Getting Experience

Almost every health professions school expects its applicants to have spent time in a health care environment; in fact, some programs require as much as 1000 hours of documented patient care experience before an application can be submitted.

 Why is getting experience so important?  

• It is important to understand the realities -- the pluses and the minuses -- of working in the health care field and to learn, as early as possible, whether this is the best career choice for you. 

• Working in the field exposes you to health careers you may never have considered or didn't know existed.  

• Experience provides the first-hand knowledge needed to answer the question "How do you know that ______ is the right career for you?"   

• Working in the field provides the enthusiasm and motivation to keep working hard to achieve the goal of making this your career.

Since experience is the best teacher, what can you do to find out whether a health care career is right for you?  There are a vast number of places to obtain health care experience; some are volunteer positions while others may be paid.  Each opportunity requires a different set of skills and appeals to people with different interests.  Read through the list below, see what looks interesting to you, then get involved.  A separate web page contains contact information for an extensive listing of agencies providing health care-related volunteer opportunities.

Hospitals (human or animal) and Nursing Homes

     Many hospitals have organized volunteer programs which are an excellent introduction to the hospital environment.  Call your local hospital and ask for their volunteer services coordinator.  Nursing homes are also an excellent place to get an early exposure to a patient environment, and they often have volunteer programs as well.  The sooner you begin, the higher the likelihood that you will have the opportunity to move into positions of more responsibility as time goes by.

Private Offices/Clinics

     Some physicians and other health care providers are eager to help students who express an interest in learning more about the health care field and offer to let students shadow them in their office.  (Disclaimer:  Many physicians/providers in clinics or group practices are not allowed to have non-certified individuals in the treatment areas due to liability or other issues, so this opportunity will not be available for many people.)  In a different vein, you might be able to obtain a part-time job as an office assistant in a medical office or clinic.  These are office jobs rather than patient-contact jobs, but they provide a valuable introduction to the running of a medical office.

Animal Care Facilities

     Opportunities for animal care can be obtained at local shelters/ humane societies, farms, zoos, nature centers, and race courses.  Any facility that houses or cares for animals, regardless of the type of animals served, provides an opportunity for learning more about animal care.  Many veterinary schools expect applicants to have exposure to a variety of animals, so plan to spend a summer or semester working or volunteering at a "non-traditional" facility.

Emergency Medicine

     Many hospitals, community colleges, and local ambulance services offer Emergency Medical Technician courses.  There are several levels of certification that you can complete, depending on your level of commitment.  The training courses are quite time-intensive, but the resulting certification allows for a wide range of employment and experience opportunities.

Competency-Evaluated Nurse Aide

     Competency-evaluated nurse aides (CENAs) and nursing assistants provide a large portion of direct patient care in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and other assisted-care institutions.  Many of these facilities sponsor on-the-job training courses.  Information on CENA training locations and job opportunities can  typically be found in your local classified ads or from your local community college.

Hospice and Home Health Care

     Both hospice and home health care agencies provide basic, in-home care for a variety of patients, ranging from post-surgical patients to terminal cancer patients.  Care providers are usually trained locally, are able to choose part-time or full-time work, and are expected to provide their own transportation.  While this type of work can be emotionally demanding, it can also be highly rewarding.  Contact your local agency for training opportunities and requirements.

Peer Counseling

     Many larger cities have peer counseling networks run through high schools, colleges, or local health care agencies.  Peer counselors work in a variety of areas including general crisis prevention, suicide hotlines, eating disorder groups, and sexual assault counseling.  Contact your school counselor for peer counseling opportunities in your area.

Return to Preparation page