How to network on your clinical rotations

It’s no secret that we all want to land a job either before or shortly after graduating from PA school. And for many of us, this is a process that is full of intimidation and the unknown – kind of like when we first applied to PA school. But the big difference is that we are desirable professionals and have the opportunity to network our way into opportunities. 

An underrated tip that you can pursue early on is to apply to PA programs that are in a city or state that you think you would be happy working in post-grad. This is because while you are on your clinical rotations, you will be exposed to several hospitals and outpatient offices that may be hiring. It is very possible and common to be able to find employment opportunities while on rotations, partially by being in the right place at the right time. For example, the family medicine office you’re rotating in may be looking to hire a PA and they may think that you would be the perfect addition to the office! If you know what city or state you want to work in, be sure to set up MYPABOX’s location filter to discover all of the PA programs in your area.

It’s not always so simple that the placements you’re rotating in are expressing that they want to hire someone, sometimes you have to put in the extra effort. This is done by showing that you’re an exceptional student, always being professional, arriving early, working hard and being a team player. Once those basic steps are met, you can start integrating yourself into their work culture. This will help the staff to see you are part of their team! Then you can start telling the providers you work with that you would love to work in that specialty, especially in that facility. Continue to have that conversation with all of your preceptors and ask if they know of any opportunities. Even if they are unaware of any opportunities, they can put you in contact with the hiring department. And as long as you have made a good impression, the providers should also be willing to put a good word in for you! 

You should not get discouraged if you don’t have a rotation for a specialty you’re interested in because you can still build your network while rotating through other specialties. You have to remember that your preceptor was a student at one time too with dozens of classmates that have gone into various specialties and have built a professional network of their own. With that in mind, it is always worth talking to your preceptors about the fields that you are interested in pursuing because they may be able to connect you with one of their professional friends in that specialty. 

Rotations are filled with countless opportunities to meet other professionals that you will soon be calling your colleagues. Additionally, you never know when a job opportunity may expose itself!