Summer after 1st year - what did you do?

[hwong14]

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Hi,
I'm compiling a list of summer-after-first-year opportunities for med students. If you did something fun or exciting, can you please PM me or post here? The name of the program/opportunity, application info, or a website/email address for more info would be great. I'm looking for particular programs, such as the NIH summer research fellows program, not general advice such as "do research."

Thanks!

 

[GtownCobra]

i sat on my ass

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Sounds like an opportunity to me: research on pressure sores.

😀

 

[SarahGM]

I worked as a waitress and crew member on The Spirit of Ethan Allen III on Lake Champlain. Two thumbs up. 👍 👍

I know it's not really what you had in mind, but it *was* fun, and summer after 1st yr doesn't always have to be about medicinemedicinemedicine.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Went on a 4-week surgical eye mission to South India. It was organized by an organization called Unite For Sight. Check it out:

www.uniteforsight.org

Come on people, get creative!

 

[btlwhulka]

American college of rheumatology medical student summer preceptorship.

www.rheumatology.org

Performed research with a pediatric rheumatologist at univ. of oklahoma for the summer. involved clinical time, lab work and rubbing shoulders with various physicians from a wide array of specialties. The program is designed to introduce med students to rheumatology and get them interested in career options. You do need a faculty member to nominate you. it is a nationally recognized program, so you can do it at any school as long a your faculty has a good plan and nomination.

 

[OmahaMX80]

I'm a broke-@$$ medical student and could not afford all the "save the world" mission trips to India, etc. Luckily my medical school offers a 5-week family practice clerkship that M1's can do in the summer after their first year. It is a good opportunity to practice interviewing and physical examination skills; and depending on your preceptor, other things as well. During our M1 Physical Exam course we didn't ever really practice male/female GU exams, but over the summer I got a lot of experience with female pelvic exams, paps, hernia exams and prostate exams... and I got to see a vaginal birth and an episiotomy (and I got to watch the OB/GYN repair a vaginal tear).

I realize that's not very much compared to what a lot of people got to do, but for me and my economic limitations, it was better than nothing and I enjoyed the experience.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I'm a broke-@$$ medical student and could not afford all the "save the world" mission trips to India, etc.

While I did pay for my own trip, there are several scholarships/fellowships available that fund international trips. You just have to apply for them early on. A little research will prove fruitful.

 

[Ezekiel20]

I have just begun my long summer break (in Australia, the summer is Nov to Feb), and plan to revise 1st year material and do some reading around the topics, as well as organise to see some surgery at my hospital (trying to see if surgery is really for me).

 

[vtrain]

I spent the entire summer roaming the streets of Hong Kong and Schenzhen. Whatever you do, don't even think about studying for second year and God forbid, boards.

 

[ExtraCrispy]

Got married, honeymooned in Ireland for two weeks with the money we'd saved, and then did a clinical research project for ten weeks through the Endocrine Society's student summer fellowship program, www.endo-society.org