Clinical Experience
Prior to making a commitment to the education needed to embark on a career in clinical health care, you should get experience working in health care settings to confirm your career choice. Successful applicants to professional school typically have spent one year or more working/volunteering on a weekly basis in a patient-interaction role in a clinical setting by the time they submit their professional school applications. The aims of this type of experience are to develop a fully informed understanding of the profession you seek to enter and to start to develop your own bedside manner when interacting with sick or injured patients.
Typical patient-interaction roles for pre-health students include the following:
- Volunteer role in a hospital, clinic, or hospice program:
Ìý- This approach is a common first step, as volunteer positions do not require formal training and the weekly time commitment is fairly low (typically ~4 hours/week). If you are interested in finding a position of this sort, do a web search to find the contact information of the volunteer coordinator of the facility where you would like to volunteer. Here in the Boulder area, we've found that Boulder Community Health tends to have relatively few volunteer positions available, whereas other nearby hospitals (Longmont United,ÌýGood Samaritan, and Avista) generally have more volunteer positions available. Aim to find a position that allows you to interact directly with patients in a truly clinical setting in the hospital (in the Emergency Department, for example, not the Welcome Desk or gift shop).
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- This approach is a common first step, as volunteer positions do not require formal training and the weekly time commitment is fairly low (typically ~4 hours/week). If you are interested in finding a position of this sort, do a web search to find the contact information of the volunteer coordinator of the facility where you would like to volunteer. Here in the Boulder area, we've found that Boulder Community Health tends to have relatively few volunteer positions available, whereas other nearby hospitals (Longmont United,ÌýGood Samaritan, and Avista) generally have more volunteer positions available. Aim to find a position that allows you to interact directly with patients in a truly clinical setting in the hospital (in the Emergency Department, for example, not the Welcome Desk or gift shop).
- ClinicÌýassistant:
Ìý- Although thereÌýisÌýsuch a thing as medical assistant certification programs, it is fairly common for clinics to hire post-baccalaureate pre-health studentsÌýwithout that certification; they simply provide on-the-job training. This type of work would allow you to interact directly, in a hands-on role, with many patients per day in a clinic. Many CEprehealth students have found work asÌýclinic assistants in primary care, dermatology, otolaryngology, dental, veterinary, physical therapy, and optometry clinicsÌýin the local area.
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- Although thereÌýisÌýsuch a thing as medical assistant certification programs, it is fairly common for clinics to hire post-baccalaureate pre-health studentsÌýwithout that certification; they simply provide on-the-job training. This type of work would allow you to interact directly, in a hands-on role, with many patients per day in a clinic. Many CEprehealth students have found work asÌýclinic assistants in primary care, dermatology, otolaryngology, dental, veterinary, physical therapy, and optometry clinicsÌýin the local area.
- CNA (Certified Nurse Aide):
Ìý- This is a hands-on,Ìýroll-up-your-sleeves job that allows you to serve patients in a direct and caring way. Most CNAs work in long-term care facilities (or provide in-home care), which means they get to develop real relationships with the patients they serve. This position requires hard -- and, at times dirty --Ìýwork. That said, if you become a CNA and carry out your work in aÌýway that respects each patient's humanity, you'll not only provide a bright spot in your patients' days but also will continuallyÌýdevelop your bedside manner while providing abundant evidence of your dedication to compassionate patient care.ÌýThere are LOTS of local CNA jobs available, but the quality of those positions can vary widely. This can be a good part-time paid option.ÌýYou can complete CNA certification at a community college, technical school, and at some assisted living facilities. Here in the Boulder area, a popular CNA training center is . Be forewarned: training courses cost several hundred dollars and the pay is relatively low.
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- This is a hands-on,Ìýroll-up-your-sleeves job that allows you to serve patients in a direct and caring way. Most CNAs work in long-term care facilities (or provide in-home care), which means they get to develop real relationships with the patients they serve. This position requires hard -- and, at times dirty --Ìýwork. That said, if you become a CNA and carry out your work in aÌýway that respects each patient's humanity, you'll not only provide a bright spot in your patients' days but also will continuallyÌýdevelop your bedside manner while providing abundant evidence of your dedication to compassionate patient care.ÌýThere are LOTS of local CNA jobs available, but the quality of those positions can vary widely. This can be a good part-time paid option.ÌýYou can complete CNA certification at a community college, technical school, and at some assisted living facilities. Here in the Boulder area, a popular CNA training center is . Be forewarned: training courses cost several hundred dollars and the pay is relatively low.
