Extracurricular Planning Tools
Preparing for a health profession goes beyond completing course prerequisites. Health programs seek applicants with a strong background in service, teamwork, leadership, and the maturity to work with patients in vulnerable situations. This page includes downloadable handouts and links that cover a variety of preparation experiences, including study abroad, internships, clinical experiences, and more.
Visit the "Gain Experience" webpage for more on experiential preparation and discuss your plans and reflections with your HPA advisor to develop the necessary competencies.
Importance of Clinical Experiences
- Explains why clinical experience (one’s exposure to the world of medicine/patients/health professions) is important; offers shadowing and volunteering resources
- Resource for students seeking summer opportunities throughout their college career.
Study Abroad as a Prehealth Student
- Resource for students hoping to incorporate a study abroad opportunity within their undergraduate course plan.
- Resource sharing Volunteer and Shadowing Hours survey data from past MD accepted applicant pools.
- Non-HPA resource for self-assessment and tracking the development of competencies valued by all health professions.
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Reference when considering a gap/bridge year, to learn why more than 80 percent of Northwestern students choose to take a gap/bridge year post-graduation.