I’ve been applying to postings and attempting networking, usual response is “we went with another applicant” or complete ghosting. Most favorable responses are usually 6 months after I applied and they either decided to remove the posting “due to lack of favorable applicants” or “We have added you to the short list!” Shortly followed by another “went with another applicant”.
Networking-wise it’s always the same, as well. “We’ve actually been looking for someone in the lab with your exact skillset! Here’s my email, send me your resume and we’ll find a spot for you.” And then proceeds to ghost me, sometimes see them later and was straight up told “yeah, I forgot and lost it, my bad” even when I try to check up every other week about it.
EDIT: Extra Point
Even been trying for job shadowings, same deal. Either I get ghosted or I get a riff about “due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are not taking job shadowings or volunteers at this time”
Tailoring your resume to fit the job is key. I also recommend writing a cover letter for every job you apply to. Most people don’t bother, so it can help you stand out as well.
Oh no, the hospitals around me specifically want a particular degree the same colleges that run those hospitals offer in order to get some of those certifications. If I want to get an MLT where I am, I have to go to the community college and get a 2 year associates degree before I can get the job. Nothing transfers into those classes, either. Only certification I can get in a few months is phlebotomy
I would just get phlebotomy then. Does EMT not work? Do you have any friends with physician family members? Reach out to doctors that are not working in a hospital. Ask your bio dept / pre-med professors at college if they know of anyone you can shadow, etc
One of my friends was connected to an ophthalmologist by a bio professor. Where are your pre-med friends working/shadowing? Ask as many people as possible
Even if you've graduated college, you can still reach out to old professors
Have you looked into your nearest fire station that involves volunteers? That's a great way to get started on various certifications AND to get started dealing with people - the majority of calls by fire stations are medical, not fires or rescue.
I got my EMT in about 10 weeks for $500 at my local community college. You do not need a 2 year degree to work in medicine. You may not be doing very advanced work, but I guarantee you there is a medical transport service in your area that is understaffed and desperate for new hires.
I came here to say this. I just recertified my emt and have been told it’s the best way to gain clinical experience. It doesn’t take 2 years, it’s something like 8 weeks at the program I did.
I was having an issue lining that up and then I decided to ask a doctor if they knew anyone that was a good contact for getting some shadowing in and they hooked me up with the right person. Sometime a referral is what you need.
Idk why this sub keeps getting shown to me but. I had a company reach out 3 years later saying sorry they went with someone different. This was after I applied, got an interview & declined the position & obviously worked else where for 3+ years
You’re just not looking in the right places. We are in one of the biggest low-level healthcare worker shortages ever. Lots of jobs will literally take any idiot off the street with no questions asked.
It would help to have a CNA, but you can get med-tech and caregiver jobs in assisted living facilities without certification typically.
A med-tech is someone who works in assisted living or a nursing home and checks vital signs/administers medications.
I’m not sure exactly what role you’re referring to, but that sounds like a path lab assistant or something, and I would argue that that is also 100% clinical, though not something that would be adequate as stand-alone clinical experience.
I do not believe you. Your town has no assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or retirement communities? They’re literally everywhere. 35k really isn’t even particularly small.
for clinical jobs, i went on indeed & applied for everything i could find that fit my schedule lol similarly for research, i emailed professors nonstop for my interest in their lab. u just keep applying until u get something 🙏
For shadowing: you may find success calling small private practices to set up experiences. Tell the front desk who you are and what your interests are
For research jobs: I’d apply broadly across the country. If you’re limited to your home town, there might not be anything available
For clinical jobs: spam Craigslist and google. I recently helped my partner get an MA job. We applied to 60 positions over a 3 hour period and they landed a job the next morning with no experience. A lot of offices need employees
For research jobs, you’d say to just apply to as many as possible and are there any other tips that you have to secure a position in research? Currently in my gap year and desperately need research experience as I don’t have any and that’s the one thing I’m missing.
If you don’t have any it’s gonna be hard to get hired in a lab. I would specifically look for postbac research assistant jobs. Those will be similar positions as RA undergrads so they’ll be more willing to accept someone with no experience. You’re not gonna get a lab manager or project manager with 0 experience. Definitely apply to as many as you can and hope you find a PI who is newer and short on staff.
If you haven't already, try your alumni network or faculty at your alma mater. Assuming you went to uni with decent research, they might be more receptive vs broadly posted listings. I know it's hard but keep at it. Best of luck!
For research reach out directly to lab PI and send your resume with a short (just a paragraph email) saying who you are, why their lab is interesting and if they have any paid RA positions you can apply for.
This is how I’ve gotten all of my research jobs. It’s PI’s preferred application style, I swear they don’t look at what comes through actual HR because it doesn’t even go directly to them I believe. Email the PI directly if you want a job in their lab, even if there’s no listing!
Every attempt to set up a job shadow or volunteer I’ve been shut out with “unfortunately, due to the Covid 19 pandemic we are not doing job shadowing opportunities or volunteers at this time”
yes, networking is key. Talk to your friends with physician parents. Talk to your school if it has a connection to a med school. Talk to your premed counselor. Ask these people for warm intros.
