MySLC

• The National Alliance of Research Associates Programs (NARAP)
  • A national consortium of Affiliate hospitals utilizing the RA model to enroll unprecedented numbers of participants for clinical studies in emergency medicine. They are looking for: Line RAs (summer semester, 2023): undergraduates and post-bacs volunteering to serve a minimum of one, 4-hour shift per week as data collectors in emergency departments for clinical studies  OR  Chief RAs (June 2023-August 2024): college graduates volunteering as middle managers of Research Associates Programs. Application reviews and acceptances are on a rolling basis. For more information, please visit their website.

• UMass Chan Medical School Summer Enrichment Program

  UMass Chan is offering a four-week, residential Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) for current undergraduate sophomores and juniors to help improve their qualifications and standings for admission to professional, graduate and/or medical school. Participants must be Massachusetts residents and who have graduated from a Massachusetts high school.  For more information or to apply, click here.

• The Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics at Columbia University

  The Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics (IICD) at Columbia University offers a 10-weeks research opportunity for talented undergraduate students to perform cutting-edge research at the intersection of cancer research and mathematical sciences. Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply. Find the application and information here.

• Weill Cornell Medical College TRAVELERS Summer Research Program

  Weill Cornell Medical College is offering a seven-week experiential research program for junior and senior premedical students. The program provides an opportunity for student to execute a research project under the mentorship of a WCM faculty member while exposing participants to peer mentorship, clinical faculty from a variety of specialties, and public health and clinical topics in medicine, particularly those that impact underserved and minority populations. Click here for more information.

• Yeshiva University Accelerated Hybrid/Online EMT-B Course

  This course presents a fantastic opportunity for students to enhance their clinical skills and pursue a career in emergency medical services. Graduates will be qualified to work or volunteer as EMTs in New York or their home state after successfully completing the NYS EMT and the NREMT exams. Students will gain insights into recognizing signs and symptoms of various diseases and learn effective patient interviewing techniques within a limited timeframe. To enroll, complete this Google Form.

• Brigham and Women's Hospital - Hiring a Medical Practice Assistant

  Brigham and Women´s Hospital is working with CapYear to fill a Medical Practice Assistant position in Chestnut Hill, MA. Pending December 2023 pre-health graduates and recent alumni are encouraged to apply. No medical assistant certificate is required. This is a full-time position looking to hire now. Learn more or apply here.

• Bronx-Westchester AHEC Summer Health Internship Program (SHIP)

  Bronx-Westchester AHEC's Summer Health Internship Program is a six-week summer internship for incoming freshman and sophomore undergraduate students. Students will be placed in a hospital, health center or community based health organization to interact with health professionals and attend weekly didactic sessions, presentations and field trips on health issues. Apply here!

• UCLA Pre-Medical Enrichment Program (PREP)

  A 6-week intensive summer program that provides pre-med students with the means to strengthen their ability and readiness to study medicine. Full participation in the program allows participants to enhance their chances of being accepted into medical school and succeeding once there. Find more information and apply here.

• Atlantis Medical Shadowing Programs

  Atlantis is a hospital shadowing program that runs in Europe for pre-health students during school breaks. They have recently added programs in new cities such as Venice, Italy; Crete, Greece, and Budapest, Hungary. Currently, students who apply by February 9th will receive a $50 Amazon gift card towards a lab coat after they enroll in an Atlantis program for this summer. Learn more here.

• Advanced Dermatology - GapYear Medical Assistant Program

  Advanced Dermatology is working with CapYear to fill multiple spots in their Dermatology Gap Year Program Class for 2024- 2025. This program is aimed at students who are planning on applying to medical, PA or NP programs. Pre-health graduates and pending spring 2024 graduates encouraged to apply. No medical assistant certificate is required. Click here for more information.

Glide/Gap years are known as the period between completing an undergraduate premedical program and entering medical school. These are periods where students can continue to expand and more freely understand their choice of a career in medicine. Many people take this route to find an opportunity that can teach them more about their interests, increase their GPA, and retake MCATS. There are many different opportunities for glide/gap years to serve as a great learning experience. These experiences may include:

• Clinical Research
• Teaching
• EMT
• Medical Consulting
• Advanced Degree
• Medical Scribe
• Medical Office Assistant
• Hospital-Related Jobs / volunteer work 

Did you know that taking a glide year has become more and more common in recent years? In fact, 92% of applicants from Sarah Lawrence and 73.2% of all matriculants to medical school (based on the AAMC 2024 Matriculating Student Questionnaire) took at least one year off between undergraduate and medical school. Another fun fact: The median age of an entering medical student is 23 years old! So, while this was quite uncommon 30 years ago, times have certainly changed! 

