Building Qualifications
Preparing to enter a health profession school takes time and careful planning. Health profession schools are interested in applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, research competence, clinical experience, leadership, professionalism and compassion. Strong qualifications in these areas are built through a wide variety of experiences over time.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experience offers exposure to the daily activities of health care as well as to healthcare professionals. Many prehealth students gain clinical experiences by volunteering in a healthcare setting and shadowing practitioners. It is also possible to pursue training that will allow you to provide a limited amount of direct care, such as becoming an EMT, Certified Nursing Assistant or phlebotomist. Other jobs in healthcare settings may require on the job training such as working as a medical scribe or veterinary assistant.
Clinical experience is critical for applications to most health profession schools. Professional schools want to feel confident that applicants have a strong understanding of the field they hope to enter and that they have demonstrated the ability to interact effectively with patients in healthcare settings.
Some health professions, such as public health and pharmacy, do not have the same expectations of clinical experience, though experience related to those fields remains important. Pre-public health students might pursue entry-level public health summer internships, for example. Those interested in pharmacy can obtain paid or volunteer positions in pharmacies.
Shadowing
There are few formal shadowing programs, so seeking such opportunities requires good networking skills. You may want to start by talking to personal or family contacts such as your own doctor, dentist, veterinarian, physical therapist, etc. Ask other contacts (such as a prehealth adviser!) for additional recommendations of practitioners to contact.
More Resources
- Guidelines for Clinical Shadowing Experiences for Premedical Students (useful for any profession)
- Useful FAQs on shadowing from University of Washington School of Medicine
Volunteering
Private practices, hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, nursing homes and volunteer hotlines are some examples of common places to volunteer. Where you look may depend on when you hope to volunteer and where you hope or need to be.
Local Resources
Paid Clinical Work
Some students and alumnae work in professional roles such as clinical research assistants, medical assistants, nursing aides, emergency care technicians, home care providers, phlebotomists, certified nurse assistants, EMTs, or laboratory technicians. If you have the relevant training, consider starting your job hunt at the Lazarus Center for Career Development. If you are currently working as an unpaid volunteer, watch for job openings within your company.
How much clinical experience is enough?
This depends in part on the profession you hope to enter. Schools for physician assistant training may require up to 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience, and veterinary schools similarly have high expectations of substantial animal experience. Most other professional schools will not have such substantial requirements, though it is wise to check admission information for the schools you are interested in, as some will be very specific in their expectations. Seek meaningful experiences where you will learn and be challenged. Continue with clinical experience over time. (A few weeks of volunteering prior to submitting an application will not suffice!) And discuss your growing qualifications with a prehealth adviser.
Making the most of clinical experience
Treat any clinical opportunity like a job (or perhaps it is one!): work hard, learn as much as you can, exercise a positive attitude, and honor your time commitments. The people you work with may be future letter writers, employers, or, after you matriculate, perhaps even colleagues or teachers. Consider keeping a diary to help track hours worked, as professional schools may request this information on applications. You can also use the diary to record interesting experiences to reflect on later.
Additional Resources
- AAMC fact sheets on gaining clinical experience
- Summer opportunities for prehealth students
- Information on HIPPA
- More information on HIPPA
- AAMC guidelines for students participating in clinical experiences abroad
- ADEA guidelines for students participating in clinical experiences abroad
- Global Ambassadors for Patient Safety (online training for students participating in clinical experiences outside of the U.S.—highly recommended)