Clinical Requirements

Preparing for your clinical experience

Steps to Securing a Clinical Site
The MedCerts Career Services team is here to support and partner with you in locating a site to complete your clinical requirements, as well as finding a job in your new field. We can assist when you are struggling to find a location, but it’s important to remember that students are ultimately responsible for finding their clinical sites. Please see the Clinical Handbooks in the Resources section at the bottom of this page for all of the details for completing your requirements.

Here is what you need to know and what you can expect as we work together:

• To request assistance, please submit the Ask a Career Coach form and a member of our team will respond to you within 2 business days.
• We can contact and employers in your area that we have current relationships with, as well as any employers you are interested in.  During this partnership, you should always be actively looking for a clinical site and entry-level jobs on your own, and it’s very helpful if you can provide a list of sites you’re interested in.  We will contact you if we have made a connection with an employer and have secured a clinical site for you. It can take time to find the right person at the site to discuss clinicals for students.  This is why you need to keep up the search on your end.  We want to make sure you get your clinicals done in the required time frame.
• When you find a clinical site, we may have to sign an affiliation agreement with them before you can start.  Please provide contact information on the Clinical Site Information Form so we can reach out to the employer.
• We do not perform background checks or collect vaccination records.  That will be handled between you and the clinical site.
• Clinical site hours may vary so be prepared to flex your schedule to get the clinicals done.  Generally, the hours will be on weekdays during business hours.

• Step 1: Identify Clinical Sites
  Create a list of potential clinical sites in your area.
  Create a list of potential sites in your area. Clinical requirements can be completed at one of many different medical locations, such as, but not limited to:
  • Dialysis Clinics
  • Blood Bank Clinics
  • Outpatient Clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Fire Stations (for EKG readings)
• Step 2: Contact Clinical Sites
  Contact potential sites and inquire about clinical opportunities. You may have the most success reaching the supervisor or manager if you call the site, but you can also try to send an email (see sample email language below).
• Step 3: Check Site Requirements
  If the site is willing to host you, check to see if they require MedCerts sponsorship. Be sure to gather contact information for the site supervisor or manager (Name, email, phone number, address of site).
• Step 4: Notify MedCerts
  Once you have secured a site, please complete the Clinical Site Information Form.
• Step 5: Complete required site documents and confirm start date
  Complete any documents required by the clinical site and confirm your start date. You may be required to have a criminal background check and complete a drug screening assessment. Please see the section in the Clinical Handbooks (see Resources below) on “Criminal Background Check, Drug and Other Screenings.” MedCerts does not perform background checks or collect vaccination records. That should be handled between you and the clinical site.
• Step 6: Complete and return Clinical Log Form
  Document your requirements on the Clinical Log form, and return your completed form to the MedCerts Clinical Coordinator (jpriest@medcerts.com). Once received and approved, the Clinical Coordinator will release your National Certification to you.

Tips for Identifying and Securing a Clinical Site:
Clinical site opportunities can be either unpaid volunteer positions or paid employment positions, depending on the site and their needs. Some healthcare facilities may prefer to hire you and give you the supervision you need to complete your clinical requirements upon employment. The following are some recommendations from the MedCerts Career Services team that you can utilize as you begin the process of locating and securing your clinical site.

• Strategies for finding clinical sites
  • Search online job websites (Ex: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Linked In, NHA.com) to find sites that may offer paid positions that would allow you to complete your clinical requirements.

  • Network with friends and family to see if they have any connections to healthcare facilities.

  • Healthcare professionals have many connections to a variety of facilities, and they may be able to refer you to their colleagues.

  • Utilize social networking platforms (social media, Twitter, Facebook) to let people know that you’re looking for a clinical site to complete your hands-on certification requirements.

  • Consider volunteering or job shadowing at a hospital or clinic while going through your program, to build relationships there and make some key connections. (Remember that job shadowing does not count towards completing your clinical log as the requirement is to be done by the student on live persons.)

• How to approach employers
  • Be well-prepared and treat this like you would a job search.

  • Develop and polish your resume. Writing a resume may sound daunting, but the resources in the Resume section of the Career Center will help you to get started. When you’re ready, you can send your resume to a Career Coach for feedback. Just submit an Ask a Career Coach form to request assistance!

  • Identify the appropriate department and person to approach, which may include the education department, volunteer department, or someone in human resources.

  • Prepare customized cover letters for each site you approach. A cover letter is a way to briefly introduce yourself to the employer and share your goals. The letter is a chance to demonstrate your professionalism and clarify your clinical requirements. See the Cover Letter section of the Career Center for more information.

  • Email or hand deliver your resume and cover letter.

  • Communicate promptly and professionally with the site.

  • Dress professionally for the meeting or interview (Look your best!)

• Sample email message to Clinic Supervisor/Manager
  *You can copy and paste to following text into a blank email. Make adjustments as needed to fit your situation.

  Hello,

  My name is [Student Full Name], and I’m a student at MedCerts (www.medcerts.com). I’ve recently completed a training program to prepare me for the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification and the Certified EKG Technician (CET) certification through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). I’ve passed my exams [or I’m planning to take my exams soon], and I need to complete 30 venipunctures, 10 capillary sticks, and 10 EKG readings to fulfill the certification requirements.

  Would it be possible to complete these requirements at your clinic? If required, MedCerts can sponsor me by providing a Certificate of Insurance with a signed Affiliation Agreement. You can reach me at [phone number] to discuss the details of my requirements.

  Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to talking with you soon.

  Sincerely,

  [Student Full Name]
  [Phone number]