How to Spend Your Summers as a Pre Med

I know you're probably tired of other pre med students asking you, "What are your plans this summer?" It's almost always a competition. What they're really asking is, "Is my summer internship better than your summer internship?" or "Do you even have an internship?"

via GIPHY

Unfortunately, this competition often is the motivation we need to sit down and actually apply for summer jobs and programs. 

So what is it you should be spending your summer doing? 



There is not, of course, one right answer to this question, but you must be doing something that is meaningful.


When you describe your experiences on a medical school application, it's not about what you did, but what it has made you. These experiences need to be something you can reflect on in the future that will change you for the better.

You could start with reading 6 Things You Need on Your Resume to figure out what experiences you need to round out your resume. Here are some ideas you can start with:

Research

Look into some programs through your school or internships near home. Many internships include a stipend that can help pay for living expenses in case you need to travel.

Study Abroad

Sometimes it's hard for pre med students to study abroad during the fall or spring semesters, so you should definitely consider studying abroad in the summer as an alternative. 

Mission Trips

If there is an organization that you like, whether for medical or non-medical mission trips, go on mission trips with them! They don't have to be out of the country either. There are many opportunities for missions to aid in free clinics across the country to provide health services to those without healthcare.

Volunteer

Is there an Emergency Room or free clinic near that takes volunteers? This is a great way to gain healthcare experience and engage in community service.

Something Else

Maybe you've got this super cool internship in business or foreign affairs or something unrelated to healthcare. That's just as great! You do need healthcare related experience at some point to be a good applicant, but this kind of experience can teach you other skills that you may not be able to learn in a hospital. Just make sure in a med school interview or on the application that you can describe why this experience was important to your journey and what you learned that other applicants may not have. Med schools like well-rounded applicants, and this will help you get there.

What are some valuable ways you've spent your summer? Comment below!