4 answers
Alyssa
Student
Corpus Christi, Texas
1
Question
Updated
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What are the most important skills and experiences I should focus on developing during my time in college to make my application stand out to potential employers, and how can I best balance my academic workload with gaining relevant experience outside of the classroom?
As a sophomore majoring in biology with a strong interest in healthcare, I’m looking to prepare for a career in the field. I have a 3.6 GPA and have completed over 250 volunteer hours at a hospital. However, I find it difficult to balance my academic workload with gaining hands-on experience. What are the most important skills and experiences I should focus on developing during my time in college to make my application stand out to potential employers, and how can I best manage my time to gain relevant experience outside of the classroom?
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4 answers
Natasha Rieder
Occupational Health Nurse
34
Answers
Wentzville, Missouri
Updated
Natasha’s Answer
This is perhaps one of the most thoughtful questions I've seen on this platform, so I hope I can give an answer worthy of it's attention!
If you have an idea of the types of companies you want to work for you can contact them to ask if they have volunteer, shadow or internship opportunities. Even shadowing one person for a single shift gives you an opportunity to get your foot in the door to make a good impression, and having prior exposure to the company would look good on your resume should you choose to apply there in the future. Not sure what you're doing for work but you could even trying getting an entry level job at one of these companies. Even if it's not in the field or department you want, again, it is still exposure to the company and that will help you stand out among other applicants.
Don't forget to use the resources you have at school! When I was in nursing school we had a dean of the school but also a dean that was specifically over the nursing program. If you have someone similar for your program of study you could contact them to see if they have any ideas or leads that would get you in the door somewhere, or at least help point you in the right direction. You can also attend job fairs or look around your school for postings for internships and job/volunteer opportunities that would help pad your resume (we had those posted all over the nursing department at my school). We also had career counselors that gave free career preparation advice, including resume writing. Contact your school admin office to see if you've got a similar resource and while you're getting help with writing your resume, they may also have some ideas on how you can make it more appealing for the employers you're looking to work for.
With all those volunteer hours I'm not surprised you're having some difficulty balancing academics and extracurricular academics! I would say consider pumping the breaks on the volunteering so you're able to devote more time directly towards these other endeavors. If volunteering is a true passion of yours maybe consider going to one weekend a month vs stopping altogether or volunteering somewhere that allows you plenty of free time to research.
Hope this helps, feel free to reach out with any other questions, and good luck!
If you have an idea of the types of companies you want to work for you can contact them to ask if they have volunteer, shadow or internship opportunities. Even shadowing one person for a single shift gives you an opportunity to get your foot in the door to make a good impression, and having prior exposure to the company would look good on your resume should you choose to apply there in the future. Not sure what you're doing for work but you could even trying getting an entry level job at one of these companies. Even if it's not in the field or department you want, again, it is still exposure to the company and that will help you stand out among other applicants.
Don't forget to use the resources you have at school! When I was in nursing school we had a dean of the school but also a dean that was specifically over the nursing program. If you have someone similar for your program of study you could contact them to see if they have any ideas or leads that would get you in the door somewhere, or at least help point you in the right direction. You can also attend job fairs or look around your school for postings for internships and job/volunteer opportunities that would help pad your resume (we had those posted all over the nursing department at my school). We also had career counselors that gave free career preparation advice, including resume writing. Contact your school admin office to see if you've got a similar resource and while you're getting help with writing your resume, they may also have some ideas on how you can make it more appealing for the employers you're looking to work for.
With all those volunteer hours I'm not surprised you're having some difficulty balancing academics and extracurricular academics! I would say consider pumping the breaks on the volunteering so you're able to devote more time directly towards these other endeavors. If volunteering is a true passion of yours maybe consider going to one weekend a month vs stopping altogether or volunteering somewhere that allows you plenty of free time to research.
Hope this helps, feel free to reach out with any other questions, and good luck!
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Alyssa
Eric Scott Gold
Entertainer
36
Answers
Newtown, Pennsylvania
Updated
Eric Scott’s Answer
Ah, the classic challenge—striving to be the perfect pre-health student while keeping your sanity intact. You're expected to juggle top-notch grades, gather clinical experience, volunteer, research, network, and still find time to sleep (yes, really!). But don’t worry, you’ve got this!
What Skills & Experiences Matter Most?
1. Clinical Experience (The Real Deal) – Having 250+ hours of hospital volunteering is fantastic, but if most of that was spent at a front desk, it’s time to step it up. Shadow doctors, become a CNA, EMT, or medical scribe to get real patient interaction and stand out.
2. Research (A Necessary Step) – Not everyone enjoys hours of pipetting, but research experience is invaluable, especially for med school or advanced healthcare roles. Even starting with small tasks counts. Bonus if you co-author a paper—boost that CV!
3. Leadership (Step Up) – Healthcare values leaders. Lead a club, organize a volunteer event, or become a mentor. It shows you can handle responsibility without breaking under pressure.
4. Soft Skills (Because Bedside Manner Matters) – Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are essential. Everyone wants a doctor/nurse/PA who connects with people.
How to Balance Your Ambitious Lifestyle?
