Getting Experience – Premed

Medical and health professions schools will want to see that you have tested your commitment to medicine and healthcare. More importantly, you’ll need to make sure for yourself that you’ve tested your commitment to the profession. Since you’re not yet a physician or health professional, it is (of course) impossible to practice as one, but there are plenty of other ways to get a better sense of the field. Many components of medical and health professions overlap with other experiences, such as empathizing with people when they’re vulnerable, listening to their stories, and being of service. Volunteer or internship experiences allow you to assess how you feel while doing these tasks; shadowing (watching physicians work) will also give you some idea of whether you could see yourself enjoying the field. In addition, undergraduate and postgraduate research can further inform and enhance your preparation and decision to enter a medical or health profession.

Learn more about:

Shadowing

Shadowing provides you with the opportunity to explore medicine in the clinical setting. Remember to act in a professional manner: arrive on time, professionally dressed, and be prepared to respect patient confidentiality. Make sure you are not ill and that you have had a flu vaccine. Some hospitals might require proof of a Covid-19 vaccination as well.

Finding Shadowing Opportunities:

  • It takes time. It can be helpful to shadow a variety of physicians over time, so it is best to work on this gradually throughout your college career and to really use shadowing to help you figure out if medicine is right for you. There is no required number of hours and what is right for each medical school and each applicant will vary, but we suggest aiming for 40 to 50 hours of shadowing over your college career. If you have an interest in surgery and plan to shadow a fair amount in the operating room, then we would recommend that you get more than 40-50 hours of shadowing to ensure you have time in the clinic as well.
  • Ask your own physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, or other healthcare professionals in your hometown.
  • Use your existing contacts. Reach out to your professors who are doctors or who work with doctors. You can ask the principal investigator in your lab if you are in a clinical setting. Even if they are not physicians themselves, they may be able to introduce you to physicians. Your House Premedical Tutors (both resident and non-residents) are excellent resources for shadowing opportunities.
  • Find Harvard alumni through the Harvard Alumni Association. You can also consider signing up for the HAA Shared Interest Group—Harvard Alumni in Healthcare. They are eager to have current students and recent alumni join the group.
  • Connect with alumni using Firsthand Advisors. This platform allows you to connect with over 1,500 alumni across a variety of fields/professions and schedule a one-on-one mentoring conversation.
  • Consider student groups with shadowing programs. The Harvard Premedical Society’s Physician Mentoring Program provides Harvard undergraduates with first-hand knowledge of a physician’s daily life.
  • Shadow where you volunteer.
  • Cold email. Make sure you identify yourself as a Harvard college student. If you have a particular interest, then feel free to target physicians in that specialty. For the Harvard hospitals you can find the emails of the physicians in Harvard Catalyst.

Research

Participation in research is not a requirement for admission to medical school, unless you are a MD/PhD applicant, but it can enhance your understanding and learning of science. The research can be in any discipline (including basic science, social science, and the humanities) or format (including wet lab, computational, or clinical research). Through the processes of formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, and collecting and analyzing data, you develop scientific inquiry skills and hone critical thinking skills that will be beneficial to your future career as a physician. Many medical schools value these skills, as they demonstrate competency in your ability to manage the various streams of data and input that one receives as a clinician.

For general information including advice regarding both the research opportunities and funding, visit the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF). If you are interested in pursuing research in the life sciences, visit Life Sciences Research. Additional information is available in the Student Handbook for Undergraduates in Life Sciences Research (pdf).

Clinical Volunteering

  • Consider applying to formal volunteer and internship programs (in hospitals or clinics, for instance) or creating your own clinical internship by contacting practitioners and organizations directly.
  • Identify what you want out of the experience and what your responsibilities will be:
    • In larger organizations or formal programs, you may have less flexibility in what you do. In smaller or more under-resourced organizations, you may find more “hands-on” experience, though you may need to be more proactive and demonstrate a higher level of confidence in a clinical setting.
    • What you will do is often more important than where you will be. Even if you didn’t get into the particular department you wanted, you will still gain exposure to important aspects of healthcare regardless.
    • Be aware that many volunteer and internship programs have mandatory orientation programs and health screenings before you’re permitted to work. Many of these programs have minimum requirements for the hours per week and the length of commitment.
    • Read the guidelines for students providing patient care during clinical experiences abroad.

