Summer internship premed...ideas of how to find opportunities?
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Anonymous
This is the Inova program: https://www.inova.org/our-services/inova-volunteer-services-system/summer-2025 |
Anonymous
You have to have registered by April 25th. So annoying. My college kid just got home from school and is looking for pre-med volunteering opportunities. I guess you need to look in the winter? Anything available now ? |
Anonymous
Are you surprised that they expect would-be medical students to plan ahead? |
Anonymous
| My pre-med was doing applications in Fall for this summer. |
Anonymous
It really does come down to this. The INOVA student volunteer program summer positions are filled by lottery so the "early" registration (it really is not that early given that most college students start looking for summer positions in the fall prior) is to allow adequate time for those selected to be notified AND to have all their paperwork (TB testing is required and takes time). |
Anonymous
Just curious what the volunteers do, couldn’t see that info anywhere and given HS kids apply. |
Anonymous
It probably varies greatly but I would not hold out hope that it would involve much direct clinical care, even for the college applicants. That it is listed as a volunteer program and not a shadowing or research program is, to me, a tell. |
Anonymous
Yes, it’s why I asked. Not sure it would be that great for med school applications based on what I saw. Being more hands-on at a clinic somewhere would be better imo. |
Anonymous
| Ask your doctor friends. |
Anonymous
To add, this off their webpage: "Thank you for your interest in our high school and college student volunteer opportunities! Volunteering will give you the opportunity to get an “inside look” into healthcare while learning about patient care, retail, and operations." I would think that with that description that working at the gift shop or in another non-patient focused capacity would be the case. No hospital is going to allow a student volunteer that is only there for a couple of months to do direct patient care. At least I hope not! |
Anonymous
Yes, for any major, you need to work on your summer plans early in the year. My kids firmed up summer internships by/during winter break. |
Anonymous
IDK for sure at INOVA, but when I did volunteer hospital work for a medstar location, i mostly sat behind the counter doing admin type work like answering the phone and transferring calls to the patients room, or directing visitors down the hallway, or answering the patients calls and getting them a juice if that's what they wanted. Or when meds arrived, I'd tell the nurse. Or once a patient checked out I had to go through the file and make sure everything was signed and dated. The only hands on stuff I did was help a nurse change bed sheets, and if the patient was bedridden, then I'd move the sheets around as nurse held patient. IOW, i actually never touched a patient. I would have like to sit and talk to patients more, but never had time. |
Anonymous
I think if you want this kind of patient interaction, you could look into volunteering at a nursing home/long-term care facility. https://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/about/volunteers |
Anonymous
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The INOVA program does not allow the kids to perform surgery. I agree that getting a chance to perform surgery while still in high school or college would be a father in one's cap. But maybe INOVA worries that patients might not be happy playing along? Do other hospitals allow it?
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Anonymous
Of course you need to look in winter! How can your kids be so book smart yet so street not smart? |