Opportunities for Pre-Med Students

Our department has developed internships for college students who are underrepresented in medicine (UIM), to increase access and exposure to healthcare careers, including in neurosurgery. 

NOTE: Due to COVID, in-person research opportunities may be possible, while Clinical and Operating Room observations are currently not possible until further notice.

Neurosurgery Summer Internships

UCSF Neurosurgery has developed a summer internship with a particular focus on UIM college students. If you are a visiting scholar from outside of the United States, please look into our International Visiting Scholars Program

Over the past four years, numerous students have spent their summer vacations shadowing our staff in surgery, on the wards, and in clinics, as well as conducting clinical research projects. More than half of the clinical faculty at UCSF have participated in these programs.

Though we do not have a formal summer internships application process for pre-med college students, we encourage you to reach out to clinical faculty based on your interests and also check out some of the other opportunities UCSF has to offer.

  • Look through our Neurosurgery Specialties website and choose which subjects you would like to become involved in. You can ask specific faculty noted in these sections about creating volunteering, interning, or shadowing opportunities, setting up a schedule, and other questions / logistics needed.
    • Please check the UCSF Directory to find contact info for faculty (take out their middle initial and degrees to search).
    • Include your interests and resume or CV upon requesting an opportunity.
  • Also, check out our volunteer programs at UCSF and Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
  • In general, it is a great idea to look into the Diversity Hub, with over 260 programs, the list is searchable / filterable.

 

Additional Resources

UCSF Resources

Find contact information for people that work at UCSF.

Find volunteering opportunities at UCSF. (Must be at least 16 years old.

Internships and Opportunities

Summer Research Training Program*

UC San Francisco offers exciting summer research opportunities for undergraduate students in the health sciences.

LCOE APP

The UCSF LCOE Aspiring Physicians Program program is a premedical career preparation and support program for students who identify as Hispanic/Latinx students and African American at Fresno State University, San Francisco State University, and UC Merced. The program is an intensive summer program that continues with advisory meetings and support during the academic year.

UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI)

Annually, URI engages 16 interns in a meaningful research project, clinical shadowing at UCSF and Kaiser Oakland, didactics, leadership training, and extensive mentoring during the 8-week program, as well as through the medical school application process.

* paid internships

Career Search

UCSF Temporary Employment Program (UCSF TEP)

The Temporary Employment Program provides immediate clerical and technical support services to UCSF Departments and various off-campus locations. UCSF departments deploy Temporary employees to work on special projects, fill in for regular employees who are on vacation or sick leave, or to temporarily fill a vacant position during recruitment. Frequently temporary employees become successful candidates for career and limited appointment positions.

UCSF Careers (Job Search)

Must have college degree or equivalent experience for most of these opportunities.

UCLA Alumni Job Search Starter Kit

We know that you have a lot on your plate and creating your résumé may have fallen by the wayside. Your UCLA Alumni Association aims to provide you with tools to simplify your job search process, and help get you moving! Your Job Search Starter Kit provides you easy templates for a résumé, cover letter and email correspondences. Of course, we recommend you build upon these templates to showcase your individual skills and personality. Also included are Résumé Tips and a Career Development Plan to get your creative juices flowing.