Jade
What kind of medical-related jobs are med schools looking for?
I hope to go to medical school after I graduate. I know there is a lot that medical schools want to see on your application even before you apply. I have heard from some other med students that you need to have some form of job experience or volunteer experience in a hospital with patients. I don't know what jobs they prefer to see or how to get exceptional experience. Any advice? Recommendations?
#medicine #medschool #jobexperience #doctor #med-school #admissions #college-admissions
2 answers
Student Voices by CV
Student Voices by CV’s Answer
While experience in the medical field is important, medical schools want to see that you are committed and passionate about something. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or tutoring kids are all great things if you are dedicated to them. If you decide to volunteer outside of medicine, I would consider shadowing at least one doctor in your community so you have an opportunity to see what a medical setting is like. Schools want to know you have seen some aspect of the medical field, but that doesn’t mean you need to volunteer in a medical setting every day. Consider seeing if your local hospital has volunteer opportunities, many can be done on the weekends or around certain hospital events. When I was looking for medical experience, I wrote letters to doctors in the community asking if I could shadow them for a day or two. One shadowing opportunity turned into a job that I kept for 3 summers before starting medical school. No matter where you volunteer, consider asking the person who supervises you for a letter of recommendation when you apply to medical school.
Richard A.
Richard’s Answer
Also consider unpaid options. Try to find opportunities to pursue research.
Volunteer at your local hospital or low-income clinic. Ask physicians, PAs or other clinical providers if you can shadow them.