If you’re new to campus or merely unsure of all the pre-health, science-friendly opportunities that Stern has to offer; keep reading. As you may already know, Stern has more biology majors than food options in the Caf. That being said, you may think that you’re just like every other science student, right? Wrong! I mean maybe you are, but if you want to distinguish yourself and gain some practical work experience there are many ways to get involved. Here’s a compilation of available extracurricular activities available at Stern and in the NYC area:
Research: Even if it’s your first semester taking a lab class, it’s never too early to start getting your hands wet, literally. Wet lab and clinical research is a valuable asset of being a pre-health student, and it’s as easy as emailing a professor. All major laboratories, universities, and hospitals conduct research year-round so it may be worth contacting someone and getting your lab coat ready. From biology to physics labs, lab work is useful in delving into a deeper area of science and in exploring original work.
Tutoring: There are many opportunities to tutor underprivileged students in the city, which is a huge chessed in and of itself. Subjects range from history to biology, and many of these programs are initiated and run by YU students. Some of the schools are located as close as 33rd Street while some are in the Heights. Programs include START science, the Height’s Initiative, Norman Thomas Tutors, Helping Hands, and peer tutoring right here on campus.
Hospitals: Whether you’re looking for a candy striper job, a clerical position, or want to work as an intern in an Emergency department, there are many ways to gain experience in a hospital setting. If you plan on becoming a nurse, OT, or doctor, this may be related to your future career and it would most definitely be worthwhile to get a position. Hospitals like NYU Langone, Beth Israel, Montefiore, St. Lukes and Sloan Kettering all have volunteer departments and applications are available on their websites. If you are on-campus for Shabbat, you can also visit sick patients at NYU Langone through the Bikur Cholim program. There’s also TEACH (Together Educating All Children in Hospitals), a program where students design and implement a series of science and humanities modules for patients and their siblings in different hospital.
Summer/Winter- Break Programs: Different departments in Stern run programs that appeal to students, and certainly to pre-Health students. For example, the CJF runs Torah Tours as well as summer and winter missions to Israel and to different parts of the U.S. and South America. There are many programs that the CJF runs, so stop by their office for brochures (the building next to 245 Lex ) or look out for their emails. Other summer/winter programs that are run more exclusively for science majors include the Bar Ilan summer program, Roth, SERC, Hackensack University summer internship Program, and winter-break internships for sophomores.
Clubs: There are more clubs in Stern than it’s possible to keep track of, which makes it easy to get involved. Some clubs that may be of interest to science majors include the biology, chemistry, psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and physics clubs. Clubs that may be of interest specifically for pre-health students are: pre-med, pre-dent, pre-optometry, OT, PT, speech and hearing, nursing, and P.A. clubs. Other clubs of general interest: nutrition, environmental society, public health, active minds, blood drive, global health, health & fitness, pre-engineering, recycle4sick, sharsheret (raising breast cancer awareness), public health, and the Medical Ethics Society.
Chessed: Chessed is a great thing to do, well, because it’s chessed. There are various ways to help out, many of which are familiar and not Stern- specific, but just as a refresher, here goes the list: Yachad, Ohel, and Mishkan run programs for people with special needs. Camps Simcha, HASC, Chai Lifeline, and Kaylie also help special needs or sick children. Challah4hunger and the Agunah aAdvocacy club are YU affiliated. Marathons to raise money for worthy causes take place at regular intervals of the year as well.
Published work: This is something graduate schools are looking for regardless of your field, and there’s recently been an increasing emphasis for those entering science professions. Science related publications and presentations include: Derech hateva, Women in Science, the Undergraduate Research Abstract Journal, SURGE, the poster competition, and drumroll please……the Sci-Tech section of the Observer 
With all of that being said, here are some general tips for surviving the rigorous Pre-health education at Stern:
1) Reach out to people, no matter how important they are. If you really like a professor’s class or enjoyed a lecture given at an event, get in touch with the professor/lecturer for further opportunities. Maybe they have an available position in their lab or are seeking interns for a project; you never know. And one thing is for sure— it never hurts to ask.
2) Get on Dr. Lowey’s pre-health list and take advantage of YuCareerlink. The pre-health list-serve is intended for all pre-health students and is a useful resource for hearing about job fairs, internships, and lectures.
3) Take advantage of being in school in NYC. Not many students are as privileged as we are to be in school in NYC, so it’s definitely worth taking full advantage of. Besides for being a social hotspot, many top hospitals and labs are located here. From volunteering at a soup kitchen to getting more involved in environmentalism, there are many opportunities to explore. With NYC’s diverse population, the city is a great place to learn and grow as a future health provider. Now that I’ve personally advertised for every hospital, club, and program out there; just remember one thing— this is your opportunity to make a difference!