1. The “Kill Two Birds” Strategy – Find experiences that fulfill multiple goals. Volunteering where you can interact with patients and shadow professionals is a win. Present research at a conference for extra points.
2. Schedule Like a Pro – Your planner is your best friend. Schedule study, experience-gaining, and fun time. Avoid burnout, and don’t let organic chemistry keep you up all night.
3. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity – Focus on a few meaningful, hands-on experiences rather than a long list of average ones. Admissions officers value depth over filler.
4. Use Summers Wisely – Summers are your chance to shine. Clinical internships, research programs, or certifications can give you significant experience without clashing with school.
Final Words of Encouragement
You’re already on the right track—3.6 GPA, hospital volunteer hours—so don’t stress too much. Focus on gaining the right experiences without losing sleep. Remember, coffee can be your ally. Keep pushing forward, future healthcare hero!
What Skills & Experiences Matter Most?
1. Clinical Experience (The Real Deal) – Having 250+ hours of hospital volunteering is fantastic, but if most of that was spent at a front desk, it’s time to step it up. Shadow doctors, become a CNA, EMT, or medical scribe to get real patient interaction and stand out.
2. Research (A Necessary Step) – Not everyone enjoys hours of pipetting, but research experience is invaluable, especially for med school or advanced healthcare roles. Even starting with small tasks counts. Bonus if you co-author a paper—boost that CV!
3. Leadership (Step Up) – Healthcare values leaders. Lead a club, organize a volunteer event, or become a mentor. It shows you can handle responsibility without breaking under pressure.
4. Soft Skills (Because Bedside Manner Matters) – Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are essential. Everyone wants a doctor/nurse/PA who connects with people.
How to Balance Your Ambitious Lifestyle?
1. The “Kill Two Birds” Strategy – Find experiences that fulfill multiple goals. Volunteering where you can interact with patients and shadow professionals is a win. Present research at a conference for extra points.
2. Schedule Like a Pro – Your planner is your best friend. Schedule study, experience-gaining, and fun time. Avoid burnout, and don’t let organic chemistry keep you up all night.
3. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity – Focus on a few meaningful, hands-on experiences rather than a long list of average ones. Admissions officers value depth over filler.
4. Use Summers Wisely – Summers are your chance to shine. Clinical internships, research programs, or certifications can give you significant experience without clashing with school.
Final Words of Encouragement
You’re already on the right track—3.6 GPA, hospital volunteer hours—so don’t stress too much. Focus on gaining the right experiences without losing sleep. Remember, coffee can be your ally. Keep pushing forward, future healthcare hero!
I appreciate your support, Eric Scott
Alyssa
Hammad Ahmad
Medicine
2
Answers
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Updated
Hammad’s Answer
In order to make your application stand out you need to make moves that are both helpful in your career as well as Intriguing for the interviewers.
I will break down some of the key ones:
1) Internships
Highly recommend
Could be Electives or Observations and must be done in the subspecialties you aspire
2) Problem solving skills
Again this will be Greatly helpful as you have very little time for decision making and obviously Right-Decision making
3) Networking and Management
Healthcare has wide opportunities in management and administration. Your ability to communicate and manage Different possible situations would highly boost your CV.
4) Certain Specific Skills
Courses for Writing in the sciences.Something you should devote yourself to, because most of the applicants lack the ability to write and specifically Research Article Writing.
Courses of BLS,ACLS and ATLS are high in demand these days.
Hopefully,this helps you. I would be open to more discussion.
I will break down some of the key ones:
1) Internships
Highly recommend
Could be Electives or Observations and must be done in the subspecialties you aspire
2) Problem solving skills
Again this will be Greatly helpful as you have very little time for decision making and obviously Right-Decision making
3) Networking and Management
Healthcare has wide opportunities in management and administration. Your ability to communicate and manage Different possible situations would highly boost your CV.
4) Certain Specific Skills
Courses for Writing in the sciences.Something you should devote yourself to, because most of the applicants lack the ability to write and specifically Research Article Writing.
Courses of BLS,ACLS and ATLS are high in demand these days.
Hopefully,this helps you. I would be open to more discussion.
Thank you so much, Hammad!
Alyssa
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
18
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
To become an applicant that catches the eye of those who decide who to choose amongst a large number of applicants you should continue to strive for excellent grades and test scores to clear the first hurdle. You have more volunteer hours than most applicants already. If you can demonstrate that you truly care for people through the type of volunteering you do, that's good. Things that have caught my eye when I was looking at applications include international experience, speaking more than just English, and extra-curricular activities such as music or sports. Research experience is good to have.
Be sure not to burn out. Enjoy the journey. Think of this part of your life as an expedition to explore the world. On an expedition there are always twists, turns, false crests, surprises, and disappointments - and there are beautiful moments to treasure as you learn and grow. Many in healthcare find that they end up in a different place than they expected when they started, and that's great, too.
Be sure not to burn out. Enjoy the journey. Think of this part of your life as an expedition to explore the world. On an expedition there are always twists, turns, false crests, surprises, and disappointments - and there are beautiful moments to treasure as you learn and grow. Many in healthcare find that they end up in a different place than they expected when they started, and that's great, too.
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Alyssa