What is a Glide Year?
A glide year, also commonly referred to as a "gap" or "bridge" year, is a gap of time between completing your undergraduate degree and matriculating into health professional school. A glide year can be for anyone going into any field; however, it has become extremely common for those applying to health professional programs. In fact, where ~ten years ago these applicants were referred to as "nontraditional" applicants, now this has become the more "traditional" path 

What To Do During a Glide Year?
There are so many different things that you can do during your time off, and there is no one right answer about what to do with this time. 

In a future QofW, we will explore common options/ideas of what you can do during your glide year/s. We will discuss common factors to consider when determining if a glide year is right for you. And we will discuss what decisions may be helpful to make early on in your planning and preparation process. So, stay tuned for Part II. 

If you need help determining if a glide year(s) is right for you, or any other related questions, schedule a meeting with Dean Melinda Perlo Cohen.

Glide Year or Years? 
Often, when people think of a glide year, they assume that it means taking only one year off between undergrad and grad school.  But in fact, many applicants take two or more years off. In fact, some job opportunities, especially research/clinical research positions, require a minimum 2 years commitment. So for those seeking these types of opportunities, its is advantageous to take multiple glide years. 

As with so many factors in the application process, there is no set amount of time for all; rather its determining the "right" amount of time for you!

$$$ Money: Many people use their glide year/s as a time to earn and save money to fund their graduate education. Saving money during this time can be extremely helpful for your years in graduate school when you won't be able to work. As such, getting a job to earn money is a common reason applicants take a glide year(s).

By the way, it's never too early to begin educating yourself about grad school finances. Check out the AAMC's FIRST resources and tools to learn more. 

Time: As simple as it may sound, many applicants need more time! With the increasing prerequisite courses, required experiences  and/or clinical hours, and a very competitive applicant pool, often applicants need more time to develop a really strong application. Not to mention, it can be pretty overwhelming to study for your entrance exam, apply, and interview all while being a full time student. Therefore, many applicants choose to stretch out their timeline and take a gap year so they can study for the MCAT in the summer prior to their senior year or application year. Then they can better balance school while completing their applications. 

Strengthening Your Portfolio: A common reason that one may choose to take a glide year is to fill a large gap on their resume and/or address weaknesses in an application. This may be academic weaknesses (e.g. low GPA) or experiential deficits (e.g. lacking patient-centered clinical experience). It is no secret that It is hard to juggle being a full time prehealth students completing the prerequisite courses and engaged in research, clinical, and community experiences while also pursuing hobbies and maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle throughout college. Many applicants realize they will benefit from taking a glide year(s) to address a deficit or weakness in their application to be as strong an applicant as they can be. 

Avoiding Burnout: Another important and often overlooked reason to consider a glide year is to avoid burnout! You have just worked extremely hard for 4 years in college with many more years of schooling prior. It is completely okay to need a break to rejuvenate before going back to school. And guess what? Your clinical training is a long road with very minimal breaks along the way. So taking some time away from the demands of school can be quite refreshing!

The glide year is a fantastic time to explore something you wont have the time to do once you begin your clinical training- Explore old or new hobbies, live in a new place, travel, and more. You deserve to take time to yourself before heading back to school!

When planning for your glide year, it can feel overwhelming to decide what types of jobs or opportunities to pursue. We can boil these down into 4 main categories. However, it is important to remember that there is no one right answer. Rather, think about how you can capitalize on this time to help you accomplish both short-term and long-term goals. 

Wondering what is a "glide" year (also known as a "gap" or "bridge" year? Check out Part I of this QoftheW.

We will tackle this question by examining four main categories of opportunities, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Remember, the glide year is a year to grow and develop in many different ways that serve YOU!  As long as you are learning, engaging, and gaining valuable experiences from this year, and are prepared to speak about it in a future interview, then it's a great choice. 

Glide Year Opportunity of the Week:
Be sure to check out the glide year opportunity of the week that we have been including in our newsletters! To view past newsletters with their job postings, check out this link.  

If you need help determining what to do during your glide year, or any other related questions, schedule a meeting with Dean Melinda Perlo Cohen.

