When I came upon the realization that I was going to have to spend my summer at my undergraduate college taking courses in order to graduate on time, I was worried that I would be wasting a summer I could spend improving my CV through programs like SHPEP or studying abroad in a foreign country. However, there are still so many great things to do during the summer that’ll also be good experiences to reflect on and possibly talk about in an application or interview.  Just because you’re taking summer classes does not mean you can’t go out and gain new experiences.

1: Shadow a physician- this one may seem a bit obvious, but when isn’t shadowing a good idea for a premed to do? Students get the luxury of having the summer off but unfortunately, doctors do not. An advantage of students being gone during the summer is that the doctors will have fewer premeds trying to shadow them, so it would be nice to take advantage of the opportunity and try to shadow two or three physicians during the summer months, just remember that nothing has changed for the doctor, so shadow them as you would shadow any other physician.

2: Summer research- Similar to doctors, research professors don’t get to pack everything up and go home after the school year ends. If you already have a lab, the summer can be a good time to get some extra hours in, as you will probably have more free time that can be spent working with your primary researcher and can get ahead on projects. If you don’t have a lab, this could be a good time to find one! Plenty of research professors will lose assistants as they graduate and move around the country so new lab openings will appear. Some schools also have summer poster sessions where students can showcase their work over the summer, not to mention the possibility of getting paid.

3: Going to a conference- While schools may not have as many conferences at this time of the year, there are still plenty of opportunities such as CME medical conferences happening all summer. Not only can you learn things about different diseases, medications, and contemporary news in medicine, but you can also network with various doctors and officials at different schools. If you can find a conference close to you this summer, it wouldn’t hurt trying to make a trip.

4: Volunteering- While I don’t have any statistics to back me up, I’m sure volunteer organizations are in need of more staff over the summer with students leaving, and with summer school typically taking less time out of the day for school, that’s more time that can be spent helping out in the local community. While the hospital is a popular choice for pre-meds, there’s also homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, and plenty of other opportunities to help the less fortunate during the warmer months. Don’t just do it to check off the box, it’s legitimately a really kind thing to do.

5: Get involved in the community- Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our work that we forget about all of the opportunities around us that can be valuable and just plain fun. While you’re at your school’s town, try to find interesting things to be a part of. Join a community soccer or basketball league, join a local band, get more involved in a church or any of the other countless local organizations that are there all year around. While these experiences can be beneficial to put on a CV, they will also be fun moments you can look back on fondly. Just because you’re in summer school doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy your summer.

Are you a premed? Join Diverse Medicine now. It's free!