Learn how to get clinical experience as a premed, compare clinical jobs, find volunteering opportunities, and build your first healthcare experience for medical school.
Clinical experience was one of the biggest parts of my own premed journey, but getting that very first opportunity was also one of the hardest parts. I did not come from a family in medicine, so when I started looking for healthcare experience, I had to figure out the same questions that many premed students have: what actually counts as clinical experience, which jobs will hire students without experience, whether I needed a certification, and how I was supposed to convince a clinic to give me a chance when I had never worked in healthcare before.
I eventually started working in healthcare at the end of high school and continued throughout college, accumulating more than 2,000 hours of clinical experience across urgent care, emergent care, gastroenterology, and a volunteer medical clinic. Medical assisting became the largest part of my clinical experience, but along the way I also learned how different clinical jobs compare, how to find physician mentors, how to turn one healthcare position into another opportunity, and what actually makes an experience meaningful beyond simply adding hours to a medical school application.
This section of AspiringMD is where I have organized my guides for premed students who are trying to get their first clinical experience. You can compare common premed clinical jobs such as medical assisting, scribing, CNA work, EMT, phlebotomy, and patient care positions; learn how to find clinical volunteering; understand the difference between clinical experience and shadowing; and figure out how to succeed once somebody finally gives you that first opportunity.
If you are completely new to clinical experience, I recommend starting with my complete Clinical Experience Guide for Premeds. From there, use the guides below based on where you are in the process, whether you are choosing your first clinical job, applying to a volunteer clinic, comparing scribing with medical assisting, or trying to balance a healthcare job with your college coursework.
A premed’s guide to getting your first clinical experience, succeeding in your clinical jobs, and how to meet doctors.
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Shadowing | Amcas Timing and Preparation | Building on Your First Experience | Get Your First Clinical Experience | Post Archive
Do You Need Primary Care Shadowing for Medical School?
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspiringMD Do you need primary care shadowing for med school? See current school policies, AAMC guidance, adcom advice, and what actually counts as primary care. Last updated: September 2026 No, you do not universally need primary care shadowing to get into medical school. There is no AAMC rule… Read More »Do You Need Primary Care Shadowing for Medical School?
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Is Virtual Shadowing Accepted for Medical School Applications?
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspiringMD Is virtual shadowing accepted for medical school? See 2026 school policies, AAMC guidance, admissions commentary, and when you still need in-person experience. Last updated: September 2026 Yes, virtual shadowing can be included on a medical school application, and some medical schools explicitly accept virtual shadowing. I would… Read More »Is Virtual Shadowing Accepted for Medical School Applications?
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Should Premeds Work Full Time in College or Focus on Grades?
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspireMD Learn how to balance a job with premed classes, protect your GPA, choose a realistic course load, and describe employment meaningfully on your medical school application. Should Premeds Work During College or Focus on Grades? Trying to balance college, premed requirements, employment, and the rest of your… Read More »Should Premeds Work Full Time in College or Focus on Grades?
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Premed Clinical Jobs Compared: Scribe vs MA vs CNA vs EMT and More
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspireMD Compare the best clinical jobs for premeds, including medical assistant, scribe, CNA, EMT, phlebotomist, ED tech, patient care tech, and more. Choosing your first clinical job as a premed can be surprisingly difficult because almost every option sounds useful in a different way. Medical assistants get hands-on… Read More »Premed Clinical Jobs Compared: Scribe vs MA vs CNA vs EMT and More
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Post Archive | Amcas Timing and Preparation | Get Your First Clinical Experience | Pre-Medical Tips & Tricks
Clinical Experience vs Shadowing for Medical School: What You Need
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspireMD Learn the difference between clinical experience and physician shadowing, which matters more for medical school, and how to decide whether you have enough of each. Clinical Experience vs Shadowing for Medical School One of the most confusing parts of preparing for medical school is figuring out the… Read More »Clinical Experience vs Shadowing for Medical School: What You Need
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What Does a Medical Scribe Do? How to Become a Medical Scribe as a Premed
Post By Ryan Brownlee – Founder of AspireMD Learn what medical scribes do, how to become one, whether scribing counts as clinical experience, certification requirements, and if scribing is worth it for premeds. Medical scribing is one of the most common clinical jobs premed students consider because it puts you unusually close to physicians, patients,… Read More »What Does a Medical Scribe Do? How to Become a Medical Scribe as a Premed
Are you asking yourself how do I get my first clinical job or experience, how do I meet doctors, how to do well as a medical assistant, and more?
You’ll learn all that and more here.
Get started below!