Clinical Opportunities: One of the most common avenues that people choose to go down for their glide year(s) is to pursue clinical opportunities. These are more often harder to find as part time roles, so having a full year or more to dedicate to a clinical role can be the perfect opportunity to be hands on in a clinical setting. This is a great time to immerse yourself in a clinical setting, and start learning about the flow of working in the medical field. Some great ideas with minimal/short training requirements is becoming a CNA, a medical assistant, a vet assistant, a phlebotomist, and more! 

Be sure to check out our past questions of the week  which have discussed different clinical opportunities and ideas, as well as be on the lookout for our clinical opportunities guide, which is coming soon!

Research: This year can also be a great time to grow your research experience. It can be hard to find a lot of time to dedicate to research throughout college, so this can be a great opportunity to pursue during your glide year. This can take shape in many ways - you can do bench lab work, which would be more working with your hands in the lab, or clinical research work, where it would be more working on a trial, and often with patients. Any research opportunity is a great way to add to your resume, and can build great connections with healthcare professionals. However, it is important to note that many research jobs will request a two year minimum commitment because of the amount of on the job training needed. 

Volunteer: This is also a great year to build on your volunteer experiences. This can look different for everyone - for some people, they are able to commit to a volunteer position full time, while others can add this in at night or weekends. Because you no longer have homework to catch up on after your long day, it can be great to dedicate some time weekly to get involved in your local community and volunteer. Many students opt to volunteer in settings like their local hospital or clinics. 

Pursuit of Passion: A common choice for many students is to use this year to get a job in an area they are passionate about, whether or not it fits into their professional aspirations. As graduate school applicants, you have already chosen your future career path, so it is not uncommon for students to try out something totally different for the year. As long as you are engaging and developing additional knowledge and skills (think transferrable skills!), you are encouraged to explore and pursue opportunities that will make you happy! This can range from a dream job as a ski instructor (where you learn the value of patience and how to educate a wide range of people) to running a pottery studio (where you learn how to work with your hands, and about how the smallest changes can lead to huge impacts on results). 

Your Glide year(s) is not only a great times to grow your knowledge and build your resume, but it is also a great time for personal and professional development. Starting graduate school can be a very big adjustment, so creating some healthy habits early on can help set you up for success. These habits or skills can be small or large, and having a year (or more), without school to distract you, is a great time to work on them. So, pick some personal goals to achieve during your glide year! 

Wondering what is a "glide" year (also known as a "gap" or "bridge" year? Check out Part I of this QoftheWeek.

Glide Year Opportunity of the Week:
Be sure to check out the glide year opportunity of the week that we have been including in our newsletters! To view past newsletters with their job postings, check out this link.  

If you need help determining what to do during your glide year, or any other related questions, schedule a meeting with Dean Melinda Perlo Cohen.

Develop your interview skills: One of the most exciting yet common stressors during a glide year is upcoming interviews. From graduate school interviews to job interviews, this year can feel like you are constantly having to "sell yourself" through the interview process. Your glide year can be a great time to hone in on your interview skills - whether that be practicing with friends or family members, thinking through different scenarios, or keeping a journal of different workplace stories- there are so many ways to work on this skill. It will be essential throughout graduate school and beyond, so this is a great time to make sure that you start feeling comfortable in an interview setting. 

Tip: Schedule a mock interview with the Prehealth Program and/or Career Services. 

Creating Healthy Habits: This year is an opportune time to build and strengthen healthy habits. Graduate school can be really stressful, and during moments of high stress is a really hard time to begin to implement healthy habits into your routine. So, your glide year is a great time to start implementing these habits so that it can support you during your time in school. Healthy habits can range from incorporating exercise that you love doing to creating healthy sleep hygiene to learning to cook nutritious meals for yourself or finding a new hobby to relax and destress.  Any way that you choose to be healthy is great, and this is a great time for you to try out different things to implement into your lifestyle!

Balancing Finances: This is also a great year to work on your personal finances. Finances can be a really intimidating part of going back to school, so this is a great year to learn more about it! Depending on what type of graduate school that you go to, it can range from difficult to almost impossible to have a job while in school. Check out resources like FIRST to build your financial literacy. Learn to budget and spend responsibly to help set you up for success throughout graduate school.  And you may also want to pick up a small side hustle that you can maintain throughout school, such as tutoring or babysitting.

Finding ways to unwind: Graduate school can be quite stressful, so having productive habits to destress and unwind is essential. Your glide year is a great time to rejuvenate and discover different, enjoyable ways tto destress! Whether it be going on a walk, watching your favorite show, or reading a great book, building habits help you recalibrate and relax is so important before starting graduate school.