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PreHealth: Volunteer, Research Programs

Local Health-related Volunteer Opportunities

Madison House Programs
Medical Services, which consists of positions in Martha Jefferson Hospital (the local community hospital), U.Va. Hospital, and Charlottesville Free Clinic.
Volunteer Service Coalition Programs
AIDS/HIV services, Salvation Army, Senior Center, Inc.
Salvation Army
Located at 207 Ridge Street, Charlottesville. Call Jim Hart at 295-4058. Wednesday afternoon health screenings from 4:30–6:00pm are appropriate for premed volunteers.
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is a private, not-for-profit volunteer medical services organization. There is a student-run local chapter in Charlottesville.
Hospice of the Piedmont
Call to speak to the Volunteer Coordinator at (434) 817-6900 or 1-800-975-5501.
Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS)
CARS is the primary EMS agency serving Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and U.Va. They offer free EMT classes to those interested in joining.
Seminole Trail Fire Department
They do rescue work as well as answer fire calls. Telephone: (434) 973-1717.
Hollymead Fire and Rescue
The primary EMS, fire suppression, and rescue agency for Northern Albemarle County. Station 12 has an Engine, Medic (Ambulance), Tanker, Tower, and Battalion Chief. No experience necessary to join and free EMT and Fire/Rescue classes are offered. Telephone: (434) 972-4150
University of Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (UVMRC)
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) organizes local volunteers to assist regular medical response professionals and facilities during a large-scale local emergency, such as an influenza epidemic or a hazardous materials spill. MRC volunteers can also serve a vital role by assisting their communities with ongoing public health needs.
Free Summer EMT Class with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad
The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad is offering a free EMT class this summer. If you are interested in joining the rescue squad or becoming an Emergency Medical Technician, take advantage of this opportunity to join the busiest volunteer rescue squad in the country. Contact us for more information, or go online.

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Local Community Volunteer Opportunities

Madison House Programs
Adopt-A-Grandparent, Athletics, Big Siblings, Boosters, CAV (Community Among Volunteers), Day Care, H.E.L.P. Line, Holiday Sharing, Hoos Against Hunger, Hoos Out There, Housing Improvement Program, Migrant Aid, Rehab Services, Tutoring, Youth Mentoring Program, and Program Director
  • Adaptive Skiing —Work with people with disabilities and get more volunteer and clinical experience with Madison House's Adaptive Ski Program. E-mail Nickola for more information.
  • Arc of the Piedmont Rehab Services —Work with and form close blonds with persons who have brain injuries/disabilities. Volunteer hours are flexible as are the activities you choose to do while volunteering. E-mail questions to djc3e@virginia.edu or jag9j@virginia.edu.
Volunteer Service Coalition Programs
Blue Ridge ESL Council, Charlottesville Parks & Grounds, Computers 4 Kids, FOCUS Women’s Resource Center, JABA, LOVE Inc., Rockfish Valley Community Center
JABA (Jefferson Area Board on Aging)
Contact Patricia Hudson, director of volunteer services at 817-5222. JABA provides help to elderly residents with work in their yards, rides to the doctor and supermarket, etc. Projects are continuously available.
Sexual Assault Education Office (SAEO)
Educates male and female students, staff, and faculty about interpersonal violence in general, and against women in particular, in order to reduce these crimes on Grounds. SAEO also provides support and advocacy to those who have concerns about sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. Contact saeo@virginia.edu.

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Student Groups

There are numerous student organizations geared towards providing resources, programs, speakers, and important information to pre-health students. There are groups focused on medicine, dentistry, veterinary, and public health. We encourage you to review these organizations and participate. Some of these organizations are:

  • Global Medical Training— an International Humanitarian Organization that provides free medical services to poor communities in Central American countries. This program offers premedical students a unique clinical experience and a view of medicine in a foreign country.

