Gap year with any clinical experience

[nmsIA]

I am in my third gap year. During my first gap year I did research (along with volunteering as a caretaker), second year, I worked as a medical assistant and clinical research assistant (and volunteered as a caretaker, at a hospital). Now I’m in my third gap year ( 4 months into it) without doing any research/clinical experience. I am volunteering as a caretaker, at the hospital and for some other non-medical stuff but I had to take care of my grandmother and then I got sick myself and just recovered. I am going to start studying for the MCAT soon and by the time I’m done I’ll start my masters program so I’ll spend my third gap year without doing any research or gaining any clinical experience. I have and will continue shadowing a few doctors and will continue volunteering but I don’t know if it’ll look bad.

P.S (As a caretaker I help an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s with her daily activities such as giving her a bath, feeding her, changing her, giving her medications, oral hygiene, changing her positions to avoid bed sores, putting on compression socks, doing exercises with her, taking on a walk etc. I also monitor patient's stability routinely by performing vitals and documenting them appropriately for her Primary Care Doctor to review. I was told that this does count as clinical experience. I started volunteering in 2019 and was trained by family members but In 2020 I enrolled in a CNA course that I finished the but never took the state exam because of Covid and then because of my job).

@Goro

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[Goro]

I am in my third gap year. During my first gap year I did research (along with volunteering as a caretaker), second year, I worked as a medical assistant and clinical research assistant (and volunteered as a caretaker, at a hospital). Now I’m in my third gap year ( 4 months into it) without doing any research/clinical experience. I am volunteering as a caretaker, at the hospital and for some other non-medical stuff but I had to take care of my grandmother and then I got sick myself and just recovered. I am going to start studying for the MCAT soon and by the time I’m done I’ll start my masters program so I’ll spend my third gap year without doing any research or gaining any clinical experience. I have and will continue shadowing a few doctors and will continue volunteering but I don’t know if it’ll look bad.

P.S (As a caretaker I help an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s with her daily activities such as giving her a bath, feeding her, changing her, giving her medications, oral hygiene, changing her positions to avoid bed sores, putting on compression socks, doing exercises with her, taking on a walk etc. I also monitor patient's stability routinely by performing vitals and documenting them appropriately for her Primary Care Doctor to review. I was told that this does count as clinical experience. I started volunteering in 2019 and was trained by family members but In 2020 I enrolled in a CNA course that I finished the but never took the state exam because of Covid and then because of my job).

@Goro

Is there a question you wish to ask?

 

[Catalystik]

I am in my third gap year. During my first gap year I did research (along with volunteering as a caretaker), second year, I worked as a medical assistant and clinical research assistant (and volunteered as a caretaker, at a hospital). Now I’m in my third gap year ( 4 months into it) without doing any research/clinical experience. I am volunteering as a caretaker, at the hospital and for some other non-medical stuff but I had to take care of my grandmother and then I got sick myself and just recovered. I am going to start studying for the MCAT soon and by the time I’m done I’ll start my masters program so I’ll spend my third gap year without doing any research or gaining any clinical experience. I have and will continue shadowing a few doctors and will continue volunteering but I don’t know if it’ll look bad.

P.S (As a caretaker I help an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s with her daily activities such as giving her a bath, feeding her, changing her, giving her medications, oral hygiene, changing her positions to avoid bed sores, putting on compression socks, doing exercises with her, taking on a walk etc. I also monitor patient's stability routinely by performing vitals and documenting them appropriately for her Primary Care Doctor to review. I was told that this does count as clinical experience. I started volunteering in 2019 and was trained by family members but In 2020 I enrolled in a CNA course that I finished the but never took the state exam because of Covid and then because of my job).

I think the clinical Activities you'll enter on the application will look fine to most adcomms.

I agree that much of what you've described in caring for your Alzheimer's patient will "count" as active clinical experience.

 

[LizzyM]

I think the clinical Activities you'll enter on the application will look fine to most adcomms.

I agree that much of what you've described in caring for your Alzheimer's patient will "count" as active clinical experience.

Unless the person is a family member and then they aren't a "patient" but "my grandmother" (or whatever). Something that is done for a stranger who is a "patient" is one thing but not the same as caring for a a disabled family member. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger.

 

[Catalystik]

Unless the person is a family member and then they aren't a "patient" but "my grandmother" (or whatever). Something that is done for a stranger who is a "patient" is one thing but not the same as caring for a a disabled family member. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger.

If it is the case that the Alzheimer's patient you're caring for is a relative, that doesn't mean you can't list it as an experience, just that you should not label it as "Volunteering." The "Other" category would be suitable.

 

[nmsIA]

If it is the case that the Alzheimer's patient you're caring for is a relative, that doesn't mean you can't list it as an experience, just that you should not label it as "Volunteering." The "Other" category would be suitable.

Hey. The elderly woman that I volunteer to take care of is not related to me at all. I have been volunteering to take care of her since 2019. I go to her house 3 times a week and sometimes more if needed. I did take care of my grandmother as well for 3-4 months in 2021 but I wasn’t counting that towards clinical.

 

[nmsIA]

Unless the person is a family member and then they aren't a "patient" but "my grandmother" (or whatever). Something that is done for a stranger who is a "patient" is one thing but not the same as caring for a a disabled family member. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger.

Hey. The person that I volunteer to take care of is not related to me at all. I have been volunteering to take care of her since 2019. I did take care of my grandmother for 3-4 months in 2021 but I am not counting that towards my clinical experience.

 

[nmsIA]

Is there a question you wish to ask?

Hey yes. Would not Working in a clinical setting or doing research during one of my gap years look bad? With volunteering and studying I can’t work a job that has a set schedule so I babysit and dog walk. But I’m afraid that not having any clinical or research experience for a year may look bad.

Is there a question you wish to ask?

 

[LizzyM]

That is quite a remarkable volunteer position. Since you report vitals, etc to a physician, call it volunteer clinical and give yourself a pat on the back from me.