How to Get Clinical Hours in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has some of the best clinical training environments in the world. 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 MD applicants have 150–200+ hours of direct patient contact as a minimum. Pennsylvania schools — especially Penn, Pitt, and Temple — 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 Pennsylvania Hospital Systems for Pre-Med Volunteers
Penn Medicine — Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Penn Medicine encompasses the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, and several other facilities. HUP is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the country and is the primary teaching hospital for the Perelman School of Medicine.
Jefferson Health — Philadelphia and surrounding region
Philadelphia
Jefferson Health is one of the largest hospital systems in the Philadelphia region, with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as its flagship. Jefferson Health spans 18 hospitals across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, providing broad clinical exposure across specialties.
Temple Health — North Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Temple University Hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center serving North Philadelphia — one of the most underserved urban communities in the country. Temple Health also includes Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation's leading cancer research and treatment centers.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Philadelphia
CHOP is consistently ranked as the #1 children's hospital in the country. It is a world-class pediatric research and clinical institution affiliated with the Perelman School of Medicine. Clinical exposure at CHOP is distinctive and highly valued by medical school admissions committees.
UPMC — Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) is one of the largest and most respected academic medical systems in the world, with 40+ hospitals and 800+ clinical locations across Pennsylvania and beyond. UPMC Presbyterian is the flagship teaching hospital for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Einstein Medical Center — Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is a major teaching hospital in North Philadelphia with strong programs in trauma, emergency medicine, and community health. Einstein serves a diverse, underserved patient population and is affiliated with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.
Free Clinics and Underserved Health Programs
Free clinic experience is highly valued by Pennsylvania medical schools — especially Temple, Drexel, and Penn State COM, which have explicit missions around underserved care. These experiences also give you the most meaningful patient contact stories for your personal statement.
Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility Free Clinic
A free clinic serving uninsured and underinsured patients in Philadelphia. Pre-med volunteers assist with patient intake, health education, and clinical support. Highly valued by Philadelphia medical schools for its community health mission.
Broad Street Ministry Health Clinic — Philadelphia
A free clinic serving Philadelphia's homeless and marginalized populations. Unique clinical exposure that demonstrates commitment to underserved medicine and social determinants of health.
PCOM Student-Run Free Clinic — Philadelphia
Student-run free clinic affiliated with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Pre-med volunteers can participate in patient care alongside medical students and supervising physicians.
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape Free Clinic
A free clinic in Pittsburgh providing healthcare services to survivors of sexual violence. Unique and meaningful clinical exposure for students interested in trauma-informed care.
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Health Services
Health services integrated with food bank operations in Pittsburgh, addressing food insecurity and health simultaneously. Strong community health focus valued by Pitt and Penn State COM.
Nationalities Service Center Health Program — Philadelphia
Health services for immigrant and refugee populations in Philadelphia. Exceptional for students interested in global health, cultural competency, and underserved community medicine.
EMT Certification and Medical Scribing in Pennsylvania
EMT Certification in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a robust EMS system and multiple pathways to EMT certification. Programs are available through community colleges (Community College of Philadelphia, CCAC in Pittsburgh, Northampton 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. Pennsylvania EMS certification is governed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Medical Scribing in Pennsylvania
Medical scribing is widely available in Pennsylvania through companies like ScribeAmerica and Aquity Solutions, as well as directly through Penn Medicine, UPMC, Jefferson Health, and Temple Health. 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. Penn Medicine and UPMC are particularly active scribe employers.
How to Document Clinical Hours in 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" — you get 1,325 characters for that one. Choose the experience where your reflection is deepest.
Clinical hours and volunteer hours are separate categories in AMCAS. Make sure you categorize correctly.
Do not inflate hours. Admissions committees verify, and inconsistencies raise red flags.
Pennsylvania schools — especially Penn and Pitt — look for clinical experiences that demonstrate genuine engagement, not just hour accumulation.
Planning Framework
For a full breakdown of how many clinical hours to target, what counts, and how to build a competitive clinical profile:
How Many Clinical Hours Do You Need for Medical School? →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 Pennsylvania medical schools find compelling.
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