Are you looking for the best pre-med jobs to boost your resume?
As a pre-med student, you might be considering going for a job to help you keep up with the daily expenses. But as a former pre-med student, I suggest going for jobs that can genuinely help you in your journey as a med student ahead.
Specific jobs in the healthcare industry are perfect for premed students. They can provide you with a rich experience, and help you navigate the medical industry easily. Plus, they can stand out on your resume too!
If you don’t wish to waste your time trying to find which job to do, I’ve compiled a list of the best ones for you. So, read on!
This post is all about the best pre-med jobs for gaining clinical experience.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.
Best Clinical Pre-Med Jobs
Benefits of Healthcare-Related Pre-Med Jobs
Before I go off about the best healthcare-related jobs for premeds, let me tell you some of the benefits that you can get through them.
1. Good for Resume Building
Even though your MCAT score and GPA are the most important factors for getting into a med school, an impressive resume can help you stand out.
Relevant medical jobs on your resume can easily show your dedication to the medical industry, and give you an edge over other applicants.
You can also ask your employers for recommendation letters, and show them to your chosen med schools.
If you soon applying to medical school and could use hands-on strategies to maximize your chances, I share the inside tips that helped me get 10 acceptances in my Free Premed Workshop.
You’ll also learn all the (unnecessary) mistakes I made in my first application cycle when I didn’t get accepted and how you can avoid them right from the start.
This is a completely free event and I hope you will get so much out of this!
2. Discover Alternate Career Paths Through Pre-Med Jobs
Getting admission into a med school can get tough sometimes. So, I believe it’s always better to have a second option ready just in case you hit a bump in the road!
When you go for medical pre-med jobs you’ll discover various alternate career paths. Even if things don’t work (hopefully, they will!), you’ll still have a career option to fall back on.
3. Get to Know About the Medical Industry
When I became a pre-med student, there were a lot of things that I didn’t know about the whole medical industry!
However, after doing some medical jobs and talking to physicians, nurses, and patients, I learned a lot. This is one of the main reasons why I insist premed students opt for related jobs.
4. Better Earning Potential
Finally, most medical jobs offer a better-earning potential compared to other jobs. This way, you can sustain yourself easily and also put up with the various costs of coaching and MCAT tests.
Comparison Table of the Best Pre-Med Jobs
The table below compares some of the best jobs for premed students in terms of average pay, difficulty level, and training period.
| Job Title | Average Pay | Difficulty | Training Period |
| Emergency Medical Technician | $42,639/year | High | Time-consuming |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $36,267/year | Medium | Medium |
| Phlebotomist | $33,836/year | Low | Short period |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | $34,888/year | Medium | Medium |
| Medical Scribe | $31,993/year | Low | Not required |
| Home Health Aide | $29,180/year | High | Not required (mostly) |
| Dialysis Technician | $43,300/year | Medium | Time-consuming |
7 Best Pre-Med Jobs for Students
Now, let’s talk about all the jobs that I’ve mentioned above, in a little more detail.
1. Emergency Medical Technician
Average Salary: $42,639/year
If you’re confused about what an EMT or Emergency Medical Technician does, let me help you out.
As the name suggests, EMTs are basically trained medical professionals who operate in emergencies. Hence, their job requires offering immediate assistance to patients.
For instance, they might have to assist paramedics if there’s an accident.
So, if you’re planning to become an EMT, you might have to help with dressing wounds, looking for any broken bones, and checking the patients for signs of serious injury.
As you’re supposed to work in emergency situations, this job is best for people who can stay calm in stressful periods.
Note that you require EMT training, along with a CPR certification to work as an EMT.
Pros:
- Hands-on experience with actual patients
- Learning how to deal with patients
- Flexible schedule
- Excellent job to have on your resume
Cons:
- Getting EMT training may take some time (around 300 to 400 hours)
- Working in high-stress situations may take a toll on you
2. Certified Medical Assistant
Average Salary: $36,267/year
If you’re not too fond of working in stressful and emergency situations, then I recommend becoming a CMA (certified medical assistant).
A medical assistant simply helps the doctors and the hospital’s staff with basic medical work. Some of the common responsibilities of a CMA include:
- Showing patients around the hospital, and taking them to the operating rooms.
- Dressing wounds and taking vital signs (like blood pressure and body temperature)
- Administering vaccinations and collecting blood samples
- Assessing patients’ health by asking basic questions about their health history.
Just like EMT, you need to attend a medical assisting program and pass the exam to be considered eligible for the role.
