANY job is a good job, it shows dedication and hard work. There seems to be some myth out there that it need to be healthcare or even science related – it doesn’t! Admissions committees know that you need to make money and they know that your job is going to force you to sacrifice other opportunities, there will be plenty of room in your applications, secondaries, and interviews to talk about this.

I know medical schools are interested in lab related positions...

I think what they are referring to here is research experience. Admission committees don’t care if you work in a lab or a pharmacy as long as you are doing something. They know you have worked in labs because the science courses you need to take requires them.

What would be a good plan to get some proper clinical experience? I was thinking of giving it another six months or so and trying to shift over to working as a hospital pharmacy tech. Working at a chain store is starting to feel too "mcdonaldsy".

The definition of clinical experience that most ADCOMs use is a situation which places the applicant in a situation where they can observe the physician patient relationship and the role and life of a physician. Working as a pharmacy tech, radiology tech, EMT etc doesn’t fulfill what medical schools want. Of course that’s not to say that these positions don’t add to your application, they certainly do. However, they don’t tell the admissions committee that you know what a physician does and that’s why you want to do it. Basically they want to know that you are aware of what you are getting into and it’s not like ER or Grey’s Anatomy.

That being said, the BEST way to gain this experience is to shadow a physician. You can call up doctors’ offices ask friends of family members or other friend’s families who are physicians. Ask your pre-med mentor at you school for contacts etc. There are many ways to set it up and most physicians are eager to help. You may also try volunteering at a hospital in an area which exposes you to physicians.

Also, I disagree with Cranial Gavage, the hospital pharmacy is a poor way to meet physicians – they rarely go there.

How do people get research positions? (I'm way interested) What kinds of qualifications do you need to get something like that and where do you look?

Go to the department website of a field you are interested in, find a professor with research you are interested in and send them an e-mail. They are typically very receptive of undergraduates willing to work for free. Send out an e-mail to a few and I’m sure you will get a reply. I remember when I was looking for research, I sent out an e-mail to 3 professors, all 3 replied and I was able to choose which lab I wanted to work in. Also, most require no prior experience.

 

[calnation]

thanks for the sound advice guys i will definitely take it to heart

 

[Cranial Gavage]

Also, I disagree with Cranial Gavage, the hospital pharmacy is a poor way to meet physicians – they rarely go there.

This is true- I didn't mean that you would interact with physicians through regular duties in the hospital pharmacy. Rather, having a position within a hospital can be used to make connections and request shadowing opportunities.

For instance, I have been employed as a phlebotomist in a hospital. Even though I didn't interact with physicians though my actual work, I went through volunteer services to set up shadowing with a physician. It was easier to make the connections since I was an employee, rather than some random guy off the street.