- Home health aide or personal care attendant (through an agency or private party).
Ìý- This type of work is similar to that of a CNA, in a home-care setting. Most agencies and private parties will provide on-the-job training. Pre-health students choosing this type of experience should supplement it with volunteer or work experience in a hospital or clinic so that they are exposed to the type of work environment they will be in as a future clinician.
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- This type of work is similar to that of a CNA, in a home-care setting. Most agencies and private parties will provide on-the-job training. Pre-health students choosing this type of experience should supplement it with volunteer or work experience in a hospital or clinic so that they are exposed to the type of work environment they will be in as a future clinician.
- EMT: Work on an ambulance or as an emergency department technician
Ìý- This position can be a great fit for pre-health students who are drawn to fast-paced, dynamic work.ÌýYou would need to complete an EMT training course (which costs more than CNA training). Potential downsides: Depending on where you hope to work, it may be hard as a newly minted EMT to find an ambulance job, and ED tech jobs may require overnight shifts.
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- This position can be a great fit for pre-health students who are drawn to fast-paced, dynamic work.ÌýYou would need to complete an EMT training course (which costs more than CNA training). Potential downsides: Depending on where you hope to work, it may be hard as a newly minted EMT to find an ambulance job, and ED tech jobs may require overnight shifts.
- Phlebotomist:
Ìý- In this position, you wouldÌýget lots of practice at setting people at ease when they are afraid of needles. Potential downside:ÌýYou only spend a very short period of time with each patient, so the nature of the workÌýmay not be as rewarding as some of the other positions on this list.ÌýNote: Some hospitals provide on-the-job training.
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- In this position, you wouldÌýget lots of practice at setting people at ease when they are afraid of needles. Potential downside:ÌýYou only spend a very short period of time with each patient, so the nature of the workÌýmay not be as rewarding as some of the other positions on this list.ÌýNote: Some hospitals provide on-the-job training.
- Volunteer doula at Denver Health:
Ìý- If you are interested in supporting laboring women, Denver Health has a program that provides doula training for volunteers who commit to a certain period of service after completing their training. The idea is to provide doulas for laboring women who wouldn't be able to afford one on their own. (For women without health insurance, paying for an epidural may not be an option; having a trained support person who is there to coach them and provide comfort measures makes an enormous difference in their experience of labor.)
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- If you are interested in supporting laboring women, Denver Health has a program that provides doula training for volunteers who commit to a certain period of service after completing their training. The idea is to provide doulas for laboring women who wouldn't be able to afford one on their own. (For women without health insurance, paying for an epidural may not be an option; having a trained support person who is there to coach them and provide comfort measures makes an enormous difference in their experience of labor.)
- Psychiatric Care Technician: Some residential mental health institutions will provide on-the-job training.
In addition, we recommend spending 4-5 days shadowing clinicians so that you not only can observe the workflow of a typical day for a few different clinicians but also can experience the range of opportunities within your desired profession, along with the upsides and downsides of the work. Pay attention to each clinician's approach to communicating with their patients.ÌýÌý
We recommend that post-baccalaureate pre-health students shadow a minimum of four clinicians for one full day each. Keep a log of your shadowing hours with each clinician so that you can list them accurately on your professional school applications. (Note that physical therapy and dental schools typically have a minimum number of required shadowing hours. If you are applying to physical therapy programs, you will need to have your shadowing hours documented. For all other professions, shadowing hours are reported on the honor system.)
We recommend the following assortment of shadowing experiences:
- Primary care clinician in your desired field
- Medical specialist in your desired field
- Surgical specialist in your desired field
- At least one other type of clinician in a related field
Alternatively, some pre-health students become medical scribes in a hospital'sÌýEmergency Department.ÌýSeveral hospitals in the Denver Metro area will provide on-the-job training for medical scribes. As a scribe, your role would be to follow a given physician throughout their shift and document all of their interactions with patients. You generally are partnered with a different physician each day, thereby witnessing many different physicians' approaches to caring for their patients and also seeing how a given physician adapts their approach to different patients.
For more information on shadowing, refer to thisÌýGuidelines for ShadowingÌýdocument.Ìý
Refer to this document for tips on how to set up and complete informational interviews with clinicians.