Skip to main content
Kraena Pre-Health
Begin with no experience and no existing connections.Explore your options
Practical guidance for gaining healthcare experience

Start gaining experience before you feel fully ready.

Learn how to find shadowing, volunteering, certifications, research, community service, and entry-level healthcare jobs without relying on personal connections.

Explore Experience OptionsView Outreach Templates
Beginner-friendly optionsStep-by-step guidanceReady-to-use templates

Experience plan preview

A realistic first semester

Week 1Choose two career areasDirection
Week 2Prepare résumé and outreach emailPrepare
Week 3Contact five organizationsApply
Week 4Begin one consistent experienceStart

You do not need everything at once.

One well-chosen, consistent experience is usually more useful than several unrelated activities.

Build a personal plan

6

Experience pathways

3

Outreach templates

6

Planning steps

1

Clear starting point

Experience with a purpose

Do not collect activities. Learn what each experience is meant to teach you.

Different experiences answer different questions.

Shadowing can help you understand a profession. Volunteering can build service experience. A clinical job can teach responsibility and patient care. Research can strengthen scientific thinking. The strongest plan begins by choosing the right purpose.

Explore a profession

Observe the role and decide whether the daily work interests you.

Serve consistently

Contribute to patients, families, or communities over time.

Build clinical responsibility

Gain direct exposure through structured work or training.

Develop academic skills

Learn research, data, evidence, and scientific collaboration.

Experience options

Choose the type of exposure you actually need.

Review the purpose, commitment, examples, and first steps for each pathway.

Career Exploration

Shadowing

Observe a healthcare professional in their work environment and learn about responsibilities, workflow, communication, and patient care.

Commitment

A few hours to several days

Compensation

Usually unpaid

Best purpose

Understanding what a healthcare professional actually does during a normal workday.

Common examples

Physician shadowing
PA shadowing
Nursing observation
Physical or occupational therapy observation
Dental office observation

First steps

  1. 1Choose two or three professions you want to understand better.
  2. 2Create a short and professional outreach message.
  3. 3Contact local clinics, private practices, hospitals, or professionals.
  4. 4Track every request and follow up respectfully.

Important consideration

Shadowing rules vary by organization. Some facilities may not allow minors or may require privacy training, vaccination records, or background checks.

Your experience roadmap

Go from interested to involved.

Use this process for shadowing, volunteering, research, certifications, and entry-level healthcare jobs.

01

Choose the purpose

Decide whether you need career exploration, patient contact, service, technical skills, or paid experience.

02

Check the requirements

Review age limits, certifications, vaccinations, background checks, transportation, and weekly commitment.

03

Prepare your materials

Create a simple résumé, professional email, availability list, and short explanation of why you are interested.

04

Apply broadly

Contact several organizations and professionals instead of depending on one opportunity.

05

Follow up professionally

Send one polite follow-up after approximately one week if you have not received a response.

06

Reflect and document

Track dates, responsibilities, lessons learned, and meaningful moments while details are still fresh.

Outreach templates

You do not need the perfect connection. You need a professional first message.

Keep outreach short, specific, respectful, and easy to answer. Personalize every message before sending it.

Do not send the same generic email everywhere.

Mention the profession, organization, research subject, or reason you selected that recipient.

Subject

Student Shadowing Inquiry

Hello,

My name is [Your Name], and I am a [high school/college] student exploring a future career in healthcare. I am currently learning more about [profession or specialty] and would be grateful for the opportunity to observe your work for a few hours.

I understand that patient privacy and office policies must come first, and I am willing to complete any required forms or training. My schedule is flexible on [days or times].

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]

Replace every bracketed section and personalize the message before sending it.

Before applying

Prepare the basics once, then use them everywhere.

You do not need an extensive professional background. You do need clear materials and reliable availability.

01

One-page résumé

Include education, work, service, leadership, skills, certifications, and availability.

02

Professional email

Use a simple address that includes your name and check it regularly.

03

Real availability

Know which days and hours you can consistently commit before applying.

04

Short introduction

Be ready to explain who you are, what you are exploring, and why you contacted them.

05

Required records

Some roles may request identification, vaccines, background checks, or training.

06

Tracking system

Record contacts, dates, replies, deadlines, requirements, and follow-up dates.

Quality over collection

More hours do not automatically mean more meaningful experience.

Consistency

A recurring commitment shows more than several unrelated one-day activities.

Responsibility

Look for opportunities where others depend on you to be prepared and reliable.

Reflection

Understand what you learned about patients, teams, systems, and yourself.

Progression

Over time, move from observation into stronger skills, service, or responsibility.

Document your growth

Record more than the number of hours.

Keep notes about responsibilities, challenges, meaningful interactions, teamwork, and what the experience taught you about your future path.

Organization and supervisor
Dates and total hours
Responsibilities performed
Skills developed
Important situations or lessons
How the experience affected your career decision

Experience log example

Hospital Volunteer

Organization

Community Hospital

Dates

September–December

Commitment

4 hours per week

Total Hours

48 hours

Reflection

I learned that supporting patients often involves communication, patience, and small practical actions. I also observed how nurses, transport staff, volunteers, and front-desk teams coordinate care.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not let urgency create a weak experience plan.

Paying before verifying

Confirm that certifications are required and recognized before purchasing training.

Sending generic messages

Personalized outreach is more credible and easier for recipients to answer.

Overcommitting

Choose a schedule you can maintain during exams, work, and personal obligations.

Collecting random hours

Choose experiences that help you explore, serve, learn, or build responsibility.

Ignoring nonclinical service

Meaningful community service can develop skills and perspective that clinical roles may not.

Failing to reflect

Hours become more useful when you understand what they taught you.

Frequently asked questions

Before you begin

Review common questions about hours, shadowing, certifications, and finding opportunities.

You do not need to rush into advanced clinical work. High school students can begin with career exploration, volunteering, CPR training, community service, and age-appropriate observation opportunities.

Your first step does not need to be perfect

Choose one experience that helps you learn, serve, or grow.

Build a realistic plan based on your career interests, availability, location, and current experience level.

Build My Experience Plan