Medical Immersion Summer Academy
The Medical Immersion Summer Academy (or “MISA”) is a really unique opportunity for high school students who think they would like to work in the medical field to get actual hand-on training. The course is short - only five days - but during that time you’ll have the chance to do skills training (for example, EKG, stitching, CPR, splinting, and taking vitals), shadowing, mentorship, and clinical immersion. This is unlikely to take up a line on your college application, but it’s a great starting point for any student who is serious about exploring study or a profession in medicine.
“The Medical Immersion Summer & Spring Academy (MISA) was founded in 2012 in Oakland, California by Dr. Freeman. MISA works to expose pre-med and pre-health high school students to hands-on clinical experience in a variety of healthcare settings that will provide them with a competitive edge as they begin their own career in health. MISA partners with local health institutions such as Alameda Health Systems, Samuel Merritt University and private clinicians in the area to bring this valuable experience to high school students from all across the country.”
How do I get started? Click here.
COVID NOTE: Like many in-person programs, MISA has scaled back some of its programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested, make sure that you inquire specifically about what students will (and won’t) be able to do in the course of the program.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMS: College admissions officers are very adept at identifying “resume padders”: expensive, one-off programs paid for by your parents which do not mesh with your narrative arc. Therefore, make sure any summer program or course you consider falls into one (or more) of these four buckets:
Highly selective/competitive
Totally unique + linked to your narrative arc
Evidence of adulthood (long hours, multi-year commitment or simply hard work)
A jumping off point or expansion for an authentic narrative arc.
If none of the above apply, a program could still have value to you if it allows you to test a potential interest. However, if it does not end up being a jumping off point for further interests, then you may not want to mention it in your high school resume.