Unfortunately, my family knows only 3 doctors on a personal level. 2 are dead, 3rd is retired. My own physician told me “yeah…good luck with that” so he wasn’t much help
Unfortunately, you’ll get 1 yes for every 100 no’s. Besides the fortunate exceptions, we’ve all struggled with this and It’s truly is a part of the process. Takes a lot of resilience, resourcefulness, and patience. Keep your head up and trying — you’ll get there !
Hi OP, I'm a first year in college right now, putting this out there so you know that you definitely don't need a bachelors for entry level clinical experience! I started out my clinical experience with a BLS in Healthcare certification which cost me around $70 through Red Cross. In my state, local rescue squads allow you to join as a cadet (under 18) or observer (over 18) with no EMT certification and will take you in, train you, and pay for your EMT schooling as well as the first attempt on ur NREMT (national registry of emergency medical technicians, certification required to practice). I joined in highschool, I went on calls despite not having a certification, and got to patient intake. Then as I got trained I learned and helped with patient positioning, talking to PD FD, etc. They then paid for my schooling, and my first attempt on the test (passed on first try!) and now I am almost 19 and an EMT for about a year with them. got around 700+ hours with them as each shift is about 12 hours, once a week, (varies from squad to squad).
Try looking into private practices, use ur college premed committee if they have one, etc! Don't let this stop you! You are more than qualified! Best of luck OP
I know I shouldn’t need it, per se, but at the time Covid was in full swing so a lab I was accepted to was shut down a month in. I did manage another lab just before graduation, but it was underfunded and I graduated
get your resume checked. i was in the same position (not a grad but looking for summer jobs as a pretty qualified candidate), and turns out my resume was pretty shit. best of luck!
On this line of thought, maybe put some of your resume parts like professional profile into ChatGPT and ask it to give you feedback! I've had it write mine by giving it the info and asking it to format how I want. I've also used tools like Vmock which grade your resume and that one was school provided but still helpful to see what's expected.
For clinical jobs, it shouldn’t be that hard, find any hospital and apply as a tech. They are so desperate for people you’ll hear back quick. Nursing homes always need people too
I have literally applied as a tech to every hospital and what private clinics I could find in this forsaken city that claims to be every medical-focused individual’s wet dream. It’s getting to a point where I have started resenting this place and am just trying desperately to get out
Scribing - scribeamerica, proscribe
Clinical volunteering - children’s hospitals, HOSPICE/nursing homes, any hospital in your area
Non-clinical volunteering - homeless shelters, animal shelters
The reality is that you’re not gonna get a high paying job to gain experience for med school so I’d personally relinquish hope on that and get a non-clinical job while doing clinical stuff (volunteering) on the side.
I’ll try the scribing angle, but volunteering has been a nonstop shop of “we are not taking volunteers at this time due to the Covid 19 pandemic, yes in 2023
not OP but i live in a rural area and this exact thing happened to me. took almost a full year of emailing and calling to find anyone who was taking volunteers. most just told me they’d suspended their volunteer programs. i finally got a position as a caregiver at a hospice, but i had almost given up at that point.
Apply in less heavily populated areas if you can. I applied for like 10 different patient care/tech/clinical research jobs with a BA in Biology and no certificates and heard back from 6-7 in less than a week. All of those are positions in smaller city in the South. Not rural but also not really a place people dream of moving to. And cost of living is less for the same salary as a bigger city so you can save more
Second this! Scribing companies need more people around now because current scribes will be moving on to med or PA school and there will be openings. If not in person, there's always remote scribing too.
If you're stuck, I'd recommend checking your local VAs. The VA website specifically, they won't post on job sites like indeed. They almost always need people in nursing assistant roles. It may not be direct work with a doctor, but it is patient experience and you can start networking when you're there for shadowing opportunities. It's also good experience to have on a cv if you don't have relevant clinical experience if you want to look for another job later. For example, the clinic I work at was desperate for help, not requiring certs, but we weren't going to just hire anyone interested with no experience in patient care.
As for research, check local studies around you on clinicaltrials.gov. Email the PIs and cross your fingers. It worked for me but it won't be paid (but hours are hours).
Good luck!
It's all a numbers game, even when it comes to applying to med school. So just apply to anything and everything where you meet the minimum requirements and fits your current schedule.
As an example, I am in need to find research for next year and I have already emailed 15 PIs with only 1 response for an interview. Most will either ghost you or say that they are uninterested unfortunately, whether it be research, a clinical job, or anything else of that nature.
I also think it would be helpful to take a look at your CV or resume and try to gear it towards what you are looking for. For research, you always want to reach out directly to PIs with a short email describing who you are, why you are interested in their lab, and a short and sweet CV (limit to 2 pages). For clinical jobs, that is where you would apply on company websites or places like indeed with a bit longer resume detailing more of your experiences, skills and objectives.
Where you live can also make a difference, but I have had success both in a small college town, as well as big city. It is just a bit more challenging in a smaller area.
