Pre-Health Activities

Participating in experiential learning opportunities is not only helpful for students seeking admission to healthcare professional schools, having a diverse and deep understanding of people and issues that impact health and healthcare is crucial to developing personal and professional competencies in preparation for lifelong service to others. Beyond120 has numerous opportunities for student engagement via research, Global Engagement, excursions, internships, etc. For questions, please contact Bobbi Knickerbocker at rknicker@advising.ufl.edu

Do some pre-health reflection and journaling

Advice about prehealth journaling from Princeton Health Professions Advising; Missouri State University

Engage in free online learning opportunities
Engage in Self-Care

This document has been created cooperatively by members of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. It may be distributed to students and others for educational purposes. It should not be reproduced for commercial use.

Network with Local Health Professionals

During Covid it is difficult to find professionals to shadow. Be sure to reach out to your personal physicians and those in your home communities when home for break. While on campus, reach out to physicians in Gainesville, participate in online ‘shadowing’ opportunities such as Medi Gators. Also check out the pre-health website for other suggestions.

Medi Gators Virtual Shadowing

Pre-Health Experiences
Pre-Health Scholar Leadership Opportunities

Pre-Health Scholars Student Advisory Board
The PHS Student Advisory Board provides feedback and input regarding student related PHS program components. The student advisory board is composed of:

  • PHS Ambassadors
  • Service Group Leaders
  • PHS TAs

Pre-Health Scholars Ambassadors
Ambassadors function in several roles for the PHS program. They are representatives for the PHS program at events, assist with administration of groups, and outreach and promotion.

  • PHS Representatives: Attend events, workshops and table at events to represent the PHS program
  • Student Advisory Council: Serve as a representative to the PHS Student Advisor Board
  • Administration of Groups: Ambassadors may assist with PHS groups: service groups, ambassadors, TAs, and internships for administrative, planning and development purposes
  • Outreach & Promotion – help disseminate knowledge of PHS and its requirements Includes, but not limited to:
    1. Event tabling
    2. Presentations
    3. Website videos
    4. Promo material
    5. Social Media

Pre-Health Scholars Service Group Leaders

  • PHS Service Group leaders provide leadership to PHS Service Groups with planning, development, and implementation of service projects
  • Participation in service group projects
  • Consistent communication with PHPB Mentor
  • Consistent communication to service group
  • Communicate with PHS Service Group Coordinator by the 1st of each month with updates
  • Create group project proposals and budget requests
  • Provide a description and picture of the experience for the B120 Lecturers
  • Service as a representative to the PHS Student Advisor Board

Pre-Health Scholars Teaching Assistants (TA)

  • Provides assistance to lecturers for IHS1100. Must have completed the course in a prior semester with an A.
  • Complete IHS1100 and/or course TAing for with B or above
  • Complete training for TAing in classrooms
  • Serve as representative to Student Advisor Board
  • Course Responsibilities – See TA Handbook and discuss with course instructor. Undergrad TAs to have no access to student private information or grades and no grading.

APPLY for a Leadership position.

Pre-Health Scholar Internships

Internships provides prehealth students an opportunity to gain experiences to gain insights into healthcare related issues, immersion with diverse populations, and continued personal and professional growth in the pre-health competencies.

Ways to earn credit for internships:
There are two ways to earn credit for internships. Either through participation in a UF campus or Gainesville community internship or via a Pre-Health Scholars (PHS) Internship. Student must be in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) with the intention of completing the PHS designation.

Earn credit: Students will be registered for IDS4940 PHS Internship. You may complete the internship for 0 – 3 credits. 1 credit = 4 hours per week engaged at the internship site and a minimum of 50 total internship hours. The internship will include a brief research paper (3-5 pages) on a topic related to the internship, an internship reflection journal, and monthly meetings with the instructor for IDS4940.

Contact rknicker@advising.ufl.edu with questions.

  1. Campus and Community Internships:
    You can earn 0-1 credits for any UF campus or Gainesville community internship program. Examples: Equal Access Clinic internship, Control Flu, Grace Marketplace, etc.
  2. Beyond120 PHS internship
    Students participating in the Pre-Health Scholars Program (PHS) will be given priority for these opportunities. Learn more about the PHS program.

Internships require:

  • Current HIPAA certification
  • Proof of current COVID vaccines
  • Student Liability Insurance Certificate
  • Submission of an application for internship credit
  • Submission of the Internship Learning Goals with both the student’s and internship supervisor signatures
  • Registration for IDS4940 for 0-3 credits
  • Completion of IDS4940 course requirements

Application: (see below) Please clearly indicate in the application for which internship you are applying.

Community Hospice Internship
VITAS Hospice Internship
CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services

Pre-Health Service Groups

Purpose: To serve the campus and Gainesville community.
Small groups to assess community and individual needs and reach out into the campus and Gainesville community to offer diverse methods of service. PHS Ambassadors and PHPB Mentors will assist group members in identifying “Needs + individual/group interests/strengths = service project.”

Small Groups of 6-8

  • Each small group is led by a PHS Ambassador and PHPB mentor. Groups:
    • Engage in a process of evaluating community needs to determine group projects.
    • Evaluate/assess/reflect on the efficacy and quality of service and take aways.
    • Depending on the projects, students will do approximately 4 – 5 hours per month of a PHS group project.

If you would like to participate in PHS Service Groups, please submit your UFID #, name, and email to Beyond120@advising.ufl.edu. List “PHS Service Group”’” in the subject line of the email.

Read & Listen
Research Professional Schools School Directories Centralized Application Services Professional Organizations Entrance Exams
Volunteering

Why Volunteer? Check this out: https://www.dosomething.org/us/articles/9-places-to-volunteer-online-and-make-a-real-impact

Focus Locally

Volunteer Virtually

  • Operation Warm has a list of 25 ways to volunteer virtually
  • Paper-airplanes.org invites volunteers to provide online tutoring to “bridge gaps in language, higher education, and professional skills training for conflict-affected individuals”
  • org’s nine places to volunteer online and make a real impact

Application for Pre-Health Scholars (PHS), PHS Internships, PHS Leadership Positions

Eligible applicants require a:

  • A College of Liberal Arts & Science major.
  • Submitted application for Pre-Health Scholars program.
  • Junior/Senior standing at UF based on number of semesters at UF.
  • Competitive science/math GPA for profession being pursued by student.

Pre-Health Scholars Application










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