Public health programs strongly encourage applicants to gain healthcare experience in clinical and non-clinical settings and to demonstrate their commitment to helping others through shadowing, volunteering, and participating in student organizations.
Shadowing
Whether you are still exploring different healthcare careers, or have already decided what profession you would like to pursue, shadowing can be a great way to learn more about whether a given health profession is the right fit for you.
The following links to area clinics will help you get started volunteering in a medical setting:
Madison Area Clinical and Non-clinical Health Organizations
- UW Hospitals & Clinics
- American Family Children’s Hospital
- Meriter Hospital
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital
- St. Mary’s Hospital & Medical Center
- Our Lady of Hope Clinic
- Agrace Hospice Care
- More Smiles Wisconsin
- Touched Twice Clinic
- Dane County Public Health Department
- American Red Cross
These links will help you think about ways to get involved in the community. These can be ways to personalize your service and make connections between other interests you have and the ways you enjoy serving others:
Community Service Resources
- Morgridge Center for Public Service at UW-Madison
- Volunteeryourtime.org (Dane County)
- VolunteerMatch.org (National)
Campus organizations provide opportunities to network with other pre-med students, gain organizational and leadership experience, and learn about healthcare careers:
Student Pre-Health Organizations
- AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American) Pre-Health Society
- Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED Pre-medical Honor Society)
- American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
- Cardiac on Campus
- GlobeMed
- Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
- Health Professions Society
- MEDLIFE
- Promoting Recognition of Identity, Dignity, and Equality (PRIDE) in Healthcare – Undergraduates
- Professional Association of Latinos for Medical School Access (PALMA)
- Sports Medicine Club
- Student Emergency Medical Services (SEMS)
- Wisconsin Medical Society, Pre-Medical Chapter
In addition to the pre-health organizations above, you can find over 900 other student groups at the Wisconsin Involvement Network.