Working as a Medication Assistant in an Assisted living home count as clinical experience??

[Sansa@Stark]

I was curious if this position would count as clinical experience and if not would adcoms look favorable on it. Medication Assistant job at an assisted living home entails
"administer or assist residents to self-administer medications and treatments, measure vital signs and weight, and perform other health services tasks. This position also communicates with physicians, implements physician orders, and reports and documents pertinent information."

Thank You

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[ridethecliche]

I don't see why not.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Yes

 

[silleme]

As the resident go-to person on this matter, Lizzy M, has said many times "If you are close enough to smell the patients, it's patient contact." Of course I was paraphrasing, but it sounds like it'd qualify 100%

 

[Nasrudin]

At the risk of stepping of sdn royal toes, I wonder how many adult diapers The Ms Lizzy has actually soiled her hands with. Being a medical assistant at a old person home is clinical experience to be sure. It also sounds exquisitely boring and God awful.

The vast majority of those that do it, must. Unless you imagine that Jamaican lady in her 60's would pay her pills by no other means than hoisting your helpless, waiting to die, relative that you've uncomfortably discharged to the company of strangers, in and out of a chair and bed all day long to be desoiled, fed, and bathed.

People who don't do this sort of thing for work, or those who do it to say they smelled old people ****ting themselves and therefore are ready to push onward on their Pilgrim's Progress, can talk about it as romance. I, having done it and worse things, say skip that **** posthaste. Their are more intelligent ways than that to satisfy the Lizzy M's of the world.

 

[silleme]

@Nas, I wasn't saying that position would be the ultimate for your application; all I was doing was answering whether it was patient contact. Will med schools look favorably on it - sure, why not. I think the ultimate thing people have to understand is that you need to find something that you can find fulfillment in. Get an angle into what makes this volunteering interesting for you, and go from there.

Personally, I think if you have a long history of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or an animal shelter it shows more about your compassion for others than checking the box for med school volunteering in a hospital or assisted living environment.

Bottom line - Find something that you can grow to care about, or something that genuinely interests you, and go from there. I know it seems trite, but there are plenty of opportunities out there that don't involve doing something you truly dislike, and that will make it easier to have that long-term commitment most ADCOMs anecdotally seem to enjoy.

 

[Nasrudin]

@Nas, I wasn't saying that position would be the ultimate for your application; all I was doing was answering whether it was patient contact. Will med schools look favorably on it - sure, why not. I think the ultimate thing people have to understand is that you need to find something that you can find fulfillment in. Get an angle into what makes this volunteering interesting for you, and go from there.

Personally, I think if you have a long history of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or an animal shelter it shows more about your compassion for others than checking the box for med school volunteering in a hospital or assisted living environment.

Bottom line - Find something that you can grow to care about, or something that genuinely interests you, and go from there. I know it seems trite, but there are plenty of opportunities out there that don't involve doing something you truly dislike, and that will make it easier to have that long-term commitment most ADCOMs anecdotally seem to enjoy.

We're in the same camp. I'm just attacking this particular windmill that makes premeds into Pure hearted Paladins. With prosecutorial intent on every single one of their motives.

Because some geniuses are out there, as you imply, doing a bunch of cool **** that they love doing and wowing adcom's as they decide to enter medicine.

Take the job for 6 months at the nursing home. You'll get something out of it.

I just wish there was more honesty and less Puritan influence on the selection process.

 

[Goro]

It does for me!

I was curious if this position would count as clinical experience and if not would adcoms look favorable on it. Medication Assistant job at an assisted living home entails
"administer or assist residents to self-administer medications and treatments, measure vital signs and weight, and perform other health services tasks. This position also communicates with physicians, implements physician orders, and reports and documents pertinent information."

Thank You.

 

[Sansa@Stark]

Thanks everyone for the input!!! I just recently moved to a new metro on the opposite coast that I grew up on and I'm just starting my premed journey as a semi non trad. I took this job partly because I'm in need of job right now, two because I hoped that it would provide provide a rewarding experience, also allows me to take classes in the morning and am hopefull that this is considered clinical experience.

 

[MinnesotaMrs]

I worked as a CNA, still do as I'm going through RN school/pre-med and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I went in thinking it'd just be another check off the list but it ended up being so much more. It might not be so much intellectual knowledge (though if you're passing meds you will get that part) but the experience will make you want to be a great provider. You'll see how much these people rely on you and their providers and how the simplest thing means the world to them.

 

[Nasrudin]

I'm going to put this thought carefully because it'd be easy to come off as a dick. Does it count as clinical experience, yes...straight form Goro, end of that discussion. Do you need clinical experience...yes, common knowledge. How much? Unclear. What type? Unclear. And so on.

A nebulous box to be checked.

I once had strong opinions about how doing the dirty, horse tending work, provided the sensibility and yes even the soul with right perspective to be a more effective team player in health care. I still think that. But it's not a strong opinion that I try to peddle any more. For very simple reasons. People don't share this notion to any large extent. Like a lot of counter arguments to power they're born of being on the underside of it. Ask yourself what are the chances you selectors have been a CNA.

Sure, there's some conciliatory approval of this sort of thing. But it's not attractive. People are instinctively drawn to power, not meekness. A division one athlete. A firefighter. A combat medic. Someone who worked for the UN designing health care delivery systems. A technological wizard who can explain not just that your EMR sucks, but why and how. A professional jazz musician. A researcher who has put together amazing projects, has funding, and published work.

Now. Look at this kid who knows how to get her hands dirty. Great.

If you make that argument. Just understand its context. You have to play the hand your dealt to some extent. You do the best you can. I'm just saying be aware of the other players. And more importantly what the result is in the minds of your evaluators.

 

[Doug Underhill]

I agree to some extent, but being a professional jazz musician doesn't count as clinical experience. Maybe she is a powerful person: she could be a 4.0/40 incredibadass Fullbright Scholar with multiple publications in Nature, Science and Cell. She's just doing the medication assistant thing for clinical experience.

 

[Sansa@Stark]

Thank you, I see your perspective now. I see how those things would be looked at in a more favorable fashion. Fyiy I actually was an all American athlete and captain of my team in college ( not d1) and only graduated school about an 3.55ish (hopefully after doing a diy post bacc it will be much higher). I also just moved to the other side of the country with no real support network and no friends 🙁 very recently. So kinda of desperate for for a job now, so taking the med assistant job seemed like a good opportunity to gain clinical experience because I have none and make a little money.

 

[Nasrudin]

Thank you, I see your perspective now. I see how those things would be looked at in a more favorable fashion. Fyiy I actually was an all American athlete and captain of my team in college ( not d1) and only graduated school about an 3.55ish (hopefully after doing a diy post bacc it will be much higher). I also just moved to the other side of the country with no real support network and no friends 🙁 very recently. So kinda of desperate for for a job now, so taking the med assistant job seemed like a good opportunity to gain clinical experience because I have none and make a little money.

Perfect. Go for it. Most people from a CNA background lack the other power suits. You're an exception. And I forget how bad the economy is for college grads sometimes. My last job was union and I've been training for the last 5 years after that. By any means necessary rise and take your seat in a medical school class.

My only point being that some means are better than others. And clinical experience can be easily overemphasized. I used to think it was a real big deal. Now I don't. I don't think it indicates anything about what sort of physician you'll be. All of which is contained in your work ethic, interpersonal skills, and degree of amiability to teamwork. That's a pretty blank canvas. That can be filled with any mode of expression for positive results.

The more powerful and unique and interesting the better. Not just because it'll get you into medical school but because you only get one shot at life. At least...as far as I know. I haven't met anyone that I met in a previous one so as to convince me there was another one.