I am looking into volunteering to work in the PT section of a hospital in an offsite facility for 4 hours a week during both semesters of my senior year of college this coming school year. Here is the hospital’s description of the position: “Assist Physical and Occupational Therapists with a variety of supportive duties, assist patients with activities or leaving the building and learn more about PT and OT.” Would this be considered clinical experience for purposes of medical school applications? This experience will likely be the only clinical experience I will have before submitting my medical school applications next June. I do have about 60 hours of shadowing a variety of physicians and want to shadow some more this coming year to make sure I fully understand what I am getting into. I only decided last summer that I wanted to go to medical school and had to take Organic Chem. that summer to catch up with premed requirements. This summer I am involved in conducting clinical research with a PI and post-doc. I didn’t realize until listening to your podcasts that clinical experience, aside from shadowing, should take precedence over research experience. After graduating from college next May, I will be taking a gap year during which I plan to obtain additional clinical experience either volunteering or in a paid position.