Experiential, Summer, & Growth Year Opportunities for Pre-Health Students
Aside from coursework, the primary experiential areas to be engaging in as you prepare for a health professional career are shadowing & volunteering, research (whether lab-, clinical, or community-based), and clinical exposure & direct patient care.
Experiential opportunities like these will enhance your skills and understanding of healthcare.
In addition to the links and opportunities listed below, students are encouraged to explore jobs, internships, fellowships, and other opportunities on Handshake, especially through use of the Health Professions Collection.
Regardless of the health profession you are considering, admissions committees need to know that you have pursued quality shadowing opportunities and that you have persisted in finding those experiences. Longitudinal experiences and volunteering directly with patients in a clinical setting are strongly encouraged, and required for many programs.
Explore the sections relevant to you and your health professional goals as you are planning your summers or Growth and Professional Development Year(s).
For shortcuts to each category, use the QuickLink Buttons below!
Shadowing & Clinical Volunteer Opportunities
Shadowing and volunteering in clinical settings provide evidence that you have a clear understanding of the day-to-day commitments required for your health profession.
Locally, we have two hospitals where you can seek out volunteer opportunities to gain patient interaction and to learn about the workings of a healthcare system. Middlesex Hospital is a ten-minute walk from campus, and MidState Medical Center is on the outskirts of Meriden, about eight miles away.
The Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center directed by Michael Antunes, PT, DPT, DNT, also welcomes students as volunteers and for shadowing, and is close to campus.
For Veterinary Medicine, consider the Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital.
For Dental Medicine shadowing, Dr. Peter Gletzakos, DMD and Dr. James McGrath, DMD, have both welcomed our students to their practices.
There are also several student organizations and clubs that serve the community and can provide you with transferable skills.
Here is a list of a few of these student groups: Habitat for Humanity, WesEMT Club, WesGilead, WesAge, ASHA, WesBuddies, Food Rescue, Wesleyan Doula Project, Wesleyan Refugee Project, and WesInterpreters.
An EMT course is offered on campus through OnSceneTraining, LLC. Contact the student leader of WesEMT Club for more information.
On-Campus Laboratory Research
Basic science research is generally not a requirement for medical school admission, and in fact, some Wesleyan students continue on to health professional schools without ever working in a lab.
Successful medical school applicants usually demonstrate the ability to pursue an area of study in depth. This could be basic science research, clinical research, or a thesis—even one in a non-scientific subject. The experience of formulating an original research question and critically analyzing data or information does not necessarily have to occur in a basic science research lab.
However, for students majoring in the sciences, the experience of working in a research lab can significantly enhance your college experience, and increase your competitiveness as an applicant.
It is often a good idea to reach out to professors whose work you are interested in participating in as early as your first year. Even if they do not yet have room in their labs for you, it is good to note your interest. Professors may allow you to sit in on lab meetings, which can deepen your understanding of the lab work and help you form relationships with the people involved, both students and faculty.
Research requires extended time to become familiar with the instrumentation, laboratory techniques, scientific protocol, research literature of the lab/project, collection and analysis of data, and to engage in scientific writing in order to publish results. Students should understand that if they are hoping to do research they will need to set aside regular blocks of time to devote to this endeavor.
Undergraduate students who work in research labs often spend two or more years working in a lab.
A 10-15 hour per week commitment is a reasonable expectation on the part of a mentor who considers allowing a student to work in their lab. It is possible that some projects may require smaller time commitments, but rarely less than 8 hours per week. A research project involves doing something new, and, because it has not been done before, it may not be possible for a professor to tell a student how long it will take to accomplish the planned work. However, the idea that the student may be doing ground-breaking work is often motivating enough to secure a commitment.
The Wesleyan Research Directory is your go-to for finding out which faculty members are doing research by department.
Internships & Summer Programs
The lists below are separated out by program type—such as research, clinical opportunities, public health and community service, and specialized programs—as well as audience: programs geared specifically to under-represented, minority, or disadvantaged students, and programs explicitly accepting international applicants.
Research Internships & Programs
If you are considering an MD/PhD or physician-scientist track, research experience is especially important—see the More About Medicine page for guidance specific to that pathway. You can also review this AAMC Resource: MD-PhD Summer Undergraduate Research Programs.
The programs listed below range from university-affiliated Summer Undergraduate Research Programs (SURPs) to industry research internships at major biomedical and pharmaceutical companies. Most SURPs are structured cohort experiences that include mentorship, defined research projects, and often housing or a stipend—making them well-suited for a summer or as part of a Growth Year. Applications are typically due in winter or early spring for summer programs, so planning ahead is essential.