Finding Opportunities

  • Leverage your network of health providers to find shadowing and clinical opportunities. Speak to physicians at your local community hospital about clinical experiences.
  • Academic medical centers often need summer help; check their human resources websites for temporary positions.
  • Community health clinics that serve underserved populations often need volunteers.

Sample Opportunities

  • For sample programs and opportunities in the Boston area and around the country, download a list of programs.

Summer Internships

There are many summer opportunities available in the Boston area, throughout the U.S., and internationally. Our Summer Planning & Funding team is able to help with your summer plans. Our premedical/pre-health advisors are also happy to help you think through options. There are many funding options at Harvard including at our office, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF), and the Harvard Global Health Institute. There are many options beyond healthcare and biomedical sciences that may be of interest to you as well. Remember to check Crimson Careers frequently, since new postings come in daily. You are also encouraged to browse our live Pre-Health Summer Opportunities document which we update each year.

Postgrad/Gap Year Opportunities

Around 75-80% of Harvard applicants take at least one gap year before applying to medical school.  Medical schools welcome applicants who have taken some time out before applying to medical school as they bring additional experiences, maturity, and perspectives to their application. Alumni will do any variety of activities during a gap year including research (basic, clinical, social science, etc.), work with a nonprofit, healthcare consulting, teaching, etc. For some students with less clinical experience, full-time clinical research assistant (RA) or clinical research coordinator (CRC) positions are great opportunities to get paid while acquiring experience working directly with patients in a research setting.

Each year we hold workshops to help students think about taking a gap year. See the event calendar.

Timeline for Research Assistant (RA) and Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) Positions

Most RA and CRC positions are advertised in the spring, when labs know about available funding, and when current RAs/CRCs give notice that they are leaving (usually for medical or graduate school). Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find many listings in the fall or winter. Update your resume by showing it to your Premed/Pre-Health Tutor and by coming to MCS for daily drop-ins (Monday through Friday, 1:00 – 4:00 pm); begin talking to professors, teaching fellows, and clinical mentors; and start searching for clinical labs that fit your interest. Most importantly, cast a wide net. Many of these positions will prefer (and many require) a two-year commitment, though we recommend connecting directly with an employer if you are interested in a two-year position and are only planning on one gap year.

Finding Opportunities

Harvard Resources

  • Crimson Careers: Job listings for Harvard students and alumni, updated every day with new listings. See our Featured Jobs and Internships for a sample of jobs available.
  • Harvard Jobs & Careers: Job board for administrative/staff positions across the university, including the Harvard Medical, Dental, and Public Health Schools.
  • Catalyst Profiles: Directory of Harvard researchers including those involved in clinical translational research.
  • Harvard contacts: Professors, teaching fellows, House/Dudley Community premed/pre-health tutors (both resident and non-resident), clinical mentors. Ask if they know of researchers who may be hiring. Sometimes a word-of-mouth referral leads to the best opportunities, which may not be listed anywhere.
  • Harvard teaching hospitals’ and academic departments’ employment listings.

Resources Outside of Harvard

  • Local university and hospital websites: Job listings and researchers in relevant academic apartments.
  • Contact the principal investigators (PIs) of clinical trials and studies regarding possible positions. For example, you can search the government’s clinical trials site for current trials of interest to you.
  • The NIH Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA/CRTA) Program is a fully funded one- to two-year biomedical research program at the NIH. Although primarily a resource for basic lab positions, there are an increasing number of opportunities for clinical research. To be connected to alumni who applied for and found a research position in the IRTA/CRTA program, please email our premedical/pre-health advisors at premed@fas.harvard.edu.