4 Tips for Hitting the Career Ground Running after Med School

Med school is likely one of the most stressful challenges that any individual seeking a career in healthcare will ever undergo, but there are still more challenges to overcome after graduating from it. Seeking an internship, starting a practice, and perhaps even building up your own reputation amongst potential clients and colleagues are just a few of the arduous tasks left to accomplish.

Below are four tips that you can use to hit the ground running with your healthcare career after you graduate med school.

1. Start Applying for an Internship

If you're fresh out of med school, then the first thing you will want to do is to apply for an internship that specializes in your chosen field of medicine. Start asking around, visiting practices and hospitals, and advertising your strong points to places that offer internships.

The reason it's important to do this as early as possible is because internships for surgeons and other in-demand professions tend to be hard to acquire. They become even harder to get as you wait for them to become available, as hospitals and practices tend to prefer fresh graduates over ones whom have stayed idle after graduation.

2. Join the America Medical Association as a Student

One of the best ways to begin building contacts that can help you start your medical career is by being a part of the American Medical Association Medical Student Section (AMA MSS). This allows you to open your career opportunities while gaining invaluable experience that will make you more attractive to potential employers and patients in the future.

3. Utilize Social Networking

Social networking is one factor that employers and patients are relying upon when they choose healthcare providers.

For example, LinkedIn is one of the best places to demonstrate to your patients how experienced and patient-centric you are. Professionals like Dr. Gilbert W. Webb on LinkedIn, who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine, utilize the social media site to inform their patients of how they can provide them with better care.

In addition to providing more readily available information, a complete social networking profile shows that you have the skills to adapt to changing technology. This makes you even more impressive as a medical professional.

4. Stay Updated

The most important thing to realize about medicine is that it is constantly evolving. New discoveries are made every single day, and they can significantly improve upon older treatment methods.

Staying updated on the latest medical studies and news is an important part of your continued medical education, which applies even after graduation from med school. Subscribe to a few popular medical journals in your field to gain invaluable insights on new healthcare discoveries.

Staying Ahead of the Competition

You will always be competing against your peers to provide the best medical treatment to your patients. It doesn't matter if you work as a surgeon in a hospital or if you form a general practice of your own. Staying ahead of the competition will allow you to not only be viewed as more valuable as a medical professional, but it will also allow you to provide significantly better treatment to your future patients.

About the author: A recent college graduate from University of San Francisco, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she's used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.