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Featured Article
How to Get Clinical Experience
February 24, 2006
How can I get the experience I need to validate my interest in medicine? We recently heard
from four students here at Cal who remembered what it was like to find their first
health related, clinical experience.
Clinical experience is necessary
You really must spend time in a clinical setting to be taken seriously by health professional
schools. You can be the smartest person with the best test scores but if you have not recently validated your interest in healthcare by getting yourself into the work environment, you will not be admitted. You can do fabulous test tube research and publish four articles, but if you have not been in the healthcare work setting, you are not in the game. One of our seniors got into all of the physical therapy programs to which she applied, and is quite sure it is because a) she had a lot of hours in clinical settings and b) she got a couple of great letters from professionals in those work settings. You want to explore the field, come to really know the role physicians play, and be clear on why you want to go into medicine. Such evidence should come during the years directly preceding your application; experiences during college, not high school, are important. Most applications (such as the AMCAS) will not allow you to display any of your accomplishments prior to high school graduation.
Here are insightful tips from our wonderful student panelists. The panel included an Integrative Biology major, an Anthropology major, a Molecular Cell Biology major, and a Chemical Biology major. These people are all headed to a health professional school (like Physical Therapy) or medical school. During Part III of our Freshman Pre-Medical Workshop Series, they shared some fabulous advice.
Ask around
Three of our five experts found their first clinical experience because of a friend or an
acquaintance about to graduate, or they "fell into the situation, went for the interview, and
got the position." Talk to your friends, your family's friends,
your enemies' friends, and let others know you want to get close to the action.
Be persistent
You do have to fill out forms, get TB tests, go to four-hour long orientations, rearrange your schedule, and wait for someone to return your call. One student was tired of waiting to start volunteering and knew the volunteer coordinator was swamped; he showed up to help the coordinator sort through the paperwork and kept showing up in person to be friendly and check in. He got placed a bit sooner because he was present, available, and appeared to be a low-maintenance useful volunteer. Another of our experts noted several times, "Don’t be discouraged if something doesn’t work out the first time. Keep trying; you’ll find your place."
Use campus resources
The list of Health Volunteer Opportunities in the Bay Area provides key contact information for clinics and healthcare organizations that have welcomed Cal students in the recent past. You should take responsibility for your own learning as you observe the work environment of health providers and connect with professionals. Find others at Cal who share your interest in health by exploring which pre-health and pre-med student groups are for you. Check out CalCorps and the Tang Center for opportunities to work in healthcare settings. Stiles Hall, located on Bancroft Way between the Career Center and the Tang Center, helps connect Cal students with community service opportunities. Many pre-meds take the class IDS 130 and then get involved in its Field Studies component in which students shadow physicians as part of the Health and Medical Apprenticeship Program (HMAP) .
Talk to your health provider(s)
Ask your own dentist or doctor about opportunities, Offer to do helpful tasks in exchange for the opportunity to observe an entire afternoon or day with the professional. Maybe your Sacramento doctor has a colleague from medical school that practices in the East Bay. Ask if you can use her name as an introduction. Follow up, send thank you notes, and network. You have something to offer: free intelligent labor and strong motivation for doing a good job in the clinic.
Be strategic
Another student sent letters and emails to several doctors she found in the phonebook. It took many calls and in-person visits, but she eventually convinced one professional that she would be an asset to the practice. Make it easy for the setting to welcome you. You might approach community based clinics which usually need more people. In any clinic you should expect to photocopy, fax, weigh patients, stock supplies, and take notes; you are not licensed to do any procedures. Present yourself as a hardworking, reliable, smart, quick-to-learn Cal student and say from the beginning,"I'll be free intelligent labor for your clinic one day a week for 6 weeks, then I'd like to shadow you, the MD, for the next four weeks."
Be inquisitive
Three of our five panelists regret not being more talkative and willing to ask questions at the beginning of their experiences. Once they tried asking questions of the various workers in the clinic, especially during some of the slower times, they learned so much. One noted, "I lost some key learning time by being shy the first few months. I wish I’d asked all of the questions from the first day; it was the best way to learn and people were so nice." Many healthcare professionals are proud to tell you about their jobs and what is going on; they are happy to teach you what they know.
Look at the longer term
One senior noted, "I tell my friends looking to volunteer at any hospital, 'find a shift and stick with it.' You’ll get to know the professionals working on that shift and they will be pleased to see you each week. My shift workers ask about me even if I miss one week. It is a great feeling to be part of a community." Medical school admissions officers who have visited campus recently have been clear that they are more impressed by someone who learns over a period of months and years in one organization. You may have to try a couple of situations to find one that is a good out-of-classroom learning situation for you, but when you do, stay with it.
Use Career Center resources
There are many ways to locate opportunities to explore the field of medicine and health. Get on the CareerMail Health Professions and Pre Medical list to learn about opportunities in healthcare settings. Students will receive information about opportunities via the pre-med CareerMail list, such as those offered during the Career Center Externship program. Check the Internship section to learn about the Externship program which is designed for Cal students to utilize the winter break. Every year healthcare professionals have offered the opportunity for students to spend time with them in the workplace.
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