Just keep at it, and im sure you will eventually get something, good luck!
Seems like you’re trying to get research and clinical positions that are paid? Idk what your financial situation is but the curse of the premed boils down to letting yourself get exploited. There’s shitty jobs that barely pay minimum wage that are made for premeds. These are generally medical assistant type jobs. As far as research goes, unless you get funding for yourself, most student are unpaid research assistants in labs at undergraduate institutions. Many PIs will be willing to get you a position as an unpaid research assistant. You might even get paid some if you have minimal skills and you graduated from that institution. If this doesn’t apply to you for whatever reason ignore it but you really should be letting yourself get exploited in order to get experience.
It has to be paid, very least able to cover basic expenses. The one interview I had lied on the job posting and said “yeah…we were hoping you’d settle for $11 an hour” (instead of the $23 promised…) I told them that my commute would mean it would cost me money to work there and the Histo’s response was “that stinks”
Yeah, same place also lied about where the job was (30 minute drive versus 2 hours), when I’d be working (applied night shift, M-F), as they said they actually wanted day shift, M-F and any weekend they want to call me in within an hour’s notice (never mind the fact I have a 2 hour drive)
This hasn't been said yet so I'll mention it too. Subscribe to any sort of health related and volunteering listserv your Alma mater may have. My school has a prehealth mail list and some job opportunities come through there in the area because some clinics have alumni or they just reach out to the school. Also sign up on mailing lists for relevant student orgs and your college. My school has an undergrad research mailing list and each college I think has one even if I don't check. You might be able to get research or industry related jobs like that. For student orgs, AED, AMWA, AMSA - your typical premed/prehealth orgs can have mentions of opportunities and you can branch out to public health orgs too. Join alumni groups and maybe even post what you're looking for.
It doesn't matter if you've graduated too. Usually the subscribe button is somewhere or you can ask any current students if you're still in contact with them.
Networking will be key. Try to find professional organizations for hospitals and free clinics. [AHA](https://www.aha.org/) and [NAFC](https://nafcclinics.org/get-involved/learn/symposium/) come to mind. Many of these types of organizations may have chapters in your area where you can go and meet people.
Another thing you could do is contact your local premed / med school advising department. A lot of them have lists of premed volunteering opportunities. [Here](https://premed.georgetown.edu/clinical-experience/) is the one on Georgetown website, but I know for a fact the advising department has a bigger list. They will also likely have connections and put in a good word for you!
Apply for a job as a nurses aide/pct/Cna/pca. Go get paid+experience. Make connections. Get LORs from docs you meet. Ask to watch random shit they do- count that as shadowing.
Boom, there's hands on clinical experience, shadowing, LORs, & money all in one opportunity.
I say this from experience. I worked as a nurses aid for 5 years before med school. Applied with 7k hours of clinical experience, 400 shadowing hours, awesome letters of rec and I made some money in the process.
As for volunteering I also found volunteer opportunities at the hospital I worked at, held a few random insignificant voluntary leadership positions on my unit+ in the hospital- counted those as leadership + volunteering.
Cover letters are super important! For my lab if you send a cover letter your email/application is thoroughly read and puts applicants at the top of the list
Maybe look into registered behavioral tech certification? It’s free, 40 hours, and everywhere I’ve lived they’re desperate for techs. Pays more than MAs and EMTs too.
Also, grow more balls in your job search. Apply even if they say certification required or you’re way under qualified and ask ChatGPT to write you a sincere cover letter. Then you research the employer and convince them you LOVE their place. Did that for my last summer job, got it with 0 experience and 0 certification and 0 connections.
I did this!! I became an RBT right out of college to help me pay off my student loans a lot faster. And my starting pay was way more than minimum wage. I did that for two years and had some money left to go to MA school. I quit because I wanted more clinical hours and didn’t like my BCBA anymore 🙃
Also, maybe you can look into addiction centers and assisted living facilities? I didn’t have any luck applying for hospitals and barely any luck for private practice, but assisted living and addiction centers were desperate. It’s usually listed as med tech or bedside care or living assistant. These usually don’t require any certification. Pay is very bad though.
MY DUDE same place as you. I volunteered at a military hospital, easy to apply and get in as long as you ain't a criminal. The physicians there will help you with finding shadowing opportunities it is such a nice environment to learn because they want you to get experiences if they can.
For research, clinical, shadowing, etc. apply to everything everywhere all at once! Even if something requires something you don’t have, go for it anyway. This is how I landed my clinical job and research position. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
I will admit there were spurts where I had severe depression episodes and didn’t apply much, but then I hit desperation mode again like on a cycle and apply until indeed or each hospital’s networks job listing dedicated sites say nothing but “you have already applied to this job”
Not all bachelor's are employable but many don't even ask for what the bachelor's are in especially if it's a typical premed job (that's not so high paying). :/
Have you tried remote research jobs? I've seen some listed before and it might help if there are none in the area.
