Gain Medical Experience

Medical schools want to be sure future professionals know what it will be like to work in healthcare, whether in patient care or research. They require applicants to have significant medical experience that reflects aptitude and passion for the field of medicine. As a small-town campus with a Big 10 research university affiliation, the University of Minnesota, Morris is uniquely situated to provide beyond-the-classroom medical opportunities to pre-med students.

Patient Care

Medical schools are looking for experience in a healthcare setting where students have responsibility for someone else’s care. At Morris, students have access to opportunities including volunteering, working as a nurse’s aid or EMT (emergency medical technician with the local ambulance service), or even shadowing local doctors, all at the facilities close to campus.

• Stevens Community Medical Center
• The Stevens County Ambulance Service
• St. Francis Health Services
• West Wind Village

Medical school admissions committees also appreciate health-related global experiences, particularly if they involve learning or improving a second language. Contact the Academic Center for Enrichment for more information about how you can get involved with a local, national, or global program. Don’t forget to ask about opportunities during May or summer terms.

The Morris campus has an extensive Community Engagement program that can help you find a medically-related opportunity in Morris or the surrounding community. There are also several great service learning opportunities, many of which provide course credit. There may be other opportunities available through campus employment. And don’t forget to take advantage of Morris’s fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks to pursue opportunities in your own hometown.

Research

Morris offers multiple stipend programs for students who want to conduct undergraduate research and an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at which to present findings.

Off-campus opportunities include:

• National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates
• U of M Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
• Mayo Graduate School Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• Mayo Clinic Summer Lab Science Program

Other Possibilities

It's important to remember that, in addition to the options mentioned above, you can find or create your own opportunities to gain valuable medical experience during your undergraduate career. Make use of family or community connections to look for opportunities in your hometown over the summer and winter breaks. Here are some examples pursued by recent successful medical school applicants from the University of Minnesota, Morris:

• Pre-med shadowing program at the St. Cloud Hospital/Centricare
• Volunteering with the University of Minnesota Fairview Medical Center
• Summer Scholars Program, Ohio University School of Medicine
• Summer Internship, Granite Falls Hospital
• Pre-med Summer Internship at Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center
• Minnesota Future Doctor's Program
• Native Americans into Medicine Program
• University of Minnesota, Morris Peer Health Educators Program
• Summer Mentored Undergraduate Research Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic
• Central African Medical Mission's Mission Abroad Program
• Health PASS (Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program)
• Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Internships

You may also wish to explore the American Association of Medical Colleges's online database of enrichment programs available on medical school campuses throughout the country.