How to Get Clinical Hours in Michigan
Michigan has some of the best clinical training environments in the country — starting with Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Henry Ford Health in Detroit, and the Cleveland Clinic's Michigan locations. Here is where to find meaningful patient contact hours and how to document them correctly for AMCAS.
How many clinical hours do you need?
Most competitive Michigan MD applicants have 150–300+ hours of direct patient contact. Michigan schools — especially Michigan Medicine and Wayne State University School of Medicine — value clinical experience in underserved settings. Quality and reflection matter as much as raw hours. A student with 200 hours and a compelling narrative will outperform a student with 500 hours and nothing meaningful to say about them.
Dr. Tomei's Perspective
Major Michigan Hospital Systems for Pre-Med Volunteers
Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan)
Ann Arbor
Michigan Medicine is one of the top academic medical centers in the country. Pre-med volunteers and scribes gain exposure to complex cases across virtually every specialty. Apply through the Michigan Medicine volunteer office early.
Henry Ford Health
Detroit
Henry Ford is a major health system serving Detroit and southeast Michigan. Strong for pre-meds who want to demonstrate commitment to urban and underserved communities.
Detroit Medical Center
Detroit
DMC is an academic medical center affiliated with Wayne State. Excellent for pre-meds seeking diverse clinical exposure in an urban setting.
Beaumont Health
Royal Oak/Troy
Beaumont is one of the largest health systems in Michigan. Multiple campuses across southeast Michigan offer volunteer and scribe opportunities.
Sparrow Health System
Lansing
Sparrow is the major academic medical center in Lansing, affiliated with MSU. Strong for pre-meds at Michigan State seeking clinical hours close to campus.
Spectrum Health / Corewell Health
Grand Rapids
Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum) is the dominant health system in west Michigan. Strong for WMed pre-meds and students in the Grand Rapids area.
McLaren Health Care
Flint/Statewide
McLaren operates hospitals across Michigan including Flint, Bay City, and Petoskey. Strong for pre-meds in mid-Michigan and northern Michigan seeking clinical exposure.
Free Clinics and Underserved Health Programs
Free clinic experience is highly valued by Michigan medical schools — especially Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Central Michigan University, which have explicit missions around underserved and rural care. These experiences also give you the most meaningful patient contact stories for your personal statement and AMCAS essays.
Michigan student-run free clinic
The University of Michigan's student-run free clinic offers meaningful patient interaction for students committed to underserved care.
Wayne State student-run clinic
Wayne State's student-run clinic in Detroit offers direct exposure to urban community health.
Lansing Community Free Clinic
The Lansing Community Free Clinic offers meaningful patient interaction and service opportunities for pre-meds.
EMT Certification and Medical Scribing in Michigan
EMT Certification in Michigan
Michigan has a robust EMS system and multiple pathways to EMT certification. Programs are available through community colleges (Washtenaw Community College, Oakland Community College, Henry Ford College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College) and typically take 3–6 months. EMT work provides some of the highest-quality clinical hours available to pre-med students — direct patient contact, real emergencies, and a clear demonstration of commitment to medicine. Michigan EMS certification is governed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Medical Scribing in Michigan
Medical scribing is widely available in Michigan through companies like ScribeAmerica and Aquity Solutions, as well as directly through major Michigan health systems including Michigan Medicine, Henry Ford Health, and Detroit Medical Center. Scribing gives you direct exposure to physician decision-making and clinical documentation. It counts as clinical experience in AMCAS and often leads to shadowing opportunities with the physicians you work with. The Detroit and Ann Arbor healthcare communities offer scribing positions across virtually every specialty.
How to Document Clinical Hours in AMCAS and AMCAS
Log every clinical experience separately in AMCAS — do not combine hospital volunteering and free clinic work into one entry.
For each experience, record the organization name, supervisor name and contact, start/end dates, and total hours.
AMCAS gives you 700 characters per experience description. Use them to describe what you did, what you observed, and what you learned.
One experience can be designated as "Most Meaningful" in AMCAS — you get 1,325 characters for that one. Choose the experience where your reflection is deepest.
Clinical hours and volunteer hours are separate categories. Make sure you categorize correctly in AMCAS.
Do not inflate hours. Admissions committees verify, and inconsistencies raise red flags — especially at Michigan schools where committee members may know the institutions personally.
Michigan schools value underserved medicine experience. If you have free clinic or public hospital hours, make sure they are prominently featured in your application.
Need Help Building Your Clinical Profile?
Clinical hours are only as valuable as how you write about them. Dr. Tomei can help you build a clinical narrative that Michigan medical schools — and AMCAS reviewers — find compelling.
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