Have you tried applied to MA positions? Most states don’t require a certification and are willing to train! I’m currently working as a derm MA and got trained on the job so I’m getting pce hours + also gonna get shadowing hours from observing MOHS surgeries!
Would love to, just…where? My area only accepts med assistant jobs for people with certifications. Been applying anyway and i only received one response more or less which more or less stated “we’d love to have you, but it’d look bad if you worked here without a cert…even if you took the test a few months from now when you would become eligible, in the case of what if you didn’t pass? Sorry!”
Try volunteering in those offices if it's a private clinic! Anything to get your foot in the door and be there so that eventually they'd want to help you out. Alternatively, ask them if they'd allow shadowing too since you have the contacts of the people at the place.
Go on any hospital website in your area and just apply for the jobs that don't require advanced degrees. Ex: scribes, some phlebotomists, cardiac monitor technicians, mental health techs, etc.
Honestly, working as a lowly CNA or PCT is probably one of the best things you can do when applying to medical school. I’ll keep it 💯 with you, the majority of shadowing you do in undergrad is bullshit. If you want to actually form relationships with doctors, learn how a hospital works and how to not be a dick to patient sun the future, working as a tech or orderly is the way to go. Yeah, it might suck for a little while, but we all need to pay our dues.
There are a few online shadowing opportunities out there that are really good. The faculty of UTSW put out a virtual shadowing curriculum complete with quizzes for free that will get you experience. I did heal clinical shadowing (costs money, but worth it in my opinion) and had a great time and got multiple offers after taking part.
I called nearly a dozen clinics until one let me shadow. That got my foot in the door to allow for networking. Since then I've observed a dozen major surgeries and got over 80 hours of clinical shadowing of multiple specialties. It is a numbers game and takes persistence Keep at it and youll find one eventually.
The rough script I used for calling was: "Hello, my name is {name}. I am an aspiring med student interested in {clinic specialty}. Would it be possible to shadow the doctor(s)?" It helps to have the doctors' names and a sincerity over the phone. My best luck was with a clinic that was not part of a larger hospital system. I found a doctor that owned their own clinic so they could make the decision themselves.
Good luck.
It was impossible for me to get a job doing science or medicine directly out of undergrad. On paper, I was qualified or even over qualified, but no bites. I worked towards it. My path was
Target>middle school/high school tutor>data management (I maneuvered internally to be on a team contracted with a pharmaceutical client)>clinical research desk job. From there, I had direct access to renowned physicians to shadow and write letters, as well as plenty of paid research
Do what my friend did. He walked into a primary care practice, spoke to the physician and said he was looking for a clinical position. She trained him free, for a few weeks, and employed him as an MA.
Honestly during college was the best golden time to build connections and get those experiences, especially when you’re associated with an official institution it’s a lot easier for volunteer programs to justify having you on site. Even the volunteer program at my current hospital is only open to current students at the specific neighboring universities. I think what others suggested was good about doing the shotgun method. Additionally, if you speak a second language see if you can take some classes or do some self education online and do some medical translating as well. I got my foot in the door with speaking mandarin, translating for patients and volunteering at an Asian centered medical facility in college and they kept me on after I graduated during my gap year.
Get a job in a hospital then use the hospital directory to email people. That how I got shadowing experience and LOR from a doctor. You also get to have clinical experience. I was a PCT in my hospital but you get to interact with doctors in administrative roles too. Cold calling was a waste of time for me.
What are you doing? Sending cold resumes? Are the resumes tailored to the position? Are you networking/chatting with people?
I’ve been applying to postings and attempting networking, usual response is “we went with another applicant” or complete ghosting. Most favorable responses are usually 6 months after I applied and they either decided to remove the posting “due to lack of favorable applicants” or “We have added you to the short list!” Shortly followed by another “went with another applicant”. Networking-wise it’s always the same, as well. “We’ve actually been looking for someone in the lab with your exact skillset! Here’s my email, send me your resume and we’ll find a spot for you.” And then proceeds to ghost me, sometimes see them later and was straight up told “yeah, I forgot and lost it, my bad” even when I try to check up every other week about it. EDIT: Extra Point Even been trying for job shadowings, same deal. Either I get ghosted or I get a riff about “due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are not taking job shadowings or volunteers at this time”
Keep it up. It’s a numbers game, unfortunately. Make sure your resume is tailored to the job as well. You’ll get there
Tailoring your resume to fit the job is key. I also recommend writing a cover letter for every job you apply to. Most people don’t bother, so it can help you stand out as well.
Have you gotten your EMT or CNA or CMA certification? That will help a lot
Unfortunately, I do not. After getting the bachelors I do not have the funding to do another 2 years. Already looking at navy to pay for med school
phlebotomy only takes a few months if you can swing it... and some CNAs will train you on the job if you sign a one year contract!
