For students interested in any field that works with patients, it's important to get patient contact experience before you apply. How do you get experience?

Complete a Certificate or Licensure Program

A Certificate or Licensure program will give you direct patient contact and maybe even get you a paid position. Some examples include but are not limited to:

Certified Nursing Aide or Assistant (CNA): The Virginia Board of Nursing lists all CNA education programs in the state. Or, check out your local Community College for programs in your area, such as the Nurse Aide program at Tidewater Community College
Patient Care Technician: Sentara offers a 16-week program which includes 180 hours of hands-on experience https://www.sentara.edu/academics/patient-care-technician
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): Search local Community Colleges or health care institutions for programs in your area, such as Tidewater Community College. You can also check with your local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) department to see if they offer EMT training. Some cities, like Virginia Beach, offer free EMT training in exchange for a volunteer time commitment: https://ems.virginiabeach.gov/members/training/emt-academy
Dental Assisting: Become a Certified Dental Assistant.

Volunteer!

Volunteer

Look for opportunities at a local hospital in a department related to your hoped for career. For Nursing, volunteering in any area where you'll get contact with patients is great. For Nuclear Medicine Technology, try to volunteer in the Radiology department.

Hampton Roads/Coastal Virginia Hospitals
- Sentara, Bon Secours, Chesapeake Regional, and CHKD. are all hospitals or hospital groups with great volunteer programs, some right down the street from ODU.
- Interested in opportunities on the peninsula? Check out Sentara’s Williamsburg. location or Riverside Hospital in Newport News.
- Live outside of Hampton Roads? Check your local hospital’s website for information about volunteer opportunities and how to apply!
Volunteer with Hospice. Hospice organizations assist patients and their families by providing care to maintain quality of life in times where opportunities for treatment of a disease or illness no longer exist and life expectancy is less than six months.
- Check out Bon Secours, Intrepid USA Healthcare and Hospice at Home, or Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater.
Seek out Free Clinics like Chesapeake Care and Park Place Dental Clinic.
Join the Medical Reserve Corps
Look for Opportunities with Health Related Volunteer Organizations. Check out PublicHealth.org‘s page with information about why volunteering is important and how you can benefit, as well as a comprehensive list of volunteer resources to get you started.
- Life Net Health is a local organization focused on regenerative medicine and organ donation.
- The Red Cross is always seeking volunteers.
- Volunteer Hampton Roads and VolunteerMatch.com connect volunteers to opportunities and charitable organizations in the local area.
- The Virginia Dental Association Foundation offers volunteer opportunities for those interested in a career in the dental field.

Get a JOB!

Get a kpb

The opportunities are endless for those who really want to get a head start in their field. So get out and get some experience today!!!

Health Sciences Advising Center

Old Dominion University

3133 Health Sciences Building

4608 Hampton Blvd I Norfolk, VA 23529

Phone: 757-683-5137

Email: hsadvising@odu.edu

Website: http://odu.edu/hs/advising