Community Service Experience VS Health Care Experience

[whoRyou]

Quick question for everyone: So, what is the BIG difference between community service experience versus health care experience? (Before I posted this, I was poking around here, so I would not double post.) From what I can gather Health-Care Exp is more hands-on as opposed to Community Service Exp is more volunteering. Is that correct? I just don't want to assume

[Jdangerous]

Health care experience can be volunteer or paid, though paid HCE is usually preferred. HCE is just what it sounds like...experience in the field of healthcare.

 

Community service tends to focus more on bettering the community or other service initiatives. This may or may not be related to medicine, and in my opinion, non healthcare-related volunteer experience is best. Community service experience sheds light on your willingness to improve the human condition/serve others etc. and provides you with a more 'well rounded' application.

[marktheshark89]

Healthcare experience involves working directly with patients and engaging in patient care activities. It can be paid or unpaid, though generally the paid experience indicates a greater level of responsibility for patient care. Community service may or may not have anything to do with healthcare, and thus may or may not involve working with patients. Community service can range from serving meals to patient care activities such as taking vital signs and blood pressure to raise awareness for heart disease. HCE is required by most PA programs, whereas community service is not (though it of course looks great).

[Timon]

Examples of community service:

 

Volunteering at the YMCA, Big Brother or Big Sister, at a hospital or assisted living facility, Trash Pickups (at a beach or park), Feeding the Homeless, Participating in events such as Toys 4 Tots, various walks like Donate Life or Breast Cancer etc.

 

Examples of healthcare experience:

Working directly with patients as a CNA, EMT, MA, LVN/LPN, RN, RT, EKG Tech and etc.

 

Here are the definitions per CASPA:

 

PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE

defined as experiences in which the applicant is directly responsible for a patient's care; for example: prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, working on patients as an active EMT, etc.

 

OTHER HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE

defined as roles in which the applicant is working in the health or a health-related field but is not directly responsible for a patient's care; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patient rooms, working as “candy-striper,” etc.

 

HEALTH CARE SHADOWING

hours spent shadowing (observing) a health care professional

 

RESEARCH

research work you performed OUTSIDE of work you received credit for on your academic transcripts

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

volunteer work you have done OUTSIDE of the health field

 

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

jobs you have held OUTSIDE of the health field

 

AWARDS, HONORS, AND LEADERSHIP

List any honors or awards received, and positions of leadership you have held

[docisin]

Is this all the 'experience' (community service & health-care) one needs to be considered a PA student?

[alvespit]

Community service care is that where Doctor go to the community to treat the patient, on the other hand Health care is the that where patient come to Doctor's chamber. To know more information click here

[mackjacks]

Community service care is that where Doctor go to the community to treat the patient, on the other hand Health care is the that where patient come to Doctor's chamber. To know more information click here

This is incorrect as far as CASPA is concerned.

[mackjacks]

Just want to point out that one "activity" can be considered both health care experience and community service. For example, if you volunteered to go to a quadriplegic child's house, suction their trach, do catheter care, range of motion, and tutor them for an hour in math, you could list this on CASPA under health care experience for an hour and under community service for an hour for the math tutoring.