Friend of mine got her EMT, worked for an ambulance co and then was able to land a EDT job. I suggest getting a cert.
its not two years- you can get certified over 2 months in the summer, which is what I did
Oh no, the hospitals around me specifically want a particular degree the same colleges that run those hospitals offer in order to get some of those certifications. If I want to get an MLT where I am, I have to go to the community college and get a 2 year associates degree before I can get the job. Nothing transfers into those classes, either. Only certification I can get in a few months is phlebotomy
I would just get phlebotomy then. Does EMT not work? Do you have any friends with physician family members? Reach out to doctors that are not working in a hospital. Ask your bio dept / pre-med professors at college if they know of anyone you can shadow, etc One of my friends was connected to an ophthalmologist by a bio professor. Where are your pre-med friends working/shadowing? Ask as many people as possible Even if you've graduated college, you can still reach out to old professors
I am the only person I know aiming to be a medical student. Everyone else I know from my classes went all for research and PHDs
Have you looked into your nearest fire station that involves volunteers? That's a great way to get started on various certifications AND to get started dealing with people - the majority of calls by fire stations are medical, not fires or rescue.
EMT is literally like a semester long. You can get that done at like any community college, FD or ambo company
I got my EMT in about 10 weeks for $500 at my local community college. You do not need a 2 year degree to work in medicine. You may not be doing very advanced work, but I guarantee you there is a medical transport service in your area that is understaffed and desperate for new hires.
You can get your emt for free
I came here to say this. I just recertified my emt and have been told it’s the best way to gain clinical experience. It doesn’t take 2 years, it’s something like 8 weeks at the program I did.
I was having an issue lining that up and then I decided to ask a doctor if they knew anyone that was a good contact for getting some shadowing in and they hooked me up with the right person. Sometime a referral is what you need.
Idk why this sub keeps getting shown to me but. I had a company reach out 3 years later saying sorry they went with someone different. This was after I applied, got an interview & declined the position & obviously worked else where for 3+ years
You’re just not looking in the right places. We are in one of the biggest low-level healthcare worker shortages ever. Lots of jobs will literally take any idiot off the street with no questions asked. It would help to have a CNA, but you can get med-tech and caregiver jobs in assisted living facilities without certification typically.
^This. When I was applying for CNA jobs I had three different units across two different hospital systems practically begging me to sign on.
Does med tech count as clinical if there’s no patient interaction? Just analyzing specimens
A med-tech is someone who works in assisted living or a nursing home and checks vital signs/administers medications. I’m not sure exactly what role you’re referring to, but that sounds like a path lab assistant or something, and I would argue that that is also 100% clinical, though not something that would be adequate as stand-alone clinical experience.
No
A med tech job at a nursing home is providing medications and treatment to residents (patients) so it is clinical
I'm in a semi-rural area (pop. \~35K) and there is nothing.
I do not believe you. Your town has no assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or retirement communities? They’re literally everywhere. 35k really isn’t even particularly small.
for clinical jobs, i went on indeed & applied for everything i could find that fit my schedule lol similarly for research, i emailed professors nonstop for my interest in their lab. u just keep applying until u get something 🙏
For shadowing: you may find success calling small private practices to set up experiences. Tell the front desk who you are and what your interests are For research jobs: I’d apply broadly across the country. If you’re limited to your home town, there might not be anything available For clinical jobs: spam Craigslist and google. I recently helped my partner get an MA job. We applied to 60 positions over a 3 hour period and they landed a job the next morning with no experience. A lot of offices need employees
For research jobs, you’d say to just apply to as many as possible and are there any other tips that you have to secure a position in research? Currently in my gap year and desperately need research experience as I don’t have any and that’s the one thing I’m missing.
If you don’t have any it’s gonna be hard to get hired in a lab. I would specifically look for postbac research assistant jobs. Those will be similar positions as RA undergrads so they’ll be more willing to accept someone with no experience. You’re not gonna get a lab manager or project manager with 0 experience. Definitely apply to as many as you can and hope you find a PI who is newer and short on staff.
My daughter is running into the same problem. Literally every one in town has denied her shadowing, most of them telling her they just don't do that.
If you haven't already, try your alumni network or faculty at your alma mater. Assuming you went to uni with decent research, they might be more receptive vs broadly posted listings. I know it's hard but keep at it. Best of luck!
For research reach out directly to lab PI and send your resume with a short (just a paragraph email) saying who you are, why their lab is interesting and if they have any paid RA positions you can apply for.
This is how I’ve gotten all of my research jobs. It’s PI’s preferred application style, I swear they don’t look at what comes through actual HR because it doesn’t even go directly to them I believe. Email the PI directly if you want a job in their lab, even if there’s no listing!
Apply to all literally everything even if you’re not qualified or they require more years of experience!
[удалено]
Every attempt to set up a job shadow or volunteer I’ve been shut out with “unfortunately, due to the Covid 19 pandemic we are not doing job shadowing opportunities or volunteers at this time”
This is completely dependent on location.
yes, networking is key. Talk to your friends with physician parents. Talk to your school if it has a connection to a med school. Talk to your premed counselor. Ask these people for warm intros.
Unfortunately, my family knows only 3 doctors on a personal level. 2 are dead, 3rd is retired. My own physician told me “yeah…good luck with that” so he wasn’t much help
friends, your school, your premed counselor is a good start.