The NSF REU database is a valuable search tool for finding additional research experiences beyond those listed here, including programs in biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and public health.
- Albany Medical College PURPOSE Program
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine – SURP
- American Heart Association Undergraduate Student Fellowship Program
- Amgen Scholars Program
- Baylor College of Medicine SMART Program
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Research Assistant
- Boston University REU Program
- Broad Institute Summer – GAP Opportunities
- Brown Summer Research Early Identification Program (MD-PhD track)
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Chester Summer Scholars Program Cleveland, Ohio
- Churchill Scholarship (Post-graduate opportunity)
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital – Undergraduate Summer Internship
- Cornell Weill Medical College Summer Research Fellowship
- The Department of Health and Human Services
- Drexel University Summer Research Program
- Feinstein Summer Visiting Scholar Research Program – Cohen Children’s Medical Center – Northwell Health
- Hartford Hospital Summer Student Research Fellowship – Residency, Internship, & Fellowship Programs
- Health Career Connection
- Health Sciences and Technology (HST) MIT Summer Institute
- Indiana University School of Medicine – Undergraduate Summer Programs
- The Leadership Alliance Summer Training Research Program – The Summer Research Early Identification Program
- Lankenau Summer Internship Program (Philadelphia)
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology – Washington University in St. Louis
- Mayo Clinic – Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- Michigan Health Sciences Summer Institute
- Mount Sinai – Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- Mount Sinai Brain Injury Research Center – Volunteer Program
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Post Bacc and Summer Biomedical Research
- NYU School of Medicine Grossman SURP
- NYU Langone Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation SURP
- NYU Langone Risk Rehabilitation Health Career Opportunity Program
- NYU Orthopedic Surgery SURP
- NYU SURP at Vilcek Institute of Biomedical Sciences
- Pacific Lutheran University Division of Natural Science
- PROMISE (Penn State Research Training in Oncology and Medicine to Inspire Student Engagement)
- Stowers Graduate School Summer Scholars Program
- Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation – Research Associate Positions
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- University of Iowa
- University of Minnesota
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine
- University of Texas-Houston
- University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
- University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Pharma Research Internships
Clinical & Direct Patient Care Experiences
Direct patient care experience is among the most heavily weighted components of a health professions application. Unlike shadowing—which is observational—direct patient care places you in an active role alongside patients, whether as a medical scribe, clinical assistant, emergency medical technician, or volunteer in a hospital or community health setting.
Admissions committees want evidence that you have tested your commitment to patient interaction and understand what sustained clinical work actually demands.
The programs below range from structured summer internships at major academic medical centers to gap year positions and ongoing volunteer roles. Many can be pursued during the academic year as well as over the summer or a Growth Year.
- Abington Hospital Jefferson Health Pre-Med Program, Philadelphia, PA
- AIDS Health
- Albert Einstein Medical Center Pre-Med Program, Philadelphia PA
- APDerm Gap Year as a Medical Assistant
- Atlantic Health System: Overlook Summer Internship Program
- Atrius Health in Massachusetts
- Children’s Hospital Boston
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- CityMD Urgent Care in New York/New Jersey – Medical Scribe/Assistant
- Cohen Children’s Medical Center—Northwell Health
- DermCare Fellowship Program
- Dialysis Clinic, Inc., Collegiate Medical Summer Internship Program
- Found in Translation – Language Access Fellowship for Medical Interpreter Training
- Frontier Nursing Service – Courier Program, Wendover, KY
- Harvard Orthopedic Trauma Summer Internship
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – Healthcare Career Track
- Kuchnir Dermatology Clinical Assistant GAP Program
- Long Island Jewish Medical Center Volunteers (Northwell Health)
- Marcus Autism Center – Fellowship opportunities, including Undergraduate and Graduate Practicum
- MedServe
- Neuropathology Brain Bank Summer Internship at Mount Sinai
- New York Presbyterian Hospital Westchester, NY
- Project Health Care– Bellvue Hospital Center, NY
- Reconnect Gap Year Fellowship
- Research Assistant Program – Yale/Bridgeport Hospital
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Summer Clinical Internship
- ScribeAmerica
- Schweiger Dermatology Group
- St. Jude Pediatric Oncology Education Program
Programs for Under-Represented, Minority, & Disadvantaged Students
Explore specific programs oriented towards under-represented, minority, & disadvantaged students below.
These programs indicate that preference will be given to U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups and socio-economically disadvantaged students, and/or these programs show a particular interest in serving members of those groups.