  • Pre-Vet Society
  • Pre-Dental Society
  • Women in Medicine Initiative
  • Global Public Health Society
  • Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society
  • AMSA—(undergraduate chapter of American Medical Student Association)
  • Daniel Hale Williams Society
  • Unite for Sight
  • Peer Health Educators—students trained and supported by the Department of Student Health in the Office of Health Promotion. They provide interactive and informative outreach presentations to U.Va. students on a variety of health and wellness topics including; stress, illicit drugs, safer sex, body image, healthy eating, and more. Other services provided include patient education, wellness events, and information and referrals.
  • SAFE—Sexual Assault Facts & Education, U.Va.’s student-led peer education group that works on ending sexual and domestic violence on grounds, is recruiting new members. They are looking for students with leadership potential, who are open to new, challenging experiences, and who are interested in social justice issues. SAFE works to end sexist, racist, and homophobic violence and abuse by teaching students safe, empowering ally intervention skills, as well as basic sexual assault and domestic violence awareness. All applicants will be interviewed and evaluated for acceptance as a peer educator. New members must be able to participate in SAFE's spring training class, which will be offered on Friday afternoons. If you are interested, please e-mail safe-mvp@virginia.edu or visit their Web site to download a membership application.
  • Students for Organ Donation (SOD)—a national student-run nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting organ donation awareness and registration. Please e-mail Senthu Arumugam for more info.

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Research Opportunities

While health professional schools consider health-related volunteer work essential, they do look favorably on independent study and research work. These activities demonstrate in-depth, sustained scholarly exploration, as well as the presence of life-long learning skills, that are essential in these professions. (AAMC) That said, the question is how and where can you get started?

Many students get involved in science research through majors of biology, neuroscience, and chemistry. Independent research can be done through a variety of ways, such as, internship, externship (see above) summer health professional school programs, and employment. Some examples:

  • Lab Assistant Openings at Brodie Laboratory —The ideal candidate is available for summer 2007, but the position will continue next school year. Our research focuses on the evolution of reptiles and amphibians. The current project is with several species of Anolis. We are raising hundreds of these babies so we are going to need some help. Please stop by Gilmer Hall 057 weekdays between 11:00am and 3:00pm to fill out an application. The position is not limited to biology students. For more information about the Brodie Lab, visit our website at http://faculty.virginia.edu/brodie/
  • The Brookings Institution Building Bridges Coalition —Cross-Cultural Solutions is proud to co-chair this Coalition, a project focused on dramatically increasing the number of U.S. international volunteers. For more information, visit the Brookings Institution website, e-mail, or call 1-800-380-4777 (Toll-Free).
  • The Research Associates Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center & College in Bridgeport, CT is looking for college students interested in joining research efforts investigating clinical questions in a demanding ER setting.
  • The U.Va. Medical School web site shows all of the current research being done. If interested, you can independently contact the researcher to see if he/she would like help. Be sure to have a top-notch resume and cover letter ready.
  • The National Institutes of Health is an excellent one for summer internship or employment. Plan early. Applications begin mid-November for the following summer. This is a time commitment of 40 hour, eight weeks.
  • Center for Undergraduate Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences, contact Nicole Hurd.
  • UCLA Premedical/Predental Enrichment Program (UCLA PREP) is an intensive, seven-week summer program that aims at providing premedical and predental students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a means of strengthening their ability and readiness to study medicine or dentistry.
  • $1500 CLAS Research Grant—Five students are awarded a CLAS Research Grant of $1500 to conduct research on any topic of their choice. Info online: www.virginia.edu/cue/urn and www.student.virginia.edu/~college/. E-mail: clasgrants@gmail.com.
  • Summer Surgery Experience at the University of Cincinnati —a 10 day intensive experience for college students to learn more about surgery through lectures, observation, and hands-on experiences.
  • New Summer Research Opportunities at Columbia University/Barnard College —Columbia University/Barnard College now offer a summer research program to a select group of motivated undergraduate students. You may apply if you are a US citizen or permanent resident and currently a sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior at a four-year college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico or other US territory. Students work full-time in a research lab and receive a $4,000 stipend and housing. The Amgen Scholars' Program runs for ten weeks, beginning the Tuesday after Memorial Day. All Amgen Scholars will participate in a conference in California sponsored by the Amgen Foundation. For further information, contact Dr. Alice Heicklen.
  • Summer Research Programs for Undergrads (Cleveland, OH) —Case Western University School of Medicine offer a number of summer research programs to undergraduates. Areas of research include pediatrics, biophysics, and pharmacology, among others and many include stipends.
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School —Summer Scholars Program —The Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Center for Pediatric Research offers a mentored research program for rising college seniors and graduate students who are exploring the potential of a career in medical, biomedical, public or behavioral health research. The 10-week summer program offers you the opportunity to conduct a research project from start to finish, and present project outcomes to the scientific community. Formal classroom training and personalized application in research design, implementation, and publication make this summer experience a must for anyone considering a career in research. The program will run from May 30 - Aug 3 and participants will receive a $3,000 stipend. The application deadline is March 1.