Pros:
- Less demanding
- Offers a chance to interact with patients
- Getting to know how things work around the hospital
- Involvement in varying types of work (both administrative and medical work involved)
Cons:
- Pay can get slightly less compared to other jobs
3. Phlebotomist
Average Salary: $33,836/year
I understand that spending days getting certified for a job as a premed student can get pretty tiring. After all, there are just 24 hours in a day!
So, if you don’t wish to spend all your time getting qualified for some job, I suggest looking for phlebotomist roles.
A phlebotomist’s work is all about collecting blood samples from patients, labeling them, and verifying patient information. Hence, you can get a job as a phlebotomist in hospitals, blood donation centers, and diagnostic laboratories.
Typically, you need to enroll yourself in a training program.
These programs can either be short (like a week or so) or long, depending on the course and the college that you’ve chosen. Then, you’ll have to appear and pass a test to work as a phlebotomist.
Pros:
- The training period is minimal and costs less compared to other medical jobs
- Offers a chance for patient interaction
- Offers a chance to do community service as well
Cons:
- Limited exposure to work
- Low pay
- Repetitive work
4. Certified Nursing Assistant
Average Salary: $34,888/year
A certified nursing assistant’s job is pretty similar to that of a certified medical assistant.
However, while researching these job roles, I found out that the basic difference between these two is that – as a CNA, you’ll be assisting a certified nurse. On the other hand, as a CMA, you can perform both medical and administrative duties.
If you’re planning to become a certified nursing assistant, you’ll have to assist the nurse in a variety of tasks as I’ve mentioned below.
- Checking the patient’s vital signs
- Dressing the patients and helping them bathe
- Helping patients with mobility (e.g repositioning them in bed)
- Offer them moral support whenever needed
- Feeding the patients
Again, you need to undergo a training program to become a certified nursing assistant and also pass a competency test.
I’d like to advise you that this job isn’t ideal for physically weak people, as you might have to lift the patients for repositioning or bathing.
Pros:
- Close contact with patients
- Getting friendly with the hospital environment and the basic tasks
- Comparatively short training period
- Gain insight into a nurse’s tasks and life
Cons:
- Can get exhausting and physically demanding
- Limited work experience
5. Medical Scribe
Average Salary: $31,993/year
Are you not interested in joining any training programs? Are you looking for a straightforward job? Well then, I suggest becoming a medical scribe.
A medical scribe’s job is simple. All you need to have is some basic computer skills, as you’ll have to record the patient’s details, like medical history, personal details, and other related information.
You might have to schedule appointments and enter the details in the hospital or clinic’s database. During the appointments, you might also have to transcribe all the necessary information shared in real-time.
One major limitation of this job is that you won’t be getting a lot of hands-on experience with the patients. Instead, the work is more on the clerical side.
Pros:
- Less demanding job
- No training is required as such
Cons:
- Low salary
- Repetitive work
- You wouldn’t gain any hands-on experience
6. Home Health Aide
Average Salary: $29,180/year
Even though a home health aide isn’t exactly involved in hospital or clinic work, it’s still a great job option if you’re looking for a truly fulfilling job.
Becoming a home health aide allows you to provide care and assistance to elderly, chronically ill, or disabled people.
Your day-to-day responsibilities might involve preparing and providing meals to the clients, assisting them in basic activities like bathing or grooming, providing moral support, and many more.
This is the one job that truly speaks to me as it allows you to make a difference in someone’s life. So, if you want that, then becoming a home health aide is the way to go!
Pros:
- Flexibility
- Best for those who want a fulfilling job
- Training isn’t time-consuming or expensive
Cons:
- Can get physically and emotionally demanding
- Pay is often less
- No such hospital or clinic exposure
7. Dialysis Technician
Average Salary: $43,300/year
As the name suggests, a dialysis technician’s job is mainly related to helping patients who require dialysis in hospitals or dialysis centers.
The common tasks include setting up the dialysis machine and helping the patients with it, monitoring the patient’s vital signs, administering medicines as guided by the physician, and keeping records of the patient’s health.
To become a dialysis technician, you’ll have to undergo a training program (which can go on for several months to a year) and obtain the necessary certifications.
This job is one of the best pre-med jobs for students who’re planning to specialize in nephrology.
Pros:
- Getting hands-on experience with patients
- Getting to know more about nephrology as a field
- Decent pay
Cons:
- Limited interaction with patients
- Limited job opportunities
Final Thoughts
You’ll find plenty of jobs in all sorts of industries. But, trust me, if you’re a premed student, opting for med-based jobs over random ones, can help you a lot in the long run.
So, I hope this list of the best pre-med jobs helps you choose the right opportunity for you!
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