<p>How do students in med school practice drawing blood and vaccinations? I know they get a partner and they practice on each other. Does this happen in 3rd year med school? I'm afraid of getting injected but not afraid of giving injections so how can I get through this. How many repetitions do they practice? Also what kind of shots do they practice, ex: butt shoots, thigh shoots? etc? and do they practice right in front of an instructor so its private or in front of the whole class. And I wasn't sure where to post this so I posted it here because I'm premed. Thanks</p>
<p>At my school, we do that stuff at the end of 2nd year. We work on clinical skills in groups of 8, so in things where we work in pairs (like you’re talking about), there are 4 pairs of students with the instructors (usually an MD and a nurse). We have about 3 or 4h per week to work on learning clinical skills, and the two skills you mentioned are covered in the same week.</p>
<p>No idea how other schools do it.</p>
<p>At my school they aren’t going to force you to have your blood drawn for practice, but it would be pretty lame if you didn’t reciprocate the favor. That sort of stuff is only a minor skill that is learned mostly by repetition and practice on the wards.</p>
<p>The hospital had medical students do the flu shots so even 1st years learned to do that. We were given oranges and all the supplies to practice as much as we wanted and before you could officially complete it the people running the drive had to watch you do one on the orange. Then, at the drive they watched you do 3 on real people and then from there they just left it up to you. Nothing like sticking a needle in a prof or a dean or someone like that.</p>
<p>For blood draws there were tons of random “clinical skills workshops” where you could learn that as well as suture tying and other stuff. Again, you could be a first year. In our hematology class we had the opportunity to draw each other and then do our own smears and CBCs. As was said, no one will FORCE you too but it’s def expected and honestly plenty of people were freaked out and that stuff is pretty hard to do real damage with so most just closed their eyes and looked away.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the info! I hope I get into a school where I’m not forced.</p>