Biology and Chemistry research may be obtained by going to the appropriate departments and requesting a course action form.

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Externships, Internships, Other

Externships

Externships are job shadowing opportunities that help expose participants to career fields of interest. PreHealth students tend to find these observation experiences very useful. Students contact potential organizations directly to make his or her own arrangements. UCS can help PreHealth students prepare their resume, research organizations, and advise on how to set-up initial contact with organizations. Externships offer flexibility in scheduling and students can tailor their experience to meet their needs. For a complete list of orientation times and policies, go to the Externship page. Check out our handout on getting the most out of the clinical health-related “shadowing”experience (Word) for guidelines on what you should expect from this experience.

Internships

Although internships vary greatly from one organization to the next, the term traditionally refers to real-world work experiences in which students fulfill short-term positions within a company or organization in order to gain hands-on experience and develop career-specific skills. Sponsoring agencies generally work with the student to meet specific learning goals and provide special mentoring or networking opportunities. In exchange, the intern helps the employer in meeting overall work goals for the agency/company. Internships may be paid or un-paid, with or without academic credit, and are of varying lengths (a semester, a summer, a year, etc).

Other

Part-time jobs are another option, especially during the summer. Use resources in your home community. You can also search CAVLink, U.Va.'s online job posting system.

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For Pay

Pfizer Science Fellows Program—Applications are available for the Pfizer Science Fellows Program, designed to create opportunities for undergraduate students to explore careers in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Applicants should currently be 3rd-year undergraduate students with a deep interest in biomedical research, specifically in CNS, Cardiovascular, or Metabolic research. Selected fellows will participate in a ten-week summer internship at a Pfizer Global Research and Development site during the summer between 3rd and 4th years of college and receive a $5,000 grant toward the costs of mentored biomedical research during their fourth year.

Center For Global Health University Scholar Awards—The University of Virginia's Center for Global Health Scholar Awards encourage U.Va. students to work across school disciplines on some aspect of health and the alleviation the diseases of poverty. These issues range widely from basic to social sciences, and from bioethics and education to engineering and policy. The Center for Global Health will grant 8–13 travel awards in the amount of $1500–$3000 on a competitive basis in support of summer or fall research projects. Undergraduates in their 2nd or 3rd year, professional students and graduate students who engage a mentor or co-mentor outside the health sciences and a mentor within their home department/school are eligible to apply (if different). Selection criteria will include excellence of proposed project, mentor involvement and relevance to important health issues of impoverished populations. Our purpose is to foster existing or new collaborations. Scholars are encouraged to explore the University's existing collaborative ties such as those in Brazil, China, Ghana, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, but potential collaborations are also encouraged. Scholars will work in an impoverished area for a minimum of six weeks. Award recipients are expected to seek academic credit for their projects with a faculty mentor, produce a final product by the end of the following semester, and make a presentation in a public forum. The application form is due along with faculty letters of endorsement, resume, statement, and official transcripts. For due dates or further information, contact the Office of International Health at 243-6383.

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Volunteer

Global Health Council—Internship Opportunities—The Global Health Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality and equity of global health, providing resources and information to its membership of health-care professionals and organizations. There are two offices for the Global Health Council, in Vermont and Washington D.C. Currently, they have several internship positions within the organization that rotate on a regular basis throughout the year. All applications are handled through their HR department and circulated to the appropriate coordinator during the recruitment period. For information about this program, contact , Recruitment Coordinator at 802/649-1340.

Cross Cultural Solutions—Volunteer abroad and experience another culture like never before, while working side-by-side with local people in various regions of the world. The volunteer work is with carefully selected Partner Programs, all of which are dynamic and inspiring community-led initiatives. These include orphanages and childcare centers, schools, health clinics and hospitals, homes for the elderly, centers for people with disabilities, and other community organizations.

Global Medical Training is an International Humanitarian Organization that provides free medical services to poor communities in Central American countries. This program offers premedical students a unique clinical experience and a view of medicine in a foreign country.

Alternative Spring Break is a student-run organization that conducts service projects during spring break for U.Va. students.

Volunteer Abroad With Unite For Sight—Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight's volunteers range from undergraduate and medical students, educators, nurses, and public health professionals to optometrists and ophthalmologists. The volunteers serve as interns at eye clinics. The eye clinic's eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly participate on community-based screening programs. The clinic's eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Unite For Sight funds the surgeries for those patients unable to afford eye care.

