Productive vacation activities

[welshboi]

Hey guys, I'm a second year medical student in the UK, currently wondering what I could fill the long vacation (running from June to October) with. Trying to find things that either boost my CV or provide experience I will find useful. I have ambitions of entering surgery (neuro and ophthalmology have piqued my interest) - would I be wasting my time on a lab placement (especially as a publication is very unlikely from a few weeks work)? Similarly, observation seems like wasted time as I will spend three years in clinical school, observing a variety of specialities.
I have seen a couple exchange programmes abroad which look interesting, but am more or less at a loss as to what else I could be doing to spend the time optimally (the whole vacation is too long to spend twiddling my thumbs, even though a bit of rest and recuperation will be appreciated). What sort of opportunities could I be looking for?

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[LyMed]

You can definitely get productive research done at that time and it can help you build relationships.
Did you plan on practicing abroad or enjoy traveling? Getting overseas experience is also very memorable and something I always recommend if you can afford it.

 

[welshboi]

You can definitely get productive research done at that time and it can help you build relationships.
Did you plan on practicing abroad or enjoy traveling? Getting overseas experience is also very memorable and something I always recommend if you can afford it.

Thanks for the reply! Will consider research; keen not to spend a lot of time in a lab though, so not entirely sure how much I'll be able to do (observe clinical research perhaps.. audits?).
The opportunities I've seen abroad look extremely interesting - but unfortunately are few and far between as far as I can see. There doesn't seem to be a huge amount on offer for undergraduate medical students.

 

[LookForZebras]

I definitely don't think a lab position would be a waste of time. You can make connections, learn stuff, and contribute to science during that time. It wouldn't be unheard of to get a publication out of a position that brief. That's enough time to make a substantial contribute to a larger project that's going on in the lab. It might not happen.. but it might!