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine – Hispanic Center of Excellence Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program
- American Heart Association
- Biomedical Research Apprentice Program – Washington University in St. Louis
- CDC – Office of Minority Health and Health Equity
- Center for Multicultural Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
- Cooper Medical School at Rowan University PULSE-Premedical Urban Leaders Summer Enrichment Program
- Cornell University Medical College Gateways to the Laboratory
- Cornell University Medical College Travelers Summer Research Fellowship
- Creighton University – Summer Research Training Program
- Des Moines University Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program
- Drexel University College of Medicine/Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Georgetown University Academy for Research, Clinical, & Health Equity Program
- Georgetown University School of Medicine ARCHES Fellowship
- Hartford Hospital Summer Student Research Fellowship
- Harvard Medical School – George Church Lab (Department of Genetics)
- Harvard Medical School – Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program
- Harvard School of Public Health – Summer Internship in Biological Sciences in Public Health
- Jackson Laboratory, Summer Student Program
- The Jefferson Step-Up Program
- Mayo Clinic
- Marquette University School of Dentistry – Summer Science Enrichment Program
- MGH Summer Research Trainee Program – for underrepresented students
- Michigan Health Sciences Summer Institute
- Minority Access Internship Program
- National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Diseases STEP-UP
- NERA MedPrep Health Careers Opportunity Program
- Northeast Regional MedPrep Program
- Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Stanford School of Medicine – Health Careers Opportunity Program
- Students Training in Academia, Health, and Research (STAHR)
- Summer Health Professions Education Program – (SMDEP) At thirteen locations throughout the country
- SUNY Downstate/Brooklyn Summer Research Program
- Tufts University – Summer Research Program for Undergraduate Minority Students
- The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP) – The Broad Institute
- UCLA Prep
- University of Alabama (UAB) – SIBS (Summer in Biomedical Science) program
- University of Cincinnati – Summer Premedical Enrichment Program
- University of Massachusetts Medical Center – Combined Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity
- University of Michigan Future Public Health Leaders Program – Residential Summer Program
- University of Michigan Health Services Management – Summer Enrichment Program
- University of Pennsylvania Summer – Pre-Med Enrichment Program
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine – Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment. Program
- USC Bovard Scholars Pre-Med Academy
- University of Utah – Summer Research Opportunity Program
- Virginia Commonwealth University – Summer Academic Enrichment Program (Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy)
- Zucker School of Medicine – College Pipeline Program (CPP)
Summer Opportunities for International Students
- Pathways To Science – Browse a list of all types of summer research programs
- Georgetown University Academy for Research, Clinical, & Health Equity Program
- Harvard Undergraduate Summer Research Internship in Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- MaineHealth Institute for Research: Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Mechanist Biology Summer Program
- School of Medicine & Dentistry Rochester Summer Scholars Program
- Siteman Cancer Center Leah Menshouse Springer Summer Opportunities Program
- Stowers Graduate School Summer Scholars Program
- University of Minnesota Lando/NSF REU in Chemistry
- University of Texas Southwestern Biomedical Sciences SURF
Finding opportunities for summer internships can be especially difficult for International and F-1 Visa students. The programs listed below should all accept applications from students who are non-U.S. citizens. This information is generally available on their websites, or was otherwise confirmed via outreach.
International Post-Graduate Opportunities:
Medical Specialties
Dental Medicine
- Dental Medicine Pipeline Projects
- Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
- Rutgers Gateway to Dentistry Program
- School of Medicine & Dentistry Rochester Summer Scholars Program
- Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine – Discover Dental School: Summer Scholars’ Program
- University of Buffalo Destination Dental School
- University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine – Summer Fellowship
Veterinary Medicine
- Global Veterinary Semester Abroad
- Hidden Villa
- Michigan State University of Veterinary Medicine Vetward Bound Programs
- New England Wildlife Center Internship
- Operation Wallacea
- Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine – Adventures in Veterinary Medicine
- University of Vermont/Animal Science Internship
- Wolf Park – A non-profit research and education facility.
Mental Health & Psychology
- Brighter Hope Wellness Center Internship
- Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Mass General Hospital
- Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health
- Hartford Healthcare Behavioral Health Network Internship
- Human First Psychology Internship
- Mary’s Center Behavioral Health Internship
- National Alliance on Mental illness (NAMI) Volunteer or Intern in D.C.