Help Increase Cancer Awareness with Icare—Icare is a non-profit organization that's been dedicated to bridging the gap between cancer physicians, researchers and patients for 20 years. Currently a student chapter is being formed at U.Va. If you'd like to get involved send an email to pooya@virginia.edu with "Icare interest" in the subject line and an optional statement as to why you're interested and how you think you might want to help.

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With Cost

Robert Wood Johnson Med School Summer Clinical Internship Program—The Office of Admissions at Robert Wood Johnson Med School invites you to participate in a Summer Clinical Internship Program for undergrads interested in careers in medicine. Participants will have the opportunity to shadow clinical faculty members at the medical facilities in New Brunswick, NJ. Distinguished faculty from a variety of subspecialties will host students. A lunch-time seminar series will complement the clinical experiences. Students will also take part in a pedagogic exercise at the end of the two weeks, presentations of clinical topics selected and researched with the guidance of faculty preceptors.

International Service Learning—An opportunity to help under-served areas of Central America & Africa, this is a program based in Corpus Christi, TX, offers several PreHealth Professions Programs for premeds, predents, and pre-optometry undergraduates. Programs vary from nine days to four weeks in length (some in May, June, July, and/or August). Different programs are available in Tanzania, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Belize. Participants are “active members”of medical teams, trained and supervised to provide hands-on services. This program offers diverse opportunities to gain practical experience. For more info, call 361/937-2878 or e-mail .

Univ. Of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Research Program—The Dept of Bacteriology at UW-Madison will direct an undergraduate research program for this summer. Participants will spend nine weeks in a lab conducting full-time research in microbiology, microbial genetics, and/or molecular biology. Applications must be received by March 1.

TASSEP = Trans Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program—Bonjour! Comment ca va? As you might know, there are few Study Abroad opportunities for science students—an exception is the TASSEP program. If you think that you might be interested in studying science in the South of France and you know at least a little French, contact Professor Garrett soon. He is very familiar with science opportunities at the University of Toulouse. Reginald H. Garrett, Professor of Biology, tel 982-5494, Room 229, Chemistry Building.

Cornell Premed Seminar—Cornell University in New York City is offering a week-long, intensive seminar on “Practicing Medicine/Providing Health Care”for individuals seriously considering becoming a doctor. The program is held at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York, NY. The seminar gives prospective med students a comprehensive picture of medicine today and how it will likely evolve in the future. Over thirty distinguished members of the health care field will present at the seminar, and participants will observe the provision of health care and interaction between patient and provider in patient-care settings. There is a program fee of $875, which includes tuition, all events, refreshment breaks, lunches and an informal dinner. Reduced rate housing is available. Call (607) 255-7259.

Human Anatomy for Undergraduates at Johns Hopkins—A summer course in Human Anatomy for Undergraduates will be offered by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine this year. The course will run for four weeks in June, on the Medical School campus in Baltimore, and will include both lectures and demonstrations using human cadavers. Applications will be accepted from all currently enrolled undergraduates who have completed their sophomore year of college. Total tuition for the course will be $3700. All course materials, including the textbook and an atlas, are included in the tuition. Four (4) academic credits will be awarded upon successful completion of the course. Room and board are available on the main undergraduate campus of Johns Hopkins University. A completed application form, a non-refundable application fee of $50, and supporting materials (college transcript, letter of recommendation from an acadmic advisor) are required.

Child Family Health International—A non-profit organization promoting primary care and Spanish literacy to U.S. students through clinical electives. All programs offer a comprehensive learning experience, which includes medical and conversational Spanish classes (in Spanish-speaking countries) tailored to your needs, coupled with exciting clinical rotations serving children and families. Participants will also experience the public health perspective on the challenges facing underserved populations worldwide. Four or eight-week electives in Bolivia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, and South Africa are open for applications. Electives are open to pre-medical students 21 years or older. It is important to note that there are significant costs associated with their electives, with the program cost ranging from $1,000-1,500, generally not including airfare, local transportation, or sometimes housing. According to the CFHI Web site, “It is important to emphasize that the main objective for student participants will NOT be to provide medical care that they would not customarily provide in the United States, nor to practice clinical skills or techniques.”However, this is a great way to greatly improve your Spanish language skills, participate in health-care related volunteer work, experience a new culture, and increase your awareness of community health issues.

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