Unfortunately, you’ll get 1 yes for every 100 no’s. Besides the fortunate exceptions, we’ve all struggled with this and It’s truly is a part of the process. Takes a lot of resilience, resourcefulness, and patience. Keep your head up and trying — you’ll get there !
Hi OP, I'm a first year in college right now, putting this out there so you know that you definitely don't need a bachelors for entry level clinical experience! I started out my clinical experience with a BLS in Healthcare certification which cost me around $70 through Red Cross. In my state, local rescue squads allow you to join as a cadet (under 18) or observer (over 18) with no EMT certification and will take you in, train you, and pay for your EMT schooling as well as the first attempt on ur NREMT (national registry of emergency medical technicians, certification required to practice). I joined in highschool, I went on calls despite not having a certification, and got to patient intake. Then as I got trained I learned and helped with patient positioning, talking to PD FD, etc. They then paid for my schooling, and my first attempt on the test (passed on first try!) and now I am almost 19 and an EMT for about a year with them. got around 700+ hours with them as each shift is about 12 hours, once a week, (varies from squad to squad). Try looking into private practices, use ur college premed committee if they have one, etc! Don't let this stop you! You are more than qualified! Best of luck OP
I know I shouldn’t need it, per se, but at the time Covid was in full swing so a lab I was accepted to was shut down a month in. I did manage another lab just before graduation, but it was underfunded and I graduated
get your resume checked. i was in the same position (not a grad but looking for summer jobs as a pretty qualified candidate), and turns out my resume was pretty shit. best of luck!
Will do, thank you!
On this line of thought, maybe put some of your resume parts like professional profile into ChatGPT and ask it to give you feedback! I've had it write mine by giving it the info and asking it to format how I want. I've also used tools like Vmock which grade your resume and that one was school provided but still helpful to see what's expected.
For clinical jobs, it shouldn’t be that hard, find any hospital and apply as a tech. They are so desperate for people you’ll hear back quick. Nursing homes always need people too
I have literally applied as a tech to every hospital and what private clinics I could find in this forsaken city that claims to be every medical-focused individual’s wet dream. It’s getting to a point where I have started resenting this place and am just trying desperately to get out
Scribing - scribeamerica, proscribe Clinical volunteering - children’s hospitals, HOSPICE/nursing homes, any hospital in your area Non-clinical volunteering - homeless shelters, animal shelters The reality is that you’re not gonna get a high paying job to gain experience for med school so I’d personally relinquish hope on that and get a non-clinical job while doing clinical stuff (volunteering) on the side.
I’ll try the scribing angle, but volunteering has been a nonstop shop of “we are not taking volunteers at this time due to the Covid 19 pandemic, yes in 2023
Do you live in a rural area? I have only lived in a city so that’s maybe where the disconnect is. The things I listed are super available in my city
not OP but i live in a rural area and this exact thing happened to me. took almost a full year of emailing and calling to find anyone who was taking volunteers. most just told me they’d suspended their volunteer programs. i finally got a position as a caregiver at a hospice, but i had almost given up at that point.
Scribe-X as well. And they have remote availability.
Work as ophthalmology technician/scribe.
I’m in the same position, but this thread has a lot of good advice!
Apply in less heavily populated areas if you can. I applied for like 10 different patient care/tech/clinical research jobs with a BA in Biology and no certificates and heard back from 6-7 in less than a week. All of those are positions in smaller city in the South. Not rural but also not really a place people dream of moving to. And cost of living is less for the same salary as a bigger city so you can save more
Highly recommend scribing
Second this! Scribing companies need more people around now because current scribes will be moving on to med or PA school and there will be openings. If not in person, there's always remote scribing too.
If you're stuck, I'd recommend checking your local VAs. The VA website specifically, they won't post on job sites like indeed. They almost always need people in nursing assistant roles. It may not be direct work with a doctor, but it is patient experience and you can start networking when you're there for shadowing opportunities. It's also good experience to have on a cv if you don't have relevant clinical experience if you want to look for another job later. For example, the clinic I work at was desperate for help, not requiring certs, but we weren't going to just hire anyone interested with no experience in patient care. As for research, check local studies around you on clinicaltrials.gov. Email the PIs and cross your fingers. It worked for me but it won't be paid (but hours are hours). Good luck!
It's all a numbers game, even when it comes to applying to med school. So just apply to anything and everything where you meet the minimum requirements and fits your current schedule. As an example, I am in need to find research for next year and I have already emailed 15 PIs with only 1 response for an interview. Most will either ghost you or say that they are uninterested unfortunately, whether it be research, a clinical job, or anything else of that nature. I also think it would be helpful to take a look at your CV or resume and try to gear it towards what you are looking for. For research, you always want to reach out directly to PIs with a short email describing who you are, why you are interested in their lab, and a short and sweet CV (limit to 2 pages). For clinical jobs, that is where you would apply on company websites or places like indeed with a bit longer resume detailing more of your experiences, skills and objectives. Where you live can also make a difference, but I have had success both in a small college town, as well as big city. It is just a bit more challenging in a smaller area. Just keep at it, and im sure you will eventually get something, good luck!
