Gain Skills for Med School

Develop Your Skillset through Research, Volunteering, and Internships

You know that managing your coursework, getting good grades, and doing well on the MCAT are important. Medical schools also want to see that you have non-academic qualities. The AAMC includes these personal qualities in their list of core competencies.

Personal skills include:

Service
Teamwork
Compassion
Cultural competence
Resilience
Responsibility
Communication skills

Doing research, volunteering, and taking on internships will help you develop and show these qualities.

Research experience is essential if you are interested in an MD/PhD program or academic research. If you are interested in clinical medicine, research experience will increase your knowledge.

Find research opportunities through:

MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
AAMC Medical Pathways & Enrichment Opportunities: explore a searchable, filterable database of programs that expose students—from high school through college – to medicine, research, and healthcare careers.
Summer Undergraduate Research Programs: listing of summer programs for undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in medical and clinical research. Please contact programs directly regarding summer research opportunities.

^{This prism shows the value of having a research experience, and how it can directly contribute to building your AAMC Core Competences.}

Volunteering for organizations like homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and nursing homes shows a commitment to service. Look for activities where you can serve people directly. Find opportunities through:

MIT Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center
Volunteermatch.org
Idealist.org
Greater Boston Healthcare Hospitals & Facilities
Common Volunteer Experiences for MIT students & alumni (remote & in-person)

Read CAPD’s tips for volunteering to learn more.

^{This prism shows the value of having a volunteer experience, and how it can directly contribute to building your AAMC Core Competences.}

An internship—health-related or not—can help you learn and develop skills. Internships related to health can confirm your interest in the field. They can also help you grow a network of professional contacts to draw on for more opportunities or letters of recommendations.