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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Natural Science

Summer of 2021

With the school year winding to an end and the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel appearing, how should the summer of 2021 be utilized for pre-professional students that have seemed to have lost a year of time in their application building process? Well, there is no one answer but rather a set of possibilities to look at when deciding your summer plans. Let’s go over the different options you can use to build your summer.

 

  1. Classes

Really enjoying online classes? Now may be a good time to knock out a couple more classes this summer before we go back to more of a normal distribution of online vs in person classes.

  1. Volunteer

After a year of limited opportunities for volunteering, expect many volunteer programs to open back up this summer as vaccines become more readily available. This makes summer a perfect time to get involved or at the very least see what programs you want to get involved with next fall and spring! Also, keep an eye out for more virtual volunteer programs this summer!

  1. Work/ Get a Clinical Job

Another great opportunity this summer is to work and make some hard-earned cash for the next school year! If you are looking for clinical opportunities this a great time to get your training out of the way and start working a clinical job to earn hours towards your professional school application. Check out this post on the clinical opportunities and how to get started! 

  1. Shadow

Now is a great time to start shadowing health professions and explore fields of interest. You should start to be able to find in-person shadowing opportunities this summer as well as virtual options. Check out this page here to check out our shadowing opportunities page. 

 

  1. Research

With research edging back closer to full operations, now is the time to line up research opportunities for the summer and for future semesters as labs aim to get back on track towards their research goals.

  1. Study for entrance exams

Now is a great time to start studying for entrance exams!(MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT, etc.)You may never have more free time to prepare for your exam than you do in the summer.

  1. Look into your professional school choices

Now is a great time to start exploring your professional school options and create a list of your top choices. Giving you the opportunity to figure out how to best build your resume and experiences to fit your schools of interest.

  1.  Relax and go on an adventure

It has been a long stressful year! Now may be the best time to recharge and reset for the next year. This may mean a three-month-long staycation of tv and family, or maybe a summer vacation adventure if you vaccinated and feel safe doing so!