Hands-On Experience
Gettysburg College offers numerous opportunities for hands-on learning and practical experience. Engage in research projects, internships, and volunteer work to gain real-world insights and enhance your application for graduate programs. Our partnerships with local healthcare facilities and organizations provide valuable exposure to the healthcare environment.
Guided Pathways
The College’s Guided Pathways program is a unique opportunity to link your co-curricular and experiential activities to your academic and career goals. We have developed specific Pathway models with careers in healthcare in mind.
A Supportive Community
Join a vibrant community of like-minded peers who share your passion for healthcare. Our student organizations, such as the Pre-Health Club, offer additional support, networking opportunities, and extracurricular activities that enrich your educational experience.
Ways to obtain a health professions experiences
- Shadow a physician or other health care professional. This can be done at home during vacations or in the Gettysburg area during the school year.
- Experience an externship. These are typically one-week experiences hosted by Gettysburg College alumni. The Center for Career Engagement coordinates many externships with a variety of health care professionals.
- Enroll in an internship. An internship is similar to an externship, just longer. It is possible to complete an internship locally or at home.
- Volunteer your time. Many social agencies, such as nursing homes and hospices, need help. You can be of service and learn about your capacity for caring for people at the same time. Stop by the Center for Public Service to see what opportunities are available.
- Get a part-time job at a hospital. You may have to start as a volunteer, but this can lead to other opportunities. Students work as phlebotomists, emergency room technicians, and operating room assistants.
- Become an EMT or a CNA. These are excellent ways to obtain valuable hands-on experience with patients.
Resources
Websites with Lists of Summer Opportunities
- The Center for Career Engagement can help students identify health care professionals for shadowing experiences.
- The Center for Career Engagement sponsors many externships. Several of these experiences are in health care settings.
- Through the Center for Career Engagement, students can participate in an internship. Stop by the office to see what opportunities are available.
- The Center for Public Service organizes, promotes, and supports public and community service by members of the Gettysburg College community. Many local health care facilities need volunteers!
- Immersion projects sponsored by the Center are a great way to demonstrate your commitment to a career or service.
- Be sure to drop by the Center for Public Service to learn about the many available opportunities.
Websites with Lists of Summer Opportunities
The following websites maintain lists of summer opportunities:
Now more than ever, experienced, well-rounded professionals are needed in the constantly evolving health care industry. By beginning your Pre-Health Professions studies at Gettysburg, you gain a unique perspective shaped by hands-on learning centered around the liberal arts and sciences that you can carry with you to graduate school.