What are some undergraduate schools where you can get some clinical experience/shadowing opportunities?
Any school by a hospital!
I’m in Boston now, and there are tons.
But honestly, I also had lots of oppurtunities when I was in my small town in Louisiana.
Just takes some effort - talk to advisors/counsellors, email doctors, Google volunteer programs, etc.
I don’t think any schools have shadowing/clinical programs that are significantly outstanding.
Also, might as well put in a plug for my school: Northeastern University. Most of us take breaks from school for 3 university-sponsored 6-month full time jobs (called co-ops). College of Health sciences majors have tons of clinical oppurtunities.
Good luck!
Doesn’t have to be hospital-based either. In fact, because of various legal constraints, hospital volunteering is often less interesting than volunteering in other settings. My S volunteered at a free public health clinic over two summers which was eye-opening for him. He was also an volunteer EMT in high school at our local fire dept. There are volunteers who work in nursing homes, hospice, rehab facilities, etc…Any setting in which medical care is provided is potentially a place where you can intern.
By the way, you don’t need to the research/volunteering/shadowing during the school year although you can if it fits your schedule. You can do it over the summer or during breaks as well. The key is not to over schedule yourself. I can’t emphasize enough how many pre-meds crash and burn during their first year because they think college is like high school and there is something virtuous about taking the hardest course load they can. In fact, the goal is to avoid taking more than two tough courses at a time (which the pre-med prereqs are) so you can give them your full attention and make the grades you absolutely must have. If you are heaping on the interning and research in freshman year, and allow no slack for the inevitable distractions of adjusting to a new place, you are all too likely to end up back here asking how to make up for mediocre grades.