<p>I’m interested in helping out at a clinic and they have a position that allows volunteers to take vital signs of patients. Sorry if this sounds ignorant, but is this a big deal or is it normal for undergrads to learn how to take vital signs…Thank you!</p>
<p>No, it’s not a big deal. It’s pretty common for pre-meds to be EMTs, so I don’t see how being able to take vital signs is anything special.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. It’s a very good idea. But no, it’s nothing special.</p>
<p>It is also not something that you are expected to learn either. Learn to read an EKGs really well if you are trying to learn medical skills, which once again you don’t need to do. That’s not going to help you get into medical school, but it is a useful skill to have from the get go.</p>
<p>When i was learning to be an EMT i thought i was the shiz when i was taking someones blood pressure, pulse, and etc. Now i see how even the most unedumucated person can do it.</p>
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True azngamer, but having some actual clinical experience can be a plus in terms of vitals, eg trending and interpreting vitals, putting the vitals into context of the patient, or getting good BPs on skinny elderly people. Depends on the situation. On the more informal side, I’ve used my knowledge of trending and interpreting vitals to take care of really drunk friends, so it’s come in handy outside of a clinical setting!</p>