Maximizing Your Med/PA School Application: Clinical Job Opportunities

For gaining clinical experience in a gap year before applying to medical school, here are a few strategies that might be helpful for you.

1. Explore Local Hospital and Clinic Positions

  • Entry-Level Clinical Roles: Hospitals like Spartanburg Regional and Prisma Health in Greenville, who are partnered with Wofford College, often have entry-level positions where you can gain clinical exposure, such as medical scribing, patient care tech, medical assistant, or phlebotomist roles. These positions don’t always require advanced certifications and can offer valuable patient interaction experience.
  • Shadowing Opportunities: Contact local healthcare providers and medical practices to inquire about shadowing doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals. While these are typically unpaid, they can provide significant insights into clinical settings and add to your application’s strength.

2. Look for Scribing Jobs

  • Medical scribes work directly with physicians, documenting patient encounters and gaining exposure to the daily routines and decision-making processes of healthcare providers. Companies like ScribeAmerica frequently hire scribes and may have local openings in Spartanburg, Greenville and many places across the country.

3. Seek Out Research Positions with Clinical Focus

  • University or Hospital Research Opportunities: Investigate research positions at institutions like Clemson University, USC School of Medicine Greenville, or medical research departments within local hospitals. Pathways to Science is also a great place to look for medical science research opportunities. Clinical research assistant roles can provide hands-on experience with patient populations and clinical trials, which is excellent exposure for medical school.

4. Look for Volunteer Roles with Direct Patient Interaction

5. Use Online Job Portals for Targeted Searches

  • Websites like Handshake, LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor or even Google can be useful for searching specific clinical roles within Spartanburg/Greenville. Use keywords like“medical scribe,” “patient care technician,” or “clinical research assistant,” and narrow the search to positions that allow for hands-on clinical experience.

6. Network Through Local Medical and Healthcare Communities

  • Attend local networking events, medical conferences, or career fairs aimed at healthcare professionals and students. Joining groups like South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) can help you connect with professionals and possibly find job opportunities or guidance on gaining clinical experience in the area.

7. Connect with Wofford College Alumni in the Healthcare Field

  • Access alumni resources like MyMentor or LinkedIn to reach out to Wofford graduates working in healthcare in the area. Alumni can provide insights, recommend opportunities, or even offer shadowing or mentoring.

8. Do you have your CNA License?

  • If you’re a Certified Nursing Assistant looking to gain clinical hours, especially during the summer or while taking classes, and having a hard time finding a part-time job, you might want to consider PRN CNA roles.
  • A PRN CNA (from the Latin pro re nata, meaning “as needed”) works on a flexible, fill-in basis rather than a fixed weekly schedule. These positions are designed to support healthcare teams during staff shortages, vacations, or high-demand periods.
    Why this can be a great fit for Wofford students:
    1. Flexible scheduling that works around academic commitments
    2. More opportunities to get hired, especially if full-time roles are limited
    3. Exposure to a variety of clinical settings and patient populations
  • If you want to build patient care hours for PA school or other healthcare programs, PRN roles can be a strong and practical choice.