Are you an Undergraduate Pre-Med student? Possibly an underclassman looking for a summer internship? Check this out!

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So, if you are an overzealous pre-med student like me, you are probably scrounging for internships by the time the summer comes. I’ve been doing some research about the best programs to look for in order to expand your experience. Many colleges have direct connections to many hospitals and foundations; however, if your school does not offer a plethora of options, it is important to look around. I’ve made a list of steps to simplify your search.

Step 1: Decide where your interest is. It is important to decide which field in medicine/health in which you are interested learning. This does not have to be the same as the concentration you choose later in your career; just something of interest that you would enjoy doing during your summer. The National Institute of Health is a great resource for this (and can be used again in Step 6).

Step 2: Lay out a plan of your summer. Look at a calendar and mark out any big family vacations, when you have to head back to school and anything that might limit your availability for a job.

Step 3: Decide where you might be interested in working. Are you an east coast local who’s interested in catching some sun and surf on the west coast? Are you from a small town and interested in working in a busy city? Or maybe, are you interested in working abroad? Whatever you are interested in, make a list of places before you start researching programs. Do this because when it all comes down to it, it is your summer, so enjoy it!

Step 4: Think about your financial situation. Finances are a pain; however, to college students, extremely important. Many internships are unpaid, aka just for the experience. These are great opportunities, but not logical for everyone. Some internships are paid, but these tend to be more competitive and long hours. If you decide to do an unpaid internship, possibly look into stipend scholarships (Check out SIP or SURF) or part time jobs in the area you want to work. For example babysitting and tutoring are jobs with a large margin of flexibility and good pay.

Step 5: Now that you have a list of interests, availability, locations and financial flexibility, it is important to fire up your favorite search engines. In all honesty, Google tends to be my favorite search engine when looking for pre-med opportunities. However, many colleges and universities also have great resources for looking at internships. (Look on the web pages for Career Services or your major).

Step 6: Now it is time for you to make a list of what your applications need! (aka application contents, deadlines and application fees) Most applications will need recommendations, resumes and an amped up list of extra-curricular activities!

Until next time, good luck!