7 Must-Do Steps to Land a Paid Clinical Experience

Having clinical experience on your medical school application is an absolute must! If you’re taking a gap year, it’s great if you can find paid clinical experience to help you save up before medical school.

After graduating from college, I remember frantically searching the internet for a gap year position. I was looking for one that would allow me to gain more clinical experience. After Googling things like “med school gap year” or “premed internship,” I noticed a lot of medical assistant positions were popping up. I took my search to indeed.com and found that there were a ton of job postings for medical assistants. The website made applying to multiple positions super fast, sometimes with just a few clicks.

Now imagine being on the employer’s side. With little resistance from submitting an application since this website makes the process so easy for applicants, they must be getting hundreds of applications, at the least. It’s important to keep in mind that most managers have more job responsibilities besides hiring new employees. Having to sift through all these applications is a big task.

So how was I able to land a paid clinical position amongst hundreds of other applicants?

This post is all about how to secure a paid clinical experience for your gap year.

7 Must-Do Steps to Land a Paid Clinical Experience

1. Call the Employer.

While indeed.com makes things fast and simple, it’s important to follow up with the employer on a job posting for two reasons. First, there are a good amount of job postings that have already been filled but not removed from the website. Call to ensure that the position is still open and they’re looking to hire. When I was looking for jobs, about 40-50% of the jobs had already been filled and the posting was old. So be careful, especially with the ones that say “posted 30+ days ago.” Second, if you have any questions about the position or your role that are not answered in the description, ask them. You want to make sure you understand your potential job responsibilities (and make sure you are qualified for them). This is also important to make sure you are not applying for a job that you don’t want or are not qualified for.

2. Clean Up Your Resume.

Now I feel like this one goes without saying. However, you would be surprised how many people use the same exact resume for every job they apply for or even worse, use a resume that is outdated. Unless the employer asks for a full CV, make sure your resume fits on one page. If you have to trim down on your resume for it to fit, select the experiences and skills that will be relevant for the position you are applying for. Also make sure that all of your contact information (especially your email and phone number) are correct and up to date.

3. Write the Cover Letter Even if it’s Optional.

Just do it. On indeed.com there are many position applications that are listed as “Cover Letter (Optional).” Most people will not write one if it’s optional so set yourself apart. This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are intentional and will go above-and-beyond.

4. If 4-5 Business Days Have Passed and You Haven’t Heard Back, Follow Up Over the Phone.

Like previously mentioned, a lot of these managers have more responsibilities other than hiring. If they have 200 applications waiting to be reviewed and you’re number 75, they probably will never see it. So call them. Mention that you have submitted an application for “xyz” position. You can then say you were wondering if the position has been filled yet or if they could tell you more about potential next steps. I have gotten multiple interview offers through this method. Many times the manager will pull up your application to the top, review your resume briefly, and invite you for an interview.

5. Interview to Impress.

When you go to an interview, always arrive to the office about 5-10 minutes early. Anticipate for traffic or difficulty parking. If you have to wait around outside or get a coffee nearby while you wait so be it but it’s much better than being late. Always dress to impress. Depending on the position, I always wore business professional or business casual attire. It’s far better to be overdressed than underdressed. I have interviewed at multiple clinics that had me shadow while I was there. While you may not be hired yet, you want to make sure that you support the clinic’s professional appearance. Always bring a few copies of your resume. You also want to have a list of 3-5 references (even if you emailed it to them in advance). It’s always good to have these on hand. Prepare a few questions for your interviewer about the position. If the interviewer doesn’t tell you about next steps, you should ask about them. This is so that you are aware of what timeline they are working on.

6. Send a Thank You to Your Interviewer.

Email your interviewer within 24 hours of your interview. It’s important to thank them for their time, for telling you more about the position and the clinic, that you are hopeful to be a part of the team, you look forward to hearing from them, etc. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy email, but 5-7 sentences can go a long way.

RELATED POST: Day in the Life: Medical Assistant

7. If You Don’t Hear Back in 7 Days, Follow Up Over the Phone.

The process of hiring employees can often be lengthy. There’s usually more steps that have to do with HR than an applicant might realize. However, if a week has passed and you haven’t heard an update, it doesn’t hurt to call and follow up on the status of your application. It’s important in the hiring process to be assertive without being aggressive as it shows your have the ability to take initiative.