Are you stressing about how many clinical hours for medical school you need? Generally, 100 to 150 hours is considered competitive, though requirements vary by school. Even if no strict minimum exists, clinical experience is invaluable; it demonstrates your commitment and provides insight into the realities of patient care and medical practice. Knowing how to prepare for med school applications with meaningful clinical experience strengthens your candidacy and showcases your readiness for the demands of medical school. In this guide, we’re pulling back the curtain on why clinical hours matter, what counts as clinical experience, and how to find quality opportunities that boost your application.
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How Many Clinical Hours for Medical School Are Required?
At least 100 to 150 hours of clinical experience is considered competitive when applying to medical school.
There is no specific number of clinical hours for medical school that will be universally applicable to all programs. Always check the respective admissions websites or the MSAR page of your chosen schools to confirm their medical school requirements and recommendations.
Our admissions expert, Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says in her experience, clinical opportunities are one of the most important parts of your application.
“[My clinical experiences] provided a lot of the talking points for my application. It definitely allowed me to validate medicine as well as a certain area of medicine which I talked a lot about in my application. Clinical experience is probably the #2 most important thing to medical schools following GPA/MCAT. I was told that I needed to have an experience where I was actively caring for a patient and responsible in part for their treatment ... A big piece of clinical experience is validation that medicine is the right path for you, so if you haven't been involved in patient care it's hard to justify wanting to go down this path to medical schools." – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD
Expert Tip: Look at the types of clinical experiences of accepted students at your target schools. This gives you valuable insight into what admissions committees prioritize, helping you tailor your application for success!
What Counts as Clinical Experience for Medical School?
Clinical experience must have a patient care role or involve you working directly with patients in a healthcare setting. There are a myriad of premed jobs and responsibilities in many health-related settings you can perform as a premed to gain these experiences.
It’s important to note that shadowing hours for medical school don’t count as clinical experience, as many programs have separate expectations for shadowing versus direct patient care. Also, both paid and unpaid clinical experiences are equally valuable—admissions committees are looking for evidence of your commitment to working with patients and building practical skills.
Here’s how two of our medical school admissions experts got their clinical hours for medical school:
“I had over 250 clinical experience hours before applying to medical school. This was through our local free clinic at university, interning at local clinics, and interning in the emergency room .” -- Dr. Tony Huynh, DO
"I had 300 hours of direct clinical experience and another 100 hours of shadowing. My main clinical experience was working as a patient triage volunteer at a free clinic. My job was to do the initial intake of chief complaint, basic vitals, and any initial screening like blood sugar or urine analysis." -- Dr. Monica Taneja, MD
Different Types of Clinical Experiences for Medical School
Don't forget to prepare to talk about your clinical experiences in your med school interviews!
What Doesn’t Count as Clinical Hours for Medical School?
Why Are Clinical Hours for Medical School Important?
Clinical experience demonstrates your interest in medicine and helps you get actual, lived experiences. Admissions committees want to know you’ve seriously thought about the requirements of the profession and your suitability for it.
Clinical experience is one of the most important extracurriculars for medical school, especially if you’re applying to medical schools in the US, which expect real-world clinical experience from their applicants.
“Find opportunities that place you in a setting that you’re excited about! I had friends work in hospitals, outpatient offices, and mobile vans. I’d also find a place where you have some minor autonomy to talk with patients 1:1 as this is what being a physician is all about. I’d also say longevity goes a long way, so if you are able to commit to something for at least 1 year, even if you are only working a few hours per week, it’ll show your passion for the clinical work.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD
Meaningful clinical experiences also make your application more robust. For example, when you’re writing your medical school personal statement or medical school secondary essays, clinical experiences can help you clearly communicate, with examples, why you want to become a doctor. Admissions committees are more impressed when you provide real-life examples to back up your claims.
Our admissions expert, Dr. Tony Huynh reminds students that if you’re able to put in a stellar performance during your clinical hours for medical school, you could also gain an impressive medical school letter of recommendation from your supervisor. In fact, some medical schools even ask for at least one letter from a supervisor in a clinical setting.
Expert Tip: Don’t just clock in hours—immerse yourself in your clinical experiences! Engage with patients, ask questions, and absorb the day-to-day realities of healthcare. These genuine interactions will deepen your understanding of medicine and give you valuable stories to share in your personal statement and medical school interviews.
Check out these ways to get quality clinical hours for medical school!
How to Make the Most of Your Clinical Hours for Medical School
We recommend sticking with 1 or 2 key clinical experiences that show your commitment and dedication, rather than having several short-term stints where you didn’t get a chance to grow or learn critical skills.
Be sure to keep a journal or maintain notes where you record your everyday clinical experiences and reflect on how they shape your passion for medicine, what skills you’re gaining, the qualities you’re honing, obstacles you’re facing, and so on. Noting these details as they happen will make it easier for you to recall them as you write your medical school personal statement, activity descriptions, and medical school application secondary essays.
