• Bring your 2026 application questions to our open office hours with Emil Chuck, PhD, Director of Advising Services for HPSA, and get them answered live. Personal statements, secondaries, interview prep, school list strategy. Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

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Hi everyone, I've been contemplating on doing an SMP (not sure if I need it- international nontrad with US degrees including BS, MS and a DIY postbacc, all GPAs> 3.85) because I won't be able to continue my clinical job or have any paid employment whatsoever after this summer. Should I do it to keep myself busy during the app cycle or just stick with volunteering? My family will be relocating soon and I'm worried that I won't be able to find any volunteer opportunities during this pandemic. Appreciate your input!
SMP will be a waste of time and money for you. Between the two, I would do volunteering.
 
Hi everyone, I've been contemplating on doing an SMP (not sure if I need it- international nontrad with US degrees including BS, MS and a DIY postbacc, all GPAs> 3.85) because I won't be able to continue my clinical job or have any paid employment whatsoever after this summer. Should I do it to keep myself busy during the app cycle or just stick with volunteering? My family will be relocating soon and I'm worried that I won't be able to find any volunteer opportunities during this pandemic. Appreciate your input!

I volunteer at the Red Cross and they have a ton of locations and have been active this time (mostly helping screen blood donors). During the summer if you live near a coast, you can get trained to help w/ disaster relief during hurricane season. If you're relocating to any sort of medium-large size city you should be able to find some sort of volunteering. (Other ideas include places like food banks who have been seeing a decrease in volunteers too.)
 
What about continuing your volunteering in a nontraditional sense with a healthcare job? Your family comes first. You won't be able to provide for them (or yourself) without any income, so why not kill two birds with one stone?