Types of Pre-Health Experiences: What Counts and Why

Health professional schools look for intentional, sustained experiences that help you understand healthcare, serve others, and grow personally and professionally. You do not need to do everything. Quality, reflection, and consistency matter more than quantity.

Students should aim for a balanced combination of:

  • Patient-facing clinical experience
  • Professional-facing clinical exposure
  • Non-clinical community service
  • Leadership or service-based leadership
  • Research experience

Note: Meaningful, long-term engagement matters more than the total number of experiences.

Clinical Experience (Patient-Facing)

Direct interaction with patients in healthcare or care-adjacent settings. These experiences demonstrate comfort with patients, empathy, communication skills, and understanding of patient care environments.

  • Physician or provider shadowing (in-person or virtual)
  • Medical scribing positions
  • Patient support or ambassador roles
  • Hospice volunteering
  • Clinic-based roles with patient interaction

Clinical Exposure (Professional-Facing, Limited or No Patient Care)

Observational or support roles that focus on understanding healthcare professions, systems, and workflows rather than direct patient responsibility:

Local and Regional Opportunities:

Community Service (Non-Clinical)

Service activities that support communities outside of healthcare settings. These experiences are essential and highly valued by admissions committees. See this list of Pierce County-endorsed volunteer opportunities.

Leadership & Service

Roles that involve responsibility for organizing people, leading projects, mentoring others, or coordinating programs. Leadership may occur within clinical or non-clinical settings.

  • Rotary Club leadership roles
  • Volunteer team leads or coordinators
  • Student organization leadership
  • Peer mentoring roles
  • Camp counselor or youth leadership programs
  • Leadership roles within community service organizations

Public Health

Experiences focused on population health, prevention, outreach, and access to care rather than individual clinical encounters.

Research Experience

Experiences that involve inquiry, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of knowledge. Research may be basic science, clinical, or community-based.

Employment and Skill-Building Experience

Paid roles that build professional competencies relevant to healthcare, even if not strictly clinical.

  • Medical scribe positions
  • Healthcare administrative roles
  • Customer service or support roles with sustained responsibility
  • Part-time employment demonstrating reliability and teamwork

See PLU Career Services for job exploration.

Connect with alumni through LuteLink.

Community Engagement

In addition to clinical experience, medical schools prioritize applicants who demonstrate a commitment to service and working in communities different from their own. Consider some type of volunteer experience, such as helping out at a food bank or soup kitchen. There are endless opportunities for you to volunteer your time, many of which you can find out about through your university, local churches, community newspaper/bulletin, or personal acquaintances. Admission committees don’t have a specific list of “appropriate” volunteer opportunities – choose volunteer opportunities that are meaningful to you.

Below are some organizations to look into for community engagement opportunities:

Academic Research

Academic research experience is not required by most medical schools, but it is certainly valued. Undergraduate research will undoubtedly enhance critical skills in communication, independent thinking, creativity and problem-solving.

Below are some programs to look into for research opportunities:

Finding Experiences

Lute Link

  • A resource to connect with PLU alumni, including physicians.
  • Reach out to PLU alumni for advice on finding a clinical experience and/or other insights into the medical profession.

Pre-Health Sciences Student Google Group

  • Join using your PLU email address.
  • Learn about opportunities that are shared with us.