Clinical

 MJ is working on something called "clinical" in her nursing program, and now with the pandemic somewhat progressing, she's going to the hospital again to participate in the program. Each nursing program is a little different in how they handle clinical, or the "hands-on" practical curriculum where they simulate real working conditions. When I snuck into the NYU Nursing School Admitted Students day to tour the school in MJ's place last year when we were deciding on schools (MJ to her credit got into all 3 of the top nursing programs she applied to), I toured their clinical program which was a separate floor they had built in the building for simulating real patients, with mannequins and dolls lying on hospital beds, hooking up heart monitors and other medical devices inside a room, and students during their clinical program would take turns practicing their craft. I'm not sure if they also were allowed to work at the NYU Langone Hospital as well during their time as a nursing student, but that would have been a fun experience. Which makes me wonder, what would a law school clinical program feel like? 

Well, during a pandemic, a clinical program would not have been practical, but in good times it's sort of up to the student himself/ herself to acquire a position to work at a law firm, court clerk's office (judge's office), at the legal department of a company, or pro bono legal aid organization. There's probably other types of real-life work experience that you could get as a law student, but that's where I benefited heavily when I attended USC: living in a large center and going to one of the best law schools in that city, I have to admit that the value of a USC education allowed me to easily get into one of those programs as a law student, and I was able to experience almost everything during the 3 years I was there as a law student (and several years after that as a practicing attorney). And the great thing, some of these positions can be paid: working for a judge, probably not, legal aid pro bono, probably not, but law firm definitely (if you're lucky enough to get into one of the summer associate programs, that's $$$) and even when I worked in a company's general counsel office I was paid. My 2L summer was pretty interesting looking back on it, I made the drive from Culver City to Irvine to work for a sales and marketing company in their in-house department. The drive down the I-405 was brutal to commute every day, but the experience was interesting, I could go to Angels baseball games easily, and I gained on-the-job experience. 

So in summary, law school doesn't have a mandatory or prepackaged clinical program per se (there was the small business legal clinic and the immigration clinic at our school, but it was conducted on campus and didn't offer that same thrill of going in to your first day at the job), and the job of attorney and nurse are different in how much hands-on tasks you do. Nurse = almost all hands on, Lawyer = a lot done on paper, could be done from home, remotely, etc. 

Also, another hands-on experience MJ has started is giving out flu shots! And I was a good enough guinea pig that she used her experience sticking the practice syringe (no actual piercing of my skin) to give flu shots to some 30 unsuspecting undergrad students on campus. As a lawyer sometimes I will attend a free legal clinic to give out some free legal advice, but no guarantee that advice amounts to anything, unlike the relieving feeling of being immunized from the flu in anticipation of flu season! 

Today's facts of the day: (MJ got this one): a flower- This species are not birds at all, but flowers of the genus Strelitzia, native to South Africa, where one of its species is featured on the 50 cent coin.  The answer: Birds of paradise! Didn't know of this species of flower, but do now.