Patient care technician at Johns Hopkins Hospital
Academic medical center
Patient care roles can build hands-on experience in a complex clinical environment. Verify individual position requirements and responsibilities.
Maryland pre-PA planning
How to Get Patient Care Hours in Maryland
Build high-quality direct patient-care hours in Maryland through CNA, EMT, medical assistant, scribe, volunteer, and related roles.
For PA admissions, the quality and directness of your patient care matter as much as the total. Choose a role where you can describe your responsibilities, patient relationships, and growth honestly.
For the national overview, see our complete guide to patient care experience for PA school: what counts and how many hours programs require.
Routes to direct patient care
Medical assistant at University of Maryland Medical Center
Academic medical center or affiliated clinic
Clinical duties may include rooming, vital signs, documentation, and workflow support depending on training and employer policies.
EMT or clinical support role at MedStar Health
Regional health system
The regional network can offer direct patient contact and team-based care experience; confirm training and scope before committing.
Certified nursing assistant at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
Community hospital
CNA roles can build consistent hands-on patient-care experience. Verify training, hiring, and scheduling requirements for individual units.
Clinical research support role at NIH Clinical Center
Clinical research hospital
NIH roles may offer distinctive clinical-research exposure; confirm whether responsibilities meet each PA program’s direct patient-care definition.
A practical PCH plan
- 1Read each target program’s definition of patient-care experience before choosing a role.
- 2Prioritize sustained, hands-on responsibilities over job titles alone.
- 3Track dates, hours, supervisors, duties, and meaningful patient interactions for CASPA.
- 4Continue service beyond clinical employment so your application reflects both care and community commitment.
Need help choosing PA programs and building a competitive application? MedTrack Mentors provides physician-led PA admissions advising, school-list strategy, essay guidance and interview preparation. For a detailed breakdown of what counts as clinical experience and how many hours to target, see our guide to clinical hours for medical school. Prerequisite courses and patient care hour requirements vary by program — always verify directly with each program before applying.
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