Are you attempting to secure admission into medical school, a postgraduate physicians assistant program, nursing school or some other type of health science training program? Well, the admissions committees of these programs scrutinize the amount and quality of applicants’ previous clinical experiences when making crucial decisions to either accept or reject. And, of course, you want that almighty acceptance letter.

A variety of ways exist for applicants to amass valuable clinical experience prior to applying to medical school and/or other healthcare training programs. In addition, many collegiate admissions officers have approved the following routes as valid ways of gaining clinical experience. So, without further ado, the following methods will enable applicants to accrue clinical experience.

1. Become a personal care attendant – Personal care attendants are professional caregivers who assist aging, handicapped and disabled clients to perform daily living activities such as grooming, dressing, bathing, light meal preparation, feeding, cleaning and transfers. Legacy Healthcare Careers offers a state-approved 2-day personal care attendant course with job placement assistance for those who are seeking clinical experience.
2. Become a nursing assistant (CNA) – Certified nursing assistants work under the supervision of licensed nursing staff to provide basic care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, home health companies and other types of healthcare settings. Legacy Healthcare Careers offers a state-approved 10-day CNA training program with job placement assistance for those who are seeking clinical hours.
3. Become a phlebotomy technician – Phlebotomists, also known as phlebotomy technicians, are allied healthcare workers who withdraw blood, collect specimens and perform a variety of other duties as dictated by the agency that employs them. Legacy Healthcare Careers offers a fast-track phlebotomy technician training program that qualifies graduates for national certification as a certified phlebotomy technician (CPT) through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT).
4. Obtain volunteer experience – many hospitals, hospice companies and nursing homes seek compassionate individuals to volunteer their time and efforts. Volunteering is a free way to accumulate clinical hours and give back to the community. In addition, some admissions officers accept clinical experience that comes from volunteering.
5. Obtain shadowing experience – many schools, hospitals, healthcare companies, and other facilities offer clinical shadow programs for individuals interested in amassing clinical hours and/or learning more about specific healthcare careers or specialties. For those in Texas, Legacy Healthcare Careers offers shadowing experiences in the following specialties:
   1. Geriatrics (long term care)
   2. Internal medicine
   3. Optometry
   4. Obstetrics/gynecology

Call 682.626.5266 for more information regarding the clinical experiences that are offered by Legacy Healthcare Careers.