- Psychology Guide for Pre-Professional Opportunities
- Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Internships (virtual or in-person)
- Texas State Internship in Psychology (Youth & Families at Risk, Cognitive Disorders)
- University of North Caroline Karen M. Gil Internship Program
- Brown Research-Clinical Experiences in Neurology, Neurosurgery & Neuroscience (RCEIN)
Community Health,
Public Health, & Service
Opportunities in community health, public health, and public service span a wider range of settings than many pre-health students expect—from epidemiology and biostatistics research at schools of public health, to health policy internships, to direct service with underserved populations through AmeriCorps and similar programs. These experiences are especially relevant for students considering physician assistant studies, nursing, public health, or community medicine.
Admissions committees across health professions increasingly look for evidence that applicants understand health as something shaped by housing, income, environment, and access. Experiences in this section can provide that perspective in ways that hospital volunteering and lab research may not.
The subsections below cover community medicine and public health programs, healthcare ethics and policy internships, and public service fellowships and corps programs.
Community Medicine & Public Health
- Agency for Health Care Research and Quality – (AHRQ) Internships
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – (ATSDR) Summer Internship
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation
- American Cancer Society
- American Medical Student Association/International Health Opportunities
- American Public Health Association/International Health Internship
- Amigos de las Americas
- Association of Public Health Labs
- Boston Health Care for the Homeless
- Carter Center
- Casa de Esperanza Hands of Hope Internship
- Charles B. Wang Community Health Center/NYC
- Child Family Health International
- Clinton Health Access Initiative
- Columbia Mailman School of Public Health Biostatistics Enrichment Summer Program (BEST)
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP)
- Connecticut Mental Health Foundation
- Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE)
- Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership Healthcare Internship
- Dartmouth Health Care Foundations – Summer Intensive
- Education as a Vaccine Against AIDS
- Engineering World Health (EWH) Summer Institute/Duke University
- Experiential Learning AbroadFamilies USA
- Fogarty International Research Training Programs
- Gay Men’s Health Crisis
- Global Internships
- Global Healing
- Global Service Corps
- Global Health Ministry
- Global Volunteers
- The Hastings Center for Bioethics
- Harvard Fostering Advancement and Careers through Enrichment Training in Science (FACETS)
- Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Quantitative Sciences
- Harvard Summer Program in Biology in Public Health
- Harvard Summer Program in Biostatistics and Computational Biology
- Harvard Summer Program in EpidemiologyHealth Leads USA
- Health Management and Policy Summer Enrichment Program – University of Michigan School of Public Health
- Health Volunteers Overseas Fellowships & Volunteers
- India Study Abroad Center
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Diversity Summer Internship program (DSIP)
- Lutheran Social Services of New York
- NIH Bioethics Fellowship
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – Student Research Program
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- National Mental Health Association – Internship Program
- National Women’s Health Network Internships
- NIH-Immunizations and Infectious Diseases
- New York City Department of Health – Health Research Training Program
- The Obama Foundation Internship
- Operation Smile – Provides reconstructive surgery and related healthcare in developing countries and US.
- Organization for Tropical Studies
- Our Bodies Our Selves/Boston Women’s Health Book Collective
- Physicians for Human Rights – Internship Program
- Physicians for Social Responsibility
- Prevention Corps CT – AmeriCorps Initiative
- Project Horseshoe Farm
- Read to Grow – has locations in Middletown
- Remote Area Medical
- San Francisco Community Health Corps
- Society of Toxicology – Student Research Internships in Toxicology
- Student Training and Education in Public Service (STEPS)
- School for International Training
- Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics
- Uganda Village Project/IFMSAUnite for Sight Global Health
- Unite for Sight Global Health
- University of Connecticut Community Health Leaders
- University of Michigan Future Public Health Leaders – Public Health Summer Experience Program
- Washington University in St. Louis – Institute for Public Health Summer Research
- World Health Organization
- Yale School of Public Health Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Yale School of Public Health – Science, Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) Program
Healthcare Ethics & Policy
- AMA Ethics Standards Group/Summer Internship
- The Dartmouth Institute for Public Health
- The Hastings Center
- Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (PDF)
- MDRC Policy Work Undergraduate Internship
- SUNY Upstate/Center for Bioethics and Humanities
- American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Undergraduate Internships
Summer Camps
Summer camps serving children and young adults with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or other health-related needs offer meaningful hands-on experience for pre-health students. These settings place you alongside campers in a context that is genuinely recreational and community-centered—quite different from a clinical environment—and that difference in itself is often worth seeking out.
Several of the camps listed below are specifically mission-driven around particular diagnoses or communities, including cancer, muscular dystrophy, rare skin conditions, autism and developmental disabilities, and serious illness more broadly.
