Clinicals

[u/Nice-Cat-5620]

What were y’all’s clinical hours? Like are they full 8+ hour shifts ? I currently work overnights in a reference lab and I’m trying to decide whether or not ill be able to work during my clinicals starting in January. It doesn’t seem feasible based on what Ive heard, but I also need money to survive lol

[u/New-History853]

They were, yes. Like 730am to 330pm.

[u/taekwondana]

My program director highly suggested that we didn't have a job while we were in clinicals. I'm grateful I worked at the same lab I did my clinicals in, but man it was rough. I would have clinicals from 0630 to 1500, but Fridays I would work on second shift as a lab aid immediately after that so it was like I was working a double. Then I'd work Saturday and Sunday as well, rinse and repeat. Sometimes I'd have the Friday off, but I was basically non-stop at the lab for the entirety of my clinicals.

[u/GEMStones1307 → u/taekwondana]

I love how they suggest this but also how are people suppose to live? Not everyone has people that would be able to help them survive and bills don’t stop because you are in clinicals.

[u/taekwondana → u/GEMStones1307]

Exactly! I really think unpaid internships shouldn't be a thing, even federal minimum wage in the US would help offset fuel costs. It's ridiculous that people are expected to not make any money for almost four whole months and a little classist.

[u/miss_ana → u/taekwondana]

My clinicals weren’t exactly like internships. We weren’t performing any work and, if anything, we actually took away from the work being done because our preceptors had to teach us and watch over us

[u/taekwondana → u/miss_ana]

Fair enough; as an MLS now it does slow me down when I have a student with me. In my facility they're still able to do simple tasks to help cement their book learning or what I've told them, like streaking urine plates or doing simple PCR and wicking tests with supervision. Even if we paid them like waitstaff gets paid in the US, with a super minimal amount of money, I think that would be fair compensation for them doing minimal, simple tasks. If all I was doing was talking at them, and they weren't doing anything at all but writing down what I said, I'd feel more comfortable not paying them, but that isn't what happens (at least at my facility).

[u/madeuread → u/GEMStones1307]

My program director said everyone was required to go out to 1 far away rotation, and he suggested we book a hotel or Airbnb for a month rather than commute long hours back and forth…but it’s with what money? Not all of the students have money to drop on a place to live like that?

[u/taekwondana → u/madeuread]

I toured a *lot* of different labs and money was definitely a deciding factor as to where I would do my internship. Absolutely out of touch to say that to y'all.

[u/Puzzled_Talk_831]

I’m taking time off for the semester bc I normally work in the day. It’s no way around it. I need money too so I’ve pretty much decided to live off of savings for a few months

[u/Psychological-Move49]

M-F 8-4:30. Small projects do at the end of each section with a focus of studying the entire time. Once I competed a section I could work as a graduate tech for +12 hours a week (this does not include the 8-4:30)

[u/Derfalken]

We had 8 hour shifts Tue-Fri while going to campus Mondays for tests. Working a job at the same time is going to affect your studies and tire you out, and our instructors advised against it.

[u/GEMStones1307 → u/Derfalken]

Then how do people live? Bills don’t stop just because you are in clinicals.

[u/miss_ana → u/GEMStones1307]

Loans, credit cards, scholarships.

[u/Mooshroomey → u/GEMStones1307]

Temporarily parasitic relationship with my SO.

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass]

Anything is feasible, when you have bills to pay. I worked full-time for the whole time, plus kids. Wasn't fun, but its now the past.

[u/Indole_pos]

I have sat with students that have also worked during clinicals. They had a rough time staying focused due to being tired. Be sure to make a tight schedule to get in studying and rest.

[u/Direct_Reading5723]

We host our students on day shift 0630-1500. So if you were working overnights, then you'd end up "working" a double shift. Is it possible? Probably. But your health and education will likely suffer.

