If you plan on applying to medical school, you may be wondering how to get shadowing and clinical experience as a PreMed. Shadowing and clinical experience is vital to have on your application. I did not have it on my application when I first applied to medical school and did not get in. We don’t want you to have same fate! So, here are a few tips on how to get shadowing and clinical experience as a premed.
What is shadowing and clinical experience?
Shadowing and clinical experience are two prerequisites for getting into medical school. Although they sound the same, they are actually different. It’s important to know the differences between them before learning how to get shadowing and clinical experience.
Clinical experience is any work you do in a medical setting. This could include working in a hospital, physician’s office, nursing home, etc. Your work could be in any role, but will be most beneficial if you interact with the medical aspect of patients. So, you could work as a receptionist for a primary care physician, but it will probably be more beneficial if you worked as a medical assistant.
Shadowing is also in a medical setting, but it involves strictly watching and observing. You are not doing any work, but you are there to learn from the physician. The main goal of shadowing is for you to learn what the physician does, and what their life looks like. You use that experience to get an idea about what sort of doctor you may be.
You need both experiences to have a strong medical school application. Clinical and shadowing experiences are highly valued in your medical school application.
Why are shadowing and clinical experience so important?
Shadowing and clinical experience are very important because of how taxing the medical profession is. It’s at least a 12-year journey between undergrad, medical school and residency. Without a glimpse into what it’s like to be a physician, you may start the journey and decide it’s not worth it.
It’s very difficult to have a strong grasp on why it is important for you to be a physician without clinical or shadowing experience. I’ve wanted to be a physician since I was 15. But it was for not other reason than I was interested in psychology and assumed I would really enjoy Psychiatry. It was not until I shadowed that I understood my idea about what a psychiatrist was differed from what they actually are.
Medical school is a huge investment – both in time and money – and medical schools want to see that you have somewhat of an idea of what you’re getting yourself into before taking on such a huge expenditure.
How to get shadowing and clinical experience:
It may seem intimidating to put yourself out there and get shadowing and clinical experience. That is why I have listed out a few tips for how to get shadowing and clinical experience as a premed. If one doesn’t work, then try the other. Just don’t give up until someone says yes!
Apply for medical jobs
The best way to get clinical experience is to get a medical job. The best part about this, is not only do you learn a lot, but you also get paid. Medical school and shadowing are both unpaid parts of your life, so if you can find a way to make some money, then that is great!
Good medical jobs for premeds include things that require very little training. It makes no sense to do a two- or three-year training program for a job that you only want to work temporarily. If you are able to get certified as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) or a licensed professional nurse (LPN) through a high school or vocational program, then those are great options! Other choices include medical assistant, medical transporter, medical tech, behavioral health tech, and pharmacy tech. These positions require limited training while providing you with invaluable experience.
Volunteer for hospitals or medical services
Another way you to get clinical and shadowing experience is to volunteer. There are many organizations that need bodies to assist with patients and patient care. Hospitals often need Junior volunteers, formerly known as candy stripers. These are volunteers that work in a hospital and perform duties that assist with patient care. This includes delivering meals and flowers, sitting with patients, and any other duties that volunteer supervisors needed.
Your local hospital may not have something official set up, like Junior Volunteers. But, they absolutely are looking for volunteers. Just Google “Volunteer medical” and you will pull up all the hospitals around you that need volunteers. Peruse their sites and see what the requirements are for you to become a volunteer. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you do a good job and try to build meaningful relationships with the staff. If things go well, you will get an idea about if you like the medical setting, and get a great recommendation letter for your medical school application.
Ask around your network
Don’t underestimate the power of your network. If you don’t know a physician personally, you may think you don’t have any connections to the medical field. However, that may not actually be true. For example, when I was first applying to medical school, I completely ignored the fact that I belong to a sisterhood of professional women. I literally had doctors in the same chapter that I could have easily reached out to! And I did…it was just 9 rejections later.
Don’t be like me. When you are trying to figure out how to get shadowing and clinical experience, think about who you know, and who they know. Those personal connections make all the difference. One of my sorority sisters was the lead of a group of Black physicians in that city. She had all the connections to get me into various doctors’ offices. So, ask around your network. People are excited to help and if they know a physician, and put in a personal call, your chances of getting to work with that doctor are much higher than cold calling their offices!
Shoot your shot on LinkedIn
When I was in college, this girl announced she got a job with a company in Washington D.C. I asked her how was she able to do that, and she informed me that she “shot her shot with them on LinkedIn” and got the job. I was amazed because I had been shooting the wrong shots!
So, when I was in medical school and found a plastic surgeon who I wanted to shadow, I found her on LinkedIn and messaged her. Now, getting in touch with her wasn’t that easy. I had to upgrade to premium so I could email her, and then waited 3 months for a response! She happened to be clearing out messages and saw mine, and emailed me back. I was so excited and shadowed her a month later.
LinkedIn can be an overwhelming place, but it’s great for creating professional connections. If you want to figure out how to get shadowing and clinical experience, set up your account, make it look pretty, and reach out the physicians. In my email, it was a very professional message with my resume attached and personal contact information. You want to make a great first impression, and having a professional lead-in message is the perfect way to get their attention.
Call physicians to see if they accept students
This option isn’t my favorite, as cold-calling doctors takes a lot of time, and can have pretty low yield. But, if you still haven’t figured out how to get shadowing and clinical experience after trying the other tips, then start calling offices. Have your pitch ready – keep it short – and make sure to leave who you are, what you need, and your contact information. Be prepared to follow up. A lot. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back from physicians immediately. Your persistence is what will eventually get your foot in the door at the right time.
Apply for summer internships
Applying for summer internships is not only a great way to get shadowing and clinical experience, but can also connect you with medical schools before applying. Various medical schools have programs for undergraduate and high school students to do research and shadow doctors. These programs can be competitive and/or expensive, but they are worth taking a look at. If you are curious about trying to get research experience too, then this kills three birds with one stone.
Key Takeaway
Learning how to get shadowing and clinical experience is vital for your medical school application. As you complete these experiences, keep track of what you learned, when you did it, and who your supervisor was. They are going to ask you these questions on your medical school application. So, it’ll just be easier if you can keep up with it.
If you have any suggestions for students, please leave them in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to learn more!
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