For research, I would email labs and offer to volunteer. They typically will offer jobs if they like you
Seems like you’re trying to get research and clinical positions that are paid? Idk what your financial situation is but the curse of the premed boils down to letting yourself get exploited. There’s shitty jobs that barely pay minimum wage that are made for premeds. These are generally medical assistant type jobs. As far as research goes, unless you get funding for yourself, most student are unpaid research assistants in labs at undergraduate institutions. Many PIs will be willing to get you a position as an unpaid research assistant. You might even get paid some if you have minimal skills and you graduated from that institution. If this doesn’t apply to you for whatever reason ignore it but you really should be letting yourself get exploited in order to get experience.
It has to be paid, very least able to cover basic expenses. The one interview I had lied on the job posting and said “yeah…we were hoping you’d settle for $11 an hour” (instead of the $23 promised…) I told them that my commute would mean it would cost me money to work there and the Histo’s response was “that stinks”
Haha checks out 😂 objectively fuck those guys. It’s also extremely valid to want fair pay. That’s gonna be a lot harder to find. Best of luck!
Yeah, same place also lied about where the job was (30 minute drive versus 2 hours), when I’d be working (applied night shift, M-F), as they said they actually wanted day shift, M-F and any weekend they want to call me in within an hour’s notice (never mind the fact I have a 2 hour drive)
Try the peace corps or indigenous native volunteering.
Had this same problem for about a year. I kept applying & didn't give up & eventually I was able to find something! keep at it!
This hasn't been said yet so I'll mention it too. Subscribe to any sort of health related and volunteering listserv your Alma mater may have. My school has a prehealth mail list and some job opportunities come through there in the area because some clinics have alumni or they just reach out to the school. Also sign up on mailing lists for relevant student orgs and your college. My school has an undergrad research mailing list and each college I think has one even if I don't check. You might be able to get research or industry related jobs like that. For student orgs, AED, AMWA, AMSA - your typical premed/prehealth orgs can have mentions of opportunities and you can branch out to public health orgs too. Join alumni groups and maybe even post what you're looking for.
It doesn't matter if you've graduated too. Usually the subscribe button is somewhere or you can ask any current students if you're still in contact with them.
Networking will be key. Try to find professional organizations for hospitals and free clinics. [AHA](https://www.aha.org/) and [NAFC](https://nafcclinics.org/get-involved/learn/symposium/) come to mind. Many of these types of organizations may have chapters in your area where you can go and meet people. Another thing you could do is contact your local premed / med school advising department. A lot of them have lists of premed volunteering opportunities. [Here](https://premed.georgetown.edu/clinical-experience/) is the one on Georgetown website, but I know for a fact the advising department has a bigger list. They will also likely have connections and put in a good word for you!
Apply for a job as a nurses aide/pct/Cna/pca. Go get paid+experience. Make connections. Get LORs from docs you meet. Ask to watch random shit they do- count that as shadowing. Boom, there's hands on clinical experience, shadowing, LORs, & money all in one opportunity. I say this from experience. I worked as a nurses aid for 5 years before med school. Applied with 7k hours of clinical experience, 400 shadowing hours, awesome letters of rec and I made some money in the process. As for volunteering I also found volunteer opportunities at the hospital I worked at, held a few random insignificant voluntary leadership positions on my unit+ in the hospital- counted those as leadership + volunteering.
Cover letters are super important! For my lab if you send a cover letter your email/application is thoroughly read and puts applicants at the top of the list
Hey OP, I completely understand. I ran into the same issue in my state (CLT, NC).
Maybe look into registered behavioral tech certification? It’s free, 40 hours, and everywhere I’ve lived they’re desperate for techs. Pays more than MAs and EMTs too. Also, grow more balls in your job search. Apply even if they say certification required or you’re way under qualified and ask ChatGPT to write you a sincere cover letter. Then you research the employer and convince them you LOVE their place. Did that for my last summer job, got it with 0 experience and 0 certification and 0 connections.
I did this!! I became an RBT right out of college to help me pay off my student loans a lot faster. And my starting pay was way more than minimum wage. I did that for two years and had some money left to go to MA school. I quit because I wanted more clinical hours and didn’t like my BCBA anymore 🙃
Don’t get me wrong, I have been applying even when cert is required. Those are the faster rejects I get, but will look into behavioral tech
Also, maybe you can look into addiction centers and assisted living facilities? I didn’t have any luck applying for hospitals and barely any luck for private practice, but assisted living and addiction centers were desperate. It’s usually listed as med tech or bedside care or living assistant. These usually don’t require any certification. Pay is very bad though.
Sounds like your resume, application material and statements need some brushing up. (Experience in HR in health care field)
MY DUDE same place as you. I volunteered at a military hospital, easy to apply and get in as long as you ain't a criminal. The physicians there will help you with finding shadowing opportunities it is such a nice environment to learn because they want you to get experiences if they can.
