Rural or Winter Internships/Volunteering?

[u_raptor]

Hey guys,

I'm currently a sophomore trying to find some type of medical volunteer/internship to do over my winter break, and I'm coming up a bit short in my research. I want to do something that I could get a meaningful experience out of. I realize I could always go do something abroad in South or Latin America, but between the costs and the fact there is always a need in rural US, I decided it would be better to do something here. But while there seems to be a wealth of abroad programs, I can't seem to find one for domestic internships. Anyone here have any domestic internship programs that they know of?

Thanks,
U-Raptor

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[Planes2Doc]

If you want to go abroad, I would suggest going on a fun vacation somewhere exotic and spend the money you would have spent on your volunteer trip on it. As a pre-med, you will likely end up doing more good by injecting money into the local economy by doing the former versus lining the pockets of some company taking advantage of eager pre-meds.

Anyway, winter break is a break. It might be a good time to take it easy and do things you genuinely enjoy for yourself. It will probably help you out more than trying to fit additional volunteering into it.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm going to make a radical suggestion. Contact your school's alumni office and ask their help in identifying alumni who are now practicing medicine in rural areas. Ask the school if they will "make an ask" of those alumni regarding an internship program whereby qualified pre-meds (school could decide who qualifies ) would shadow the doc for 5-6 days in their rural practice over winter break and "home stay" with the doc's family. I know that that there is at least one school that does this (can't remember which one -- saw it on a list of experiences in an application) but I think that it is a splendid idea. It is a great way for pre-meds to learn about rural primary care and a great way for alumni to contribute to the school in a very valuable way.

 

[u_raptor]

If you want to go abroad, I would suggest going on a fun vacation somewhere exotic and spend the money you would have spent on your volunteer trip on it. As a pre-med, you will likely end up doing more good by injecting money into the local economy by doing the former versus lining the pockets of some company taking advantage of eager pre-meds.

while going on a vacation would be great, I'm really trying to use this break as a way to do something beyond my normal volunteering at a hospital/clinic that I have been doing, and hopefully to get a bit more exposure to rural medicine and stuff outside my normal volunteering experiences. I'm saving my vacation for if I get in lol.

I'm going to make a radical suggestion. Contact your school's alumni office and ask their help in identifying alumni who are now practicing medicine in rural areas. Ask the school if they will "make an ask" of those alumni regarding an internship program whereby qualified pre-meds (school could decide who qualifies ) would shadow the doc for 5-6 days in their rural practice over winter break and "home stay" with the doc's family. I know that that there is at least one school that does this (can't remember which one -- saw it on a list of experiences in an application) but I think that it is a splendid idea. It is a great way for pre-meds to learn about rural primary care and a great way for alumni to contribute to the school in a very valuable way.

Definitely haven't thought about asking my college about that; Unfortunately don't know if mine offers the kind of program your referring to though. Will have to find out!

Thanks!