Clinical rotations are an exciting chapter in your life as a student. You’ve learned concepts you’re eager to implement in a setting with real patients. Whether you know exactly where you’d like to apply or you’re open to the possibilities, you’ll want to make sure your application stands out in the electronic stack.

Site coordinators review applications and communicate with universities to place students. They know how to identify an outstanding application. Coordinators are also privy to the application blunders that cost students the clinical rotation spots they want.

What you don't do in your clinical application process is just as important as what you do. So before you hit submit, make sure you don’t make these common mistakes that site coordinators see time and time again.

Don't Forget to Do Your Own Research Before Applying

Deciding where to apply for clinical rotations can be difficult. It’s appropriate and wise to ask others for advice and input — especially those already in the field. Gathering information from others, though, doesn’t mean you should bypass the important step of doing your own research.

Personal research can better assure you the site is a good place for you — and keep you from letting someone else’s opinion limit your options.

In order to have a better understanding of a clinical site, dedicate time engaging with its online presence — its website, social media, etc. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips. Read beyond the home page. Investigate its staff, its mission statement or stated philosophy, and its history. Read blog articles to get a better sense of the organization’s philosophy and thought leadership. The more you can learn, the better.

When a particular site piques your interest, check it out in real life. Is the commute practical? What is the location like, inside and out? Can you connect with clinicians who already work there?

Don’t Apply for Clinical Rotations Quickly.

As you think back on your academic career, consider the quality of work you produced when pressed for time. Chances are that when you hurried to get the job done, you made mistakes, and it wasn’t the best indication of your knowledge and skills.

Rushing to complete your clinical rotations means you're running the risk of making mistakes that could cost you your dream job. Applications with mistakes can make a candidate with stellar grades and true passion look sloppy and careless.

In order to ensure your application is error-free:

Slow down. Aim to be the best applicant, not the first. Site coordinators anticipate that the best applicants will treat every detail with attention and care. After all, this is the manner in which they expect you to treat your patients.
Apply for a clinical rotation on a computer — not on your mobile device. While it may feel like a natural and efficient way to become an early applicant, it’s easy to check the wrong box, skip an entry, or make spelling errors on a small screen. Wait until you can get to a computer to roll up your sleeves and focus.
Draft your application sections in a separate document. Treat the application like a heavily-weighted academic paper. Write, revise, and edit details in a personal document first. Read it out loud before transferring the information to the application itself. Then, give your responses one more proofread after you transfer them to the application fields.
Have someone else check your application before submitting it. If you have a person in your life who is a skillful writer, don’t hesitate to ask for a read-through before you finalize the application. It can be difficult to spot your own mistakes.

Don’t Fake It ‘Til You Make It.

There are definitely situations that push our comfort zones (like putting on an air of confidence when speaking in public). A clinical rotation position in a specialty area, however, is not the time to fake anything — especially enthusiasm for a particular patient population.

Where you do your clinical rotations often defines your career path. Make certain you have done the required soul-searching and feel a genuine interest in the position for which you’re applying. If you pursue clinical rotations in an area about which you are uncertain or indifferent, you may find yourself on an unsatisfying career trajectory. That won’t serve your goals or those of the organization.

Bear in mind that chasing a clinical rotation you don’t actually want robs someone else of an opportunity for which they’ve been preparing for years.

Instead, apply for clinical rotations in a specialty area (pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine, etc.) if you feel truly called to it.

Don’t Give Obvious “Right” Answers on the Application.

Carefully demonstrating a sincere interest in a specialty area goes a long way on an application. But playing it safe in an effort to get the application details “right” can backfire.

You have the chance to set yourself apart from other applicants by not giving an obvious right answer to a free-response question.

For example, when the application asks for a therapeutic modification, what first comes to mind? Probably a modified squat. It’s a safe, solid answer. But it’s also the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind.

Site coordinators are looking for more than a correct answer. They are looking for a creative answer.

Brainstorm your responses and think outside the box. Show you’re able to think on your feet and adapt to a less-than-ideal situation with a patient. For example, what common household items can serve as therapeutic tools? Illustrate a real-life scenario that proves you’ll be resourceful and creative in your field.

Don’t Insist on What’s Convenient for You.

Approaching a potential clinical rotation position with a rigid list of preferences diminishes your chances of selection.

While it’s natural to want a site location close to home or to work with a particular person, these shouldn’t be your top priorities. While a seasoned clinician with more complicated circumstances may have “earned” the right to request location for convenience, you’re not quite there yet.

Think of your clinical rotation as the investment it is. Yes, it can be tough to commute, especially to a day of work for which you aren’t being paid. But it’s important to remember that the clinical rotation site has made itself willing to provide you with a rich learning environment. The experiences you will have and the people with whom you will interact can change your life forever. Don’t limit these possibilities because they require a longer commute or don’t include certain people.

Try to approach this unique time in your professional life with flexibility and gratitude. Your early efforts may eventually lead to a much more convenient professional situation.

Don’t Forget: Your Application is an Interview

The application process ought to be treated with a high degree of professionalism. You are introducing yourself and your ambitions, just like you do in an interview.

Take your time, exhibit real interest, and prove you are creative and flexible — and your application is more likely to move to the front of the line.

So do your research, and take your time with your application. And most importantly, enjoy this very special time of your education.