Kinds of Clinical Experience

As a prospective applicant, you should seek out experiences that will provide an in-depth look at the intended health profession and the work life of those who currently practice it. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to closely observe the professionals and talk with them in order to get your questions and concerns answered. The goal is to understand the scope, limitations, satisfactions, dissatisfactions, and future directions of the intended field.

Health care settings provide varying forms of experience. These experiences will range from peripheral to central and direct and may be paid, voluntary, or for academic credit. The setting can vary from large hospital to small clinic and may be rural, urban, or suburban. The key issue is determining if the experience will give you a clear and comprehensive view of your field of interest. Generally, it is good to seek experience that will provide a broad rather than a narrow introduction to the career field. For example, those interested in physical therapy should not limit experience to sports injuries but should seek hospital exposure to the broad range of problems seen in such a setting. Similarly, the pre-veterinary student should become familiar with the work of small and large-animal veterinarians.

For pre medical students no particular setting or experience is preferred. For example, you do not need to work in an emergency room to "prove" your motivation or that you can "stand the sight of blood." A rural clinic may be an ideal place to really understand the physician's role and to clarify your reasons for going into medicine. It also should be understood that there are many settings where you can demonstrate that you are a helping, caring person, such as a nursing home, a hospice, a teen center, or a battered women's shelter. The key question to ask yourself is whether the setting and experience will allow you to explore carefully the intended field and to demonstrate motivation to pursue a career in it.

For allied health professions it is recommended to gain experience in your chosen field. For example if you are interested in optometry school gaining experience at an optometrists office is recommended.

How to Obtain Clinical Experience

There are many ways to find experience in a health field. Many hospitals have a volunteer office from which information or opportunities and placement may be obtained. Be clear on what will be expected of you and what you can expect from the experience. For example, if new volunteers start folding towels, how long will it be before more substantial experiences can be expected? In other instances, a community agency may act as a clearinghouse or referral to volunteer opportunities. Check with the appropriate staff member to determine what is available. ALso listed in the phone book under County Government Offices is Health Services. This listing provides a wealth of information. Examples of agencies listed: Aids Services, Alcohol Services, Children's Medical Clinics, EMS, Homeless Projects etc. The Career Center may offer listings of volunteer positions, internships, or even paid jobs in health care organizations or facilities. Paid positions probably will be hard to find in a time of budget constraints. You may be able to arrange for academic credit for your volunteer work through a form of "Field Study" or other title. There may be a class that offers an experience component in a health facility. At UCSC Health Slugs and AMSA may assist its members in locating experiences with local health professionals. Summer enrichment programs often offer direct health care experience as a part of their curricula.

While it is often wise to seek experience in more than one setting in order to obtain a comprehensive view of the intended field, in-depth exposure should be sought. Brief, fleeting volunteer experiences normally will not be effective in helping you decide if the intended career is the "right" one, nor will they be persuasive in demonstrating to the admissions committee that you are truly interested in the field. In other words, those who get accepted have a "track record" that shows they are truly interested in the field and that they know "what they are getting into." In many fields, lack of direct experience will raise serious questions about the applicant and often will prevent the applicant from being accepted.

But even more importantly, those considering a career in a health profession (or another area) should explore their intended field to make certain that it is the appropriate one. In short, it is necessary to determine if the field excites them and if they will be able to carry out its responsibilities and obligations willingly and well.