UCSF School of Medicine - Student Affairs

Pathways to Discovery
The goal of the Pathways to Discovery program is to foster the pursuit of discovery, inquiry, and innovation as part of the career of every health professional trained at UCSF. Trainees are provided with opportunities for in-depth study and experience in one of several areas of inquiry that go beyond the routine practice of health care. The summer between the first and second years is an ideal opportunity for students to explore an area of interest or begin a Pathways project. Contact the Pathway leader for the particular Pathway in which you are interested for more information on experiential opportunities.

Curriculum Ambassador
The Curriculum Ambassador Program is one of the great hallmarks of curricular change and enhancement at UCSF, and an exciting example of the way in which students have an active role in shaping their education. This program provides support, mentoring, and formal training in curriculum development for students interested in developing a curricular project. Project priorities are identified by course faculty and curriculum oversight committees. Students are encouraged to choose from these priorities or identify an unmet curricular need.

Chinese Hospital Summer Preceptorship
The Chinese Hospital in San Francisco (which serves the Chinese community of SF and provides affordable health care to monolingual patients in a culturally sensitive manner), in cooperation with the Chinese Community Health Care Association (CCHCA), offers a few four-week preceptorships for UCSF students each summer. Students spend two weeks each in surgical and medical services. Part of the day is spent in the hospital rotating through surgery, ICU, radiology, laboratory, and medical wards with assigned preceptors. This program is for students with an interest in serving the Chinese community. It provides early exposure to a variety of medical and surgical specialties as well as family practice. The use of Cantonese and Mandarin is encouraged but not a prerequisite. The learning takes place in offices, clinics, and the hospital. A $1,000 stipend is offered. For more information and an application, contact Roy Johnston at JohnstonR@fcm.ucsf.edu or (415) 476-2503.

Dean's Summer Research Fellowship
Students may apply for support from the Dean's Summer Research Fellowship Program in any area of biomedical research, such as basic sciences, clinical investigation, epidemiology, health policy, and social sciences. Each student who participates in the program receives a stipend of $3,200. The stipend is for the student's living expenses during the fellowship period. The cost of any supplies needed to conduct the research is met through grants obtained by the research sponsors. Student trainees are expected to work full-time for eight weeks and may not enroll in summer courses or do preceptorships. It takes most students at least one month to choose a faculty sponsor, decide on a project, and write a description of the proposed research.

Post-Baccalaureate Program MCAT Teachers
The UCSF School of Medicine Office of Outreach and Academic Advancement seeks medical students to teach a summer MCAT preparation course for the Post-Baccalaureate Program. The School of Medicine offers a yearlong post-baccalaureate program to eligible California residents from disadvantaged backgrounds or underserved communities who are interested in applying to medical school. The program is open to both reapplicants and first-time applicants and has a very successful medical school matriculation rate of 96 percent. One component of the program is summer MCAT preparation. The curriculum is broken down into subject areas, and we are looking for students to teach biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and verbal reasoning and writing. For more information, contact Valerie Margol at margolv@medsch.ucsf.edu.

In addition to the programs offered at UCSF, there are numerous summer opportunities available at other universities and organizations. Here are just a few examples:

Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program
The Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program allows medical students to conduct independent research in diabetes and endocrinology under the direction of an established scientist during the summer between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school. The possible areas of diabetes-related investigation are quite broad and range from basic laboratory studies on gene regulation to clinical studies in humans. Program staff will assist students in selecting an appropriate research project and preceptor. Prior research experience is not required. In addition to working on his/her own research project, each student attends a series of seminars addressing various clinical and research aspects of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Each student receives a stipend. Students spend 8-12 weeks at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but commencement, conclusion, and vacation dates during the program are reasonably flexible.

Baystate Medical Center Summer Student Scholar Program
Baystate Medical Center, the Western Campus of Tufts University School of Medicine, and UMass-Amherst offer a mentored research program for rising college seniors and medical students (between the first and second years) who are exploring the potential of a career in medical, biomedical, public health, or behavioral health research. The 10-week summer program offers you the opportunity to participate 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 an outstanding opportunity for any undergraduate student or first-year medical student considering a career in biomedical research. You must be available full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during the dates of the program. A stipend of $3,500 is awarded to Summer Student Scholar for the 10-week period.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Summer Program, Bastyr University
Bastyr University in Seattle offers an introductory three-credit, four-week summer program in CAM to allopathic medical students. The didactic part of the curriculum occurs in the mornings, with practical and clinical experiences in the afternoons. Included in the clinical/experiential learning are a botanical field trip to observe native medicinal plants at Mount Rainier National Park, medicine-making labs, Qi gong, and a whole foods cooking lab.

Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth
Our programs provide academically talented young students aged 8-16 the opportunity to take rigorous summer enrichment courses in mathematics, science, computer science, humanities and writing. We are recruiting first-year medical students for the position of Health Assistant. The Health Assistant is responsible for maintaining the medical records of all of the students at the site, escorting children to clinics and emergency rooms as needed, and helping to administer prescribed medications and basic first-aid to the students. At many of our sites, with up to 400 children, this is more than a full-time job. Application is available on their website.

IGCC Public Policy and Biological Threats Program
The IGCC PPBT Program at UC San Diego fosters a dynamic collaborative learning environment for PhD and professional school students in the University of California system and elsewhere, as well as academic and private industry professionals, to analyze policy responses to the threat of bioterrorism and emerging public health threats. The biological threats training program involves a two-week “biological threats boot camp.” The goal is to foster the development of what may be the first generation of truly multidisciplinary leaders in biothreats policy. Funding for this program is provided through a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Domestic Opportunities

Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS)
HSHPS, a private non-profit organization representing Hispanic-serving schools of medicine and public health, is seeking applicants for its government-based internship and fellowship opportunities. Current graduate students or recent graduates of master's or doctoral degree programs in medicine or public health are eligible to apply. Opportunities include: public health internships and fellowships at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta; internship and fellowship opportunities at the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, or Morgantown, West Virginia; and internship opportunities at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Occupational Health Internship Program
OHIP is a national program with training centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City. We are housed within the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC). Students will be paired on teams to investigate a job-related problem identified by a group of workers. The purpose of OHIP is to provide an experiential learning process: students will learn about the field of occupational health and safety from the perspective of workers. To apply, contact OHIP Coordinator Gail Bateson at batesong@gmail.com or Ingrid Denis at aoec@aoec.org or phone AOEC at 1-888-347-2632.

IES Brain Research Foundation Summer Fellowship
Summer student fellowships are available for bright, motivated students interested in neuroscience research. You will receive a stipend of $2,500 and are expected to spend 8-10 weeks (full-time) being trained in a first-rate laboratory by an established, experienced scientist in the field of brain research.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Summer Oncology Research Program
Expand your horizons in the care and treatment of the cancer patient by participating in state-of-the-art clinical research. Explore the mysteries of the cancer cell by participating in a basic scientific research program. Or participate in both! Special emphasis is placed on cancer prevention through lectures and practical experiences. The Roswell Park program provides competitive stipend support (projected at $350 per week) for students in the health professions (medicine, dentistry, osteopathy) to engage in clinical and/or basic scientific research for an eight week period. Approximately 20 fellowships will be awarded. Roswell Park Cancer Institute is one of the nation's largest and oldest comprehensive cancer centers. The Institute is situated on a 25-acre site located in downtown Buffalo, New York and employs over 2,000 staff covering all facets of science and medicine. Emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary and translational research.

Betty Ford Center's Summer Institute for Medical Students
The Summer Institute for Medical Students is a unique learning experience for students to gain understanding and insight into addictive disease and the recovery process. Successful applicants to this program have the opportunity to spend five days experiencing what it is like to be a patient or a family member at the Betty Ford Center. Placements are available in Inpatient Treatment, Residential Day Treatment, and Family Treatment. We do our best to accommodate requests for placement in a particular level of care. SIMS Participants also attend lectures addressing the medical needs of addicted patients and the theory and philosophy of treatment at the Betty Ford Center. They also attend a Treatment Planning Session to observe multidisciplinary care at the Center.

Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR)
The MSTAR program is an 8-week mentored research experience with a top expert in aging-related research. Students will have opportunities in clinical epidemiology, health services research, and basic science research. The program, funded by the National Institutes for Health and the John A. Hartford Foundation, has a training site at the University of California, San Francisco. In addition, students will have an opportunity to present their research at the national meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) Summer Family Medicine Preceptorship Program
Participating students spend four weeks precepting full-time with a family medicine physician. Forty $1,200 scholarships are awarded to students on a competitive basis. Students are placed in a wide range of California locations and practices - from inner city to rural locations, from HMOs to small group or private practices. Because many rural and inner-city communities continue to experience physician shortages and a lack of diversity, CAFP strives to build student interest in serving these communities through this program.

Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Service Fellowship
The Student Summer Service Fellowship is intended to provide students an opportunity to implement a service project addressing a public health need in an underserved community or population. The goal is for students to work directly with patients and to become more compassionate, relationship-centered physicians. Sample projects include providing breast screenings at homeless shelters, creating an educational video for elderly patients on safety issues, carrying out AIDS/HIV education among recent Chinese immigrants.

Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Research Fellowship
The Student Summer Research Fellowship grants are modeled on NIH short-term training grants, but are awarded for research into community health and cultural competency issues, rather than laboratory work. The Foundation's goal is to provide an opportunity for students to work directly with patients and to become more compassionate, relationship-centered physicians. Sample titles from previous research fellowships: "Prevalence of Depression in Adolescent Emergency Department," "Identifying the Barriers to Pediatric Vaccinations Faced by a Recently Established Hispanic Population," "Assessing the Service and Educational Impact of Medical Student-Run Health Clinics."

Camp Okizu
Camp Okizu is a special camp for children with cancer. The camp's goals are to help foster independence and self-esteem as well as teach new skills in a safe environment. Activities include swimming, boating, archery, and hiking. For information about volunteering as a counselor, see Camp Okizu's volunteer & staff information page.

The AACAP Jeanne Spurlock Minority Medical Student Clinical Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
The AACAP Jeanne Spurlock Minority Medical Student Clinical Fellowship, supported by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), offers a unique opportunity for up to 14 minority medical students to explore a career in child and adolescent psychiatry, gain valuable work experience, and meet leaders in the child and adolescent psychiatry field. The fellowship opportunity provides up to $3,500 for 12 weeks of clinical training under a child and adolescent psychiatrist mentor. Participants are required to attend the AACAP Annual Meeting. (Complimentary registration and travel reimbursement for the Annual Meeting are included in addition to the fellowship stipend.)

Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility Summer External Program
Coler Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility offers a six week summer multi-specialty/multi-disciplinary externship for med students. Located 10 minutes from midtown Manhattan, New York. Gives students opportunity of one to one supervision with full time attending physicians. Goal is to acquire an understanding of chronic illnesses and the interdisciplinary team approach that is required to care for people with chronic illnesses. For more info contact Harvey.Jolt@nychhc.org.

David E. Rogers Fellowship Program of the New York Academy of Medicine
The Rogers Fellowship is given to support first-year medical students pursuing projects that couple medicine with the needs of underserved or disadvantaged patients or populations. Fellowship content might include: clinical investigation, health policy analysis, community activities, etc. Half the fellowships awarded are dedicated to projects focused on HIV/AIDS prevention or care.

Government Relations Internship Program, American Medical Association
The Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) is an opportunity for medical student members of the AMA to increase their involvement and education in national health policy and in the national legislative activities of organized medicine. The Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) provides stipends to assist selected students who are completing summer health policy internships in the Washington, D.C., area.

Scaife Advanced Medical Student Assistantship in Alcohol and Other Drug Dependency
Through the generous funding of the Scaife Family Foundation, the Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions is able to conduct this specialized program. The program offers students training in the field of Addiction Services incomparable to any they may have encountered in their prior medical school education or residency experience. Participants will receive a $150 per week stipend and a $200 transportation allowance for a total of $650 for the three weeks. Rooms and meals are also provided.

Jewish Medical Ethics & Israel Experience Summer Program
This program is based in Jerusalem, Israel for US medical students who would like to learn about Jewish medical ethics, contemporary Jewish thought, and tour Israel. The program is sponsored by the New England Institute of Jewish Studies (NEIJS), Boston in coordination with the Schlesinger Institute of Medical Ethics and Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem. The Jewish Medical Ethics & Israel Experience Program does not require a strong Jewish background or Hebrew skills. For further information, email info@neijs.org.