“Doing the activity because you genuinely enjoy it, as opposed to any external motive is key to getting the most out of your clinical experience. You will be surprised by what you get in return if you go in with the right intentions and expect to gain nothing other than providing genuine service to patients.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD
Expert Tip: Maximize your clinical hours for medical school by actively seeking out diverse responsibilities within your role. Don’t just stick to routine tasks—ask to shadow different specialties or participate in team discussions. This will give you a broader perspective on healthcare and enhance your understanding of various medical roles. Plus, these experiences can lead to deeper insights that you can weave into your application, setting you apart from other candidates!
How to Get Clinical Hours for Medical School
1. Research and Apply Strategically
You must be strategic about selecting the right opportunities. There’s no point applying to several jobs that you may find very interesting but that you simply aren’t qualified for and hence have little chance of actually getting. Similarly, make sure you have the hours available in your schedule to give the opportunity your best shot. If you’re going to frequently miss shifts and put in a poor performance due to a hectic schedule, then you won’t be able to gain the meaningful experiences and skills that you’re supposed to during your clinical hours.
Also, if you already know the medical schools you’re applying to or have a broad interest in a specific medical school specialty, you can select a clinical experience that aligns with these interests. For example, consider if you’re more interested in a DO vs MD degree and try and get clinical experience with a doctor of a similar educational background as your program of interest.
Expert Tip: Create an application tracker. List the medical schools you're interested in, the specific experiences they value, and the roles you're applying for. This will help you stay organized and focused, ensuring you align your clinical opportunities with your long-term goals.
2. Explore Your Options
As you find out what kind of clinical opportunities you should be getting based on your interests and skill sets, make sure you explore all the available options and requirements.
Note that some clinical opportunities require pre-existing qualifications, experiences, and certifications. It might be worth investing some time in gaining these qualifications, for instance, beginner level EMTs only need to be trained for 1 to 4 months before they can begin working.
Expert Tip: If you are unsure which clinical experience is the right fit for you and your goals, use job shadowing to help you figure it out. Spend a few hours with professionals in various roles before committing to a position. This firsthand insight can clarify what you enjoy and guide your final choice of clinical experience.
3. Reach Out to Medical Centers
Most medical centers have volunteer opportunities available.
Another avenue you can explore are the clinical experience tie-ups between medical centers and schools, universities, or programs. Check your school website and ask your faculty members to find out what exclusive opportunities your school offers for its students to gain clinical experience. Many medical centers reserve certain opportunities for students from specific affiliated or nearby schools. Sometimes, you may find an alumni connection who could help you get a clinical job. Similarly, if you have any family or friends working in clinical settings, ask them if they need any assistance with their duties.
Finally, if you’re looking for paid work experience, check out job portals as well as the websites of clinical centers.
Expert Tip: Leverage social media for networking. Follow local medical centers on platforms like LinkedIn. Engage with their content and reach out with personalized messages expressing your interest in volunteering or internships. This proactive approach can create connections that lead to exclusive opportunities not advertised elsewhere.
FAQs
1. HOW MANY CLINICAL HOURS FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL DO I NEED?
There’s no set number of clinical hours guaranteed to get you into medical school. However, around 100 to 150 hours of meaningful clinical experience is usually sufficient.
2. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHADOWING AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE?
Shadowing is a passive activity that involves observation of clinical practice. Clinical experience involves active participation on your part, which typically includes patient care or direct patient interactions.
3. DOES AN ADMINISTRATIVE JOB IN A CLINICAL SETTING COUNT AS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE?
No, an administrative job in a clinical setting does not count unless it also involves active clinical duties such as direct patient care and interactions.
4. CAN A RESEARCH EXPERIENCE COUNT TOWARDS CLINICAL HOURS?
Premed research experience only counts as clinical hours if it involves research tasks completed in a clinical setting with direct patient care.
5. WHY ARE CLINICAL HOURS SO IMPORTANT FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL?
Clinical hours give you the opportunity to explore your interest in medicine and confirm you have the commitment, passion, and skills to become a successful physician.
6. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE?
You can get paid experience through a premed job or unpaid clinical experience through volunteer work.
7. HOW DO I GET CLINICAL HOURS FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL?
You can apply for volunteering opportunities in clinical centers such as hospitals, as well as nursing homes, hospice settings, mental health treatment facilities, blood banks, and so on. Make sure you tap into all the available resources through your university or your alumni networks.
8. WHAT CAN I DO IF I HAVE LIMITED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE?
You can choose to take a gap year and gain clinical experience or offset this weakness in your application by addressing your lack of clinical experience and emphasize your other strengths.
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1 Comments
Eileen Huang
Hi, I am looking to apply for master in physical therapy (PT), and I want to ask if it is necessary for work in a hospital? I am looking at emergency department volunteer in addition to PT assistant volunteering (PT volunteering in a long-term care, which I am going to start soon for 2 hours each week). I want to try a fast-paced environment (ER environment), but at the same time I think I am the kind of person who prefer a PT setting over a fast paced ER setting; will the admission committee think I am not suited for the PT profession?
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