Experiences

It is widely expected that all applicants will have taken part in extracurricular experiences as undergraduate pre-health students that will have provided them with opportunities to learn about their intended careers and develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills that will help them to become competitive applicants and great healthcare proivders.  The experiences you choose to become involved in should provide you with a sense of fulfillment as well as challenge you to improve in various ways.  Below is an overview of some, but not all, of the experiences in which pre-health students typically participate during their time as undergraduates.  Be sure to review the Extracurricular Experiences information in the Current Students tab.

Shadowing (Exposure to profession; strictly observation)

Volunteering/Community Service (Commitment to service; Develop Cultural Awareness)

Clinical Work Experience (Dispel misconceptions about working in healthcare; begin to develop positive bedside manner)

Research/Science Courses and Labs (Develop scientific knowledge and critical thinking and reasoning skills)

Leadership Experiences (Time management, conflict resolution, mentoring, etc.)

Quality over Quantity

Time is precious, so focus on the quality of your experiences over the quantity of them.  Students have a great number of opportunities to get involved on and off campus; however, it is important to be intentional when searching for these opportunities.  Ask yourself, “Is this organization/activity something that I am personally passionate about?”, “How will this help me to learn more about my future profession?”, and “What can this teach me about other people and/or help me to become a better person?” 

Long-Term vs. Short-Term

It is perfectly fine for students to explore different opportunities early in their undergraduate careers; however, it is important that they begin to find those few special organizations and activities that they can see themselves dedicating their time to over the course of several quarters, if not years.  Limiting activities to just a few, quality experiences will help students manage their time and balance their schedules while also allowing them to develop meaningful relationships with other students, faculty, staff, professionals, and community members.

Opportunities Abroad

Please review the AAMC's guidelines for pre-health students obtaining experience abroad:

https://www.aamc.org/download/181690/data/guidelinesforstudentsprovidingpatientcare.pdf