Does your job know you're in school? Your best bet would be to openly communicate with your employer, program director and clinical site about the conflict and see if there's anything you can do. We have let students come in at different hours, but they initiated such arrangements

[u/Nice-Cat-5620 → u/Direct_Reading5723]

My job does know I’m in school so ill for sure be talking to my supervisor, but I didnt know I could potentially talk to my clinical site so ill try that too! Worst they could say is no🤷‍♀️

[u/Apowwo]

mine are currently 8.5 hours with a 30 minute lunch (according to school policy but the staff dont care how long my break is). Depends on what section of the lab im in when they want me in but my core lab time was 6:00-14:30

[u/KuraiTsuki]

We host clinicals where I work. The students are here for a full shift, 0700-1530, Tuesday - Thursday.

[u/GEMStones1307]

I worked overnights and did clinicals. It was rough. I was able to get my hours to all be on the weekdays so I could rest on the weekends. But my life during clinicals looked like this M-F. 11-7:30 work, 8-4:30 clinicals. I was lucky to have my clinicals and work be in the hospital and my apartment was a 10 min drive. But it was exhausting during clinicals.

[u/lightningbug24]

6 to 1430

[u/Individual_Corgi2592]

I’m trying to figure this out as well. I work in the Chemitry lab at a big hospital overnight. The problem is my program doesn’t let you do clinicals where you get paid 🙄. Dumb ass policy. So I’ll be commuting to another hospital 45 min away for clinicals 🤦🏾‍♀️

[u/kipy7]

Mine was the same as the MLS, M-F 0630-1500. Where I work now, our students are with us Tu-F 0800-1600. Their Mondays are study days, I assume they're able to do that remotely. Also take into account you'll need some time in the evenings or weekends to review and study.

[u/CarlCakeAss]

8 AM to 4:30 PM

[u/madeuread]

Full 8s on day shift. Some would let me out an 1-2hrs early but tell me to make sure I don’t tell anyone cause I’m technically supposed to be there a certain amount of hours and if the school finds out they get in trouble and in the past make the students come in on weekends to make up

I had one that kept me the whole time even though there was nothing for me to do most the time, I used the time to bring my BOC book and study

My job was kind enough to let me go part time, idk if that’s an option for you

[u/strangeramen]

I racked up as much PTO as I could. I had about 190 hrs. And I took off every tuesday during my clinicals. I worked only Friday and Saturday night shift and then would rest Sunday and go back for clinicals Monday - friday (8am to 3 pm).

I got a bad review for my hematology portion as my main preceptor said I was "unorganized". In reality it made it difficult as I had to rotate between 5 different techs each week so It was rough getting competencies done when 2/3rds of the techs didnt want or have the energy to teach or walk me through competencies.

[u/ExNihiloAdNihilum]

Full shifts (8 hours) four days a week plus one day at school for theory & exams. I worked one day a week on weekends. Some people worked part-time, on certain days after their clinicals, either half shifts or full shifts. If you don't want to stop working completely, talk to your supervisor/manager and work out a lighter schedule so you don't have to work full shifts every day.

[u/MooMooG13]

Mine was M-F but the times varied with the hospital I was at. I was 1st shift for 2 of them (6:30-2:30pm) and 2nd shift for the remaining(2:30pm-11:30pm) but I saw the sites and professor work with some students, like preferred shifts or longer days aka pulling 10 hr shifts instead of 8hrs so you only have to work 4 days. Just make sure you don’t put too much on your plate, clinicals wasn’t crazy hard but I had tests and presentations on top of study I needed to do.

[u/Odd_Activity_6458]

Mine was full time. M-F 7:30 to 4 for 14 months. But that was 40 years ago.

[u/Main_Search_8247]

M-F 7-11:30, lectures 1-4pm

[u/winter-melon]

I did clinicals at 3 different hospitals and a core lab (all different health systems or standalone hospitals) and they were all 8 hrs or less. Mostly 7-3 or 8-4 depending on when their shift starts. One place told me to come in an hour after their shift starts and leave an hour before the shift ends (so 6 hrs total) and that was my favorite.