Pre-Health Summer Opportunities

Summers can be a great time to gain additional experience outside the classroom to help you explore and prepare for a health career. There is no one specific type of summer opportunity that you must engage in, but rather it is important to make the best of the time you will have to gain skills, learn about professions, and prepare for your chosen health career. Some common types of summer opportunities pre-health students pursue:

• Research, either on-or off-campus
• Clinical experiences, e.g., volunteering in a hospital/clinic/hospice, working in a clinical setting
• Working (any type of job!) and volunteering to help people in your community
• Standardized examination preparation
• Internships in health-related companies, government, teaching, human service, etc.
• A combination of some of the above

Where can you look for summer opportunities?

• Pre-health summer opportunities database from the National Association of Advisors of the Health Professions
• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP)
• Summer research opportunities from the Cornell Office of Undergraduate Research

There are many more options as well. Speak with a Health Careers Advisor for individual guidance and support.