Clinical Opportunities

1. Determine your time commitment.  If part time, pursue volunteering opportunities. If full time, pursue paid experience. Either way, it is best to have at least one experience that you have done consistently for at least 1-2 years (versus doing multiple experiences for only a few months at a time.)

2. Survey the available options. See below for a list of clinical experiences in the SJV. Choose a clinical experience that excites or interests you. Don't choose something just to "check the box."

3. Commit to one experience. School and grades come first, so make sure you don't overcommit.

4. Reflect on what you learn from the experience - and write it down! When it comes time to apply for medical school, you will be asked to write about your life experiences and how they have strengthened your preparedness to become a doctor. When you decide to pursue a clinical experience, ask yourself:

- "What character traits do I hope to develop from this experience?"

- "How will I become a more _______ (compassionate/culturally-competant/etc.) physician from this experience?"

- "Why is this opportunity meaningful to me?"

Write down your responses and add more notes over time. This will give you content to draw from when creating your medical school application.

5. Diversify your experiences. If you have time to participate in one or more clinical experience, consider trying out different types of volunteering. For example, if you are already a medical scribe, consider participating in a research experience or volunteering. This will expose you to different aspects of the medical field.

Remember! Your experiences should reflect who YOU are. If you have a non-medical experience that interest you (horseback riding? baking? robotics?), by all means, continue those experiences and talk about them on your application. We do recommend having at least one medically-related experience so that you can learn more about the medical field, but it is not necessary.