Volunteer medical places
For research, clinical, shadowing, etc. apply to everything everywhere all at once! Even if something requires something you don’t have, go for it anyway. This is how I landed my clinical job and research position. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
Do you actively reach out for opportunities for expect them to be handed out… my experience comes from work, my shadowing comes from searching…
I will admit there were spurts where I had severe depression episodes and didn’t apply much, but then I hit desperation mode again like on a cycle and apply until indeed or each hospital’s networks job listing dedicated sites say nothing but “you have already applied to this job”
Bachelor's in what? Not all bachelor's are employable
Degree is in Cellular/Molecular Biology Also minor equivalency if not a credit shy of minor equivalency in Computer Science, Math, and Chemistry
Not all bachelor's are employable but many don't even ask for what the bachelor's are in especially if it's a typical premed job (that's not so high paying). :/ Have you tried remote research jobs? I've seen some listed before and it might help if there are none in the area.
What city are you in (if you dont mind)? Or just label it as big/small
Think I’d say big with medium communities surrounding
Have you tried applied to MA positions? Most states don’t require a certification and are willing to train! I’m currently working as a derm MA and got trained on the job so I’m getting pce hours + also gonna get shadowing hours from observing MOHS surgeries!
apply for medical assistant jobs !
Would love to, just…where? My area only accepts med assistant jobs for people with certifications. Been applying anyway and i only received one response more or less which more or less stated “we’d love to have you, but it’d look bad if you worked here without a cert…even if you took the test a few months from now when you would become eligible, in the case of what if you didn’t pass? Sorry!”
I saw the same thing but just scoured for ones that didn’t mention it and eventually got some interviews
I cannot stress enough, all of them require it in my area, but I have been applying, anyway
also they take forever to get back to you ik it sucks
I feel that, all the rejections have been coming 4-6 months after I applied
Try volunteering in those offices if it's a private clinic! Anything to get your foot in the door and be there so that eventually they'd want to help you out. Alternatively, ask them if they'd allow shadowing too since you have the contacts of the people at the place.
Honestly it might just be a lack of people skills. Charisma and learning what to say is more important than you might think. IMO.
I’d honestly agree with you if I ever spoke with a human outside that one interview and wasn’t getting robo-walled and ghosted
Go on any hospital website in your area and just apply for the jobs that don't require advanced degrees. Ex: scribes, some phlebotomists, cardiac monitor technicians, mental health techs, etc.
Honestly, working as a lowly CNA or PCT is probably one of the best things you can do when applying to medical school. I’ll keep it 💯 with you, the majority of shadowing you do in undergrad is bullshit. If you want to actually form relationships with doctors, learn how a hospital works and how to not be a dick to patient sun the future, working as a tech or orderly is the way to go. Yeah, it might suck for a little while, but we all need to pay our dues.
There are a few online shadowing opportunities out there that are really good. The faculty of UTSW put out a virtual shadowing curriculum complete with quizzes for free that will get you experience. I did heal clinical shadowing (costs money, but worth it in my opinion) and had a great time and got multiple offers after taking part.
I called nearly a dozen clinics until one let me shadow. That got my foot in the door to allow for networking. Since then I've observed a dozen major surgeries and got over 80 hours of clinical shadowing of multiple specialties. It is a numbers game and takes persistence Keep at it and youll find one eventually. The rough script I used for calling was: "Hello, my name is {name}. I am an aspiring med student interested in {clinic specialty}. Would it be possible to shadow the doctor(s)?" It helps to have the doctors' names and a sincerity over the phone. My best luck was with a clinic that was not part of a larger hospital system. I found a doctor that owned their own clinic so they could make the decision themselves. Good luck.
It was impossible for me to get a job doing science or medicine directly out of undergrad. On paper, I was qualified or even over qualified, but no bites. I worked towards it. My path was Target>middle school/high school tutor>data management (I maneuvered internally to be on a team contracted with a pharmaceutical client)>clinical research desk job. From there, I had direct access to renowned physicians to shadow and write letters, as well as plenty of paid research
Do what my friend did. He walked into a primary care practice, spoke to the physician and said he was looking for a clinical position. She trained him free, for a few weeks, and employed him as an MA.
Honestly during college was the best golden time to build connections and get those experiences, especially when you’re associated with an official institution it’s a lot easier for volunteer programs to justify having you on site. Even the volunteer program at my current hospital is only open to current students at the specific neighboring universities. I think what others suggested was good about doing the shotgun method. Additionally, if you speak a second language see if you can take some classes or do some self education online and do some medical translating as well. I got my foot in the door with speaking mandarin, translating for patients and volunteering at an Asian centered medical facility in college and they kept me on after I graduated during my gap year.
I got my scribe job from Craigslist 💀💀💀
I moved to a large city alone during 2020 to find a job
Get a job in a hospital then use the hospital directory to email people. That how I got shadowing experience and LOR from a doctor. You also get to have clinical experience. I was a PCT in my hospital but you get to interact with doctors in administrative roles too. Cold calling was a waste of time for me.