5 Ways Pre-Meds can Gain Clinical Experience for Medical School
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Clinical healthcare experience is one aspect of your school of medicine application that may show an admissions committee that you just are committed to the current field.
But what counts as healthcare experience how are you able to get it?
What qualifies as clinical healthcare experience?
A good rule of thumb is that if you’re close enough to smell the patient, that counts as clinical healthcare experience. Getting experience working in healthcare shows grad school admissions committees that you simply are committed to the field and it gives you an opportunity to determine if this is right for you.
Here are 5 entry-level jobs that premeds can do to get clinical healthcare experience
Medical Scribe
Being a medical scribe could be a popular job for premed college students. Some hospitals hire scribes while others undergo a scribing agency. Medical scribes follow the physician around and take notes about the patient encounters.
As a medical scribe, you get to figure closely with physicians. It’s like shadowing but you get paid!
Medical scribes also get very aware of medical terminology, something that might provide you with a bonus in graduate school.
Nursing Assistant
Working as a nursing assistant was my first clinical healthcare experience. I took an accelerating CNA class for 4 weeks and obtained my license.
I first worked in a very rehab unit of an assisted living facility then worked as a patient care technician during a step-down care unit of a hospital.
Working as a nursing assistant is more hands-on than being a medical scribe, and you’re ready to provide care to patients/residents. Also while developing a good bedside manner!
If you have got your CNA license, rummage around for jobs that need the license as they will be listed as a distinct title aside from “nursing assistant.”
Phlebotomist
I currently work as a phlebotomist in my gap year! Some hospitals/clinics require certification to figure as a phlebotomist, but the clinic I work on failed to and that they taught me on the duty the way to draw blood.
I love working as a phlebotomist. I study different lab tests and what they might tell the doctor about the patient.
Venipuncture is additionally an invasive procedure that I buy to perform 30-50 times a day!
As a phlebotomist, you furthermore might interact with patients through what is a daunting experience for them. I’ve got many patients who are children or have had negative experiences with blood draws within the past.
Talking them through the procedure and distracting them through causerie, helps the patient remain as calm as possible and allows me to try to do my job!
Anesthesia Technician
Some hospitals hire anesthesia technicians who don’t have a certification or associate’s degree.
An anesthesia technician sets up and takes down equipment used for anesthesia during surgery. The anesthesia technician also can act as an assistant to the anesthesiologist by bringing them supplies during the surgery.
This is a good option for those inquisitive about becoming an anesthesiologist or working within the OR! be careful with the FTE for the work, it’s going to be full time (1.0 FTE) which could not be the most effective option for a full-time student.
EMT
An EMT, or emergency medical technician, works on an ambulance or within the hospital room.
EMT certification is analogous to CNA certification, but you learn the way to stay patients alive in emergency situations! due to this, working as an EMT might be very stressful occasionally. But if you’re curious about medical specialty, this can be the right job for you!
Working within the healthcare field as a premed is very important for your grad school application and not something to overlook.
Getting comfortable working with patients timely in your career in healthcare is vital furthermore. It may be scary and intimidating in a very patient-care role and one amongst these jobs could be a great way to work out if this can be right for you!
A version of this text was originally published on Medicine and Moscato
