Getting into medical school has gotten so competitive that it's essential to have a strong candidacy with excellent grades and robust extracurricular activities. However, one mistake I see pre-meds make is that they are so focused on leadership and research, they forget a critical component - clinical experience. To prove you want to be a doctor, it's crucial you obtain clinical experience for a significant period of time - not just a health fair or two. Good grades will not make up for a lack of clinical experience. Here are some ideas for obtaining strong clinical experience:
EMT (Some universities have EMT classes and/or jobs on campus; takes time to certify.)
Participate in a good hospital clinical care extender program (Regular hospital volunteer programs are usually not clinically focused enough.)
Work at a low-income clinic (Many require a one-year commitment.)
Certified Medical Assistant (Takes time to certify.)
Certified Phlebotomist (Same)
Certified Nursing Assistant (Same)
Work at a hospice (Because of the nature of the work, may need to be paired with another, more hands-on clinical experience.)
Scribe (Usually a full-time job)
Veterinarian's Assistant (A great way to get hands-on procedural experience; need to explain this choice in your application.)
Participate in a good hospital clinical care extender program (Regular hospital volunteer programs are usually not clinically focused enough.)
Work at a low-income clinic (Many require a one-year commitment.)
Certified Medical Assistant (Takes time to certify.)
Certified Phlebotomist (Same)
Certified Nursing Assistant (Same)
Work at a hospice (Because of the nature of the work, may need to be paired with another, more hands-on clinical experience.)
Scribe (Usually a full-time job)
Veterinarian's Assistant (A great way to get hands-on procedural experience; need to explain this choice in your application.)
Pharmacy Assistant (Make sure the role is patient facing.)
Volunteer for a crisis text/phone line (May need to be paired with an in-person clinical experience.)
Shadowing is a mixed bag: Medical schools don't know whether you're second-assisting in the operating room or just standing in a corner being ignored. If you choose to shadow, make sure you strategically delineate your clinical experience in your written materials.
If you're not excited about getting clinical experience, it's time to question your interest in a career in medicine... which is exactly what admissions committees will do if they don't see that experience.
Do your research before accepting a "clinical" job so you ensure you'll really get a satisfying experience and show admissions committees you can handle the heat.
Volunteer for a crisis text/phone line (May need to be paired with an in-person clinical experience.)
Shadowing is a mixed bag: Medical schools don't know whether you're second-assisting in the operating room or just standing in a corner being ignored. If you choose to shadow, make sure you strategically delineate your clinical experience in your written materials.
If you're not excited about getting clinical experience, it's time to question your interest in a career in medicine... which is exactly what admissions committees will do if they don't see that experience.
Do your research before accepting a "clinical" job so you ensure you'll really get a satisfying experience and show admissions committees you can handle the heat.
