Clinical experience is critical for medical school applications and there are several ways to work face-to-face with patients- even as an undergrad. Read more about clinical hour requirements for medical school applications here. Most of these positions require at least basic life support (CPR) certification, and many hospitals may prefer applicants who have completed other official trainings. But often these requirements can be completed in no more than a summer.
Below are some of the best opportunities for pre-meds to gain clinical experience.
Clinical Opportunities for Pre-Meds
1. Medical Assistant
Medical assistants can be found in almost every clinical department. Many of the clinical responsibilities overlap with those of a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Both medical assistant and nursing assistant programs are offered at most local community or technical colleges. Both have state or national certification exams for students to take after their training courses. But for pre-meds, working as a medical assistant may provide more clinical opportunities.
While CNA courses can be usually be completed in a summer, most medical assistant training programs take about 9 months and cover more clinical skills and procedures. These courses are often offered in the evening, making it possible to work on this certification on the side while still focusing primarily on pre-med university coursework. A medical assistant certification program usually costs around $5,000 total. Once hired as a medical assistant, individuals can expect to make around $15- $20 an hour.
However, while a medical assistant certification course is recommended, some medical assistant jobs do not require it. In many hospitals and clinics, applicants may not need to have completed a medical assistant training program at all. Many positions offer on the job training and are willing to hire individuals who seem like a good fit- even without official certification. These positions will still require basic life support (CPR) training, which is generally a 1 day course and is usually offered upon hire. It is certainly worth applying to medical assistant positions as a pre-med student, with or without certification.
2. Surgical Technician
Surgical technologists assist in the operating room. Unlike medical assistant positions, it is very unlikely to be hired as a surgical technologist without completing a surgical technologist training program. The training required to become a surgical technician may be difficult to obtain as a full-time university student, relative to the other positions on this list.
But some schools do offer flexible, evening, and summer course options that would allow students to work on this certification in addition to pre-med university coursework. Check with local community and technical colleges about course offerings and flexible options. Overall the program would likely take about 9-12 months to complete and would cost between $5,000- $7,000 total. Once hired as a surgical tech, individuals can expect to make around $20- $25 an hour.
If a student finds it is possible to complete this training on the side, it is well worth it. Working as a surgical tech is an incredibly unique and valuable clinical experience- especially for those interested in surgery. Individuals will have the opportunity to gain clinical skills as well as to network with local surgeons, many of whom will happily assist with shadowing and other opportunities.
3. Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can work in both ambulances and emergency departments (though medical assistants can also work in emergency departments and responsibilities often overlap). For pre-meds who do not yet have a particular area of clinical interest, the emergency department is a great place to start. Emergency medicine is fast paced and allows students to see a variety of conditions and procedures.
Most community and technical colleges offer flexible evening and accelerated summer EMT training courses, making this one of the more practical training programs for full-time pre-meds. Once students finish the course, they can take an official certification exam. The average EMT course and certification exam cost around $1,000 total, making this one of the more affordable training options as well.
Once hired, average pay is around $15- $20 an hour. Individuals will have the opportunity to gain clinical skills in the emergency department as well as to network with emergency department physicians. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about not only emergency medicine, but a broad range of clinical presentations and procedures.
4. Pathology Technician
Pathology technicians (or autopsy technicians) assist pathologists in the hospital to aid in determining cause of death. This means working with patients bodies post–mortem. Pathology is an excellent opportunity for pre-med students as many pathology technician positions require no official training.
For pre-meds who are still exploring different areas of medicine, the pathology department is another great place to start. Assistants often work one-on-one with the pathologist and are able to learn in depth about a variety of disease processes. This experience is incredibly valuable for future medical school anatomy courses, where students also work with cadavers.
Not every pre-med student has the stomach to work with patients post-mortem. Even medical students with years of clinical experience are often uncomfortable in their first cadaver lab, and that’s okay. It does get easier over time, and once a student is comfortable in the pathology lab, it is a valuable learning and networking experience. For pre-meds who do not have the time or money for the additional classes and certifications required many other clinical positions, pathology is an excellent option.
5. Medical Scribe
Medical scribes essentially shadow their assigned physician, taking note of patient histories, exams, and procedures. They can work in a variety of clinics, though they are most often found in the emergency department. This is another position that generally requires no official training program, and is an excellent opportunity for pre-med students to gain clinical experience.
Unfortunately, many medical scribe companies are notoriously exploitative. Medical scribe companies like Scribe America and ProScribeMD contract their employees to local hospitals and clinics. So students technically work for the scribe company, not the hospital. And these companies have a long history of exploiting pre-meds with low hourly pay and incredibly demanding schedules.
But scribe companies are not the only option if a student is looking to work as a medical scribe. Even if positions aren’t listed online, it is worth reaching out to local clinics you may be interested in working with and asking if any of their physicians are in need of a medical scribe. Or reach out to a physician directly. Positions like these generally have much higher pay.
Keep in mind that outside the emergency department, most clinics function on typical office hours, which may interfere with premed classes. It is still worth reaching about part-time positions, and this is still an excellent opportunity for gap year clinical experience.
Final Thoughts
Obtaining training and certification in one of these positions is a good investment for any undergraduate pre-med. Working in a clinical setting part-time during undergrad is a great way to make some extra money and gain the clinical experience needed for medical school applications. And in the case a student ends up taking a gap year between graduation and medical school (a very common scenario), it offers the opportunity to begin an immediate full-time clinical position to obtain additional clinical experience.
Clinical experience is one of the more critical factors in medical school applications. Luckily, there are countless ways for premed students to get clinical experience before medical school. Students should be sure to consider their unique interests in medicine, their class schedules, and ability to pay for additional coursework and certification programs to decide which position may be the best fit. Read more about the pre-med timeline here.
