SUMMER VOLUNTEER, RESEARCH AND CLINICAL OPPORTUNITIES

The following lists are great for showing you all the different places you can obtain volunteer and clinical experiences during the summer. Although some programs are specific to a certain location (LA, Chicago, NY), they may also give you ideas on what you could do in your own community. For example, USC lists Reins of Life at their local chapter but Reins of Life is a national organization so look up your local chapter.

Think outside the box when it comes to clincial and service opportunities. Be resourceful. If an opportunity does not exist, create an opportunity! Contact your home doctor for suggestions and opportunities. Clincial exposure can be found in the traditional places (hospital, clinic and doctor's office), but also look at senior living centers, camps, schools, pools and social service agencies. 

Research Links

• AAMC List of Undergraduate Research

• National Science Foundation Research Database

• American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Opportunities

• Princeton University maintains a great list of research links

• Swarthmore College maintains a great list of research links

• Grand List of Summer Opportunities from the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) - Shadowing, research, clinical, employment.

  
  

Ideas for Service and Clinical this Summer

• Tutor someone in a subject you know well (language, math, science, English)

• Work alongside a physical therapist helping an athlete recover from ACL surgery

• Work alongside an occupational therapist helping someone recover from a stroke

• Workout at the gym with someone recovering from bariatric surgery

• Teach a salsa class or play chess at the senior center

• Deliver meals for Meals on Wheels

• Become a HelpLine volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Health

• Volunteer with the Trevor Project and help LGBTQ individuals through phone/text counseling support

• Volunteer as an online ’listener’ with 7 Cups

• Serve breakfast every Friday morning at local free breakfast program

• Deliver art supplies to patients at the local hospital and work with the occupational therapist on fine motor skills recovery

• Sign up for Best Buddies over the summer.

• Sign up to teach swimming classes.

• Be a camp counselor at a special needs camp or work at a camp for children battling chronic illness.

• Shadow your hometown doctor (DO and MD)

• Go abroad and shadow in a clinic or teach English

• Sign up for an EMT class.

• Sign up for a CNA (certified nursing assistant), CMA (clinical medical assistant) or PCT (patient care technician) class or similar. Many are offered online too. This may help you land a better clinical job since you have acquired some clinical skills.

• Define what you love to do, then find a way to share this love with someone else.

• Highlighting Non-Medical Related Experiences. This article, written by Jason D’Antonio, PhD, director of the Health Professions Program at Carnegie Mellon University, highlights the qualities a premed can gain from various volunteer activities and how best to incorporate this learning into a medical school application. (April 2020)

Last updated: December 1, 2021