Many healthcare programs highly recommend and/or require that students complete so many hours of shadowing within their field of interest, for a variety of reasons. Even for the programs that don’t require it, shadowing is highly beneficial as it gives prospective students the opportunity to see firsthand the roles and responsibilities of the profession they seek to enter and the healthcare field as a whole.

Below is a list of local clinics/organizations, within Union County, that students could potentially shadow at; along with contact information. Clinics are organized by occupation/healthcare specialty.

*Every clinic/organization reserves the right to accept or reject students for shadowing purposes and can have their own separate application requirements and/or approval process that students must follow.

While not every program requires Patient Care Experience (PCE) (aka hands on experience with patients), students who take part in such opportunities often find that it helps them determine if that healthcare field is right for them.

Many programs view PCE differently from Healthcare Shadowing and can prefer/require it. Oftentimes, in these cases, there tends to be a certain hour requirement within particular PCE positions that the program(s) is looking for. Students should make sure to review each program and their requirements/preferences for these hours and/or positions carefully, as they can widely vary between each program.

Common positions students seek to gain PCE hours are typically within the Allied Health Professions area, which can require a certain amount of training. Below is information on potential training programs/positions  you could pursue:

At its core, healthcare is a service based industry. Without experience providing true community/volunteer services, students in professional programs often struggle to connect with their peers, patients, and the overall mission and outlook of healthcare providers.

While most programs don’t require a certain amount of community/volunteer hours, it’s beneficial for prospective students to have enough experience that they can reference when asked. Ideally, finding a volunteer organization or project that aligns with the students interests and passions is best, as it’s traditionally more sustainable and meaningful.

An increasing desire from healthcare programs is to see proof of enrichment activities on a students resume and experience lists. Such activities can include, but are not limited to, clubs/societies, summer programs, research groups, etc..

EOU offers a wide array of student clubs/societies that students can take part in, including several health/science based options, such as: Pre-Professional Health Club, Pre-Health Society (NEOAHEC based), Pre-Veterinary Club, Chemistry Club, Psychology Club, Math Club, and the Science Journal.

The activity(ies) a student joins does not have to be health/science based. The key is finding ones the student enjoys and can show active and consistent involvement in. The ultimate goal is to showcase the ability to manage an academically rigorous schedule, while also being able to take part in extracurricular activities that the student enjoys and is passionate about.

Below is information on a variety of activities that students can participate in that often count towards enrichment experiences: