While strong academics are essential, hands-on experience is just as important for aspiring health professionals. UCSB students gain valuable insight through a variety of activities—joining pre-health organizations, working as EMTs, and volunteering in clinical and non-clinical settings. These experiences not only help you explore your future career but also build the competencies professional schools seek.
Build your Core Competencies
Below are the "Core Competencies" outlined in the AAMC’s Anatomy of an Applicant Guide which are relevant across all health professions.
Pre-professional Competencies
Demonstrates a desire to help others and sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire to alleviate others’ distress; recognizes and acts on his/her responsibilities to society—locally, nationally, and globally.
Demonstrates an awareness of others’ needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and behavioral cues affect peoples’ interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; treats others with respect.
Demonstrates knowledge of sociocultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors; shows an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity; recognizes and acts on the obligation to inform one’s own judgment; engages diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work; recognizes and appropriately addresses bias in oneself and others; interacts effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Works collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals; shares information and knowledge with others and provides feedback; puts team goals ahead of individual goals.
Effectively conveys information to others by using spoken words and sentences; listens effectively; recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed.
Behaves in an honest and ethical manner; cultivates personal and academic integrity; adheres to ethical principles and follows rules and procedures; resists peer pressure to engage in unethical behavior and encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways; develops and demonstrates ethical and moral reasoning.
Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; takes responsibility for personal actions and performance.
Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapts effectively to them; is persistent, even under difficult situations; recovers from setbacks.
Sets goals for continuous improvement and for learning new concepts and skills; engages in reflective practice for improvement; solicits and responds appropriately to feedback.
Thinking and Reasoning Competencies
Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative
solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Demonstrates an awareness of others’ needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and behavioral cues affect peoples’ interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; treats others with respect.
Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.
Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences.
Science Competencies
Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro systems, including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.
Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.
Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.
Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences.
Ways to Gain Experience
Shadowing
Shadowing healthcare professionals is an excellent way to gain insight into the daily responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of a healthcare career. While opportunities can vary based on facility policies and privacy regulations, many students successfully find shadowing experiences by reaching out thoughtfully and exploring multiple options.
Leverage your network! Connect with family, friends, and peers at UCSB (including members of student organizations) who may be able to connect you with healthcare professionals.
Volunteering & Community Service
Volunteering offers an excellent first step into the world of healthcare. Even without direct patient care, these experiences help you understand how healthcare teams work, confirm your interests, and build valuable connections.
Community service, on or off campus, shows your commitment to helping others and exposes you to people from diverse backgrounds. Consider both medical and non-medical opportunities to broaden your perspective and strengthen your skills as a future healthcare professional.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experience is essential for becoming a well-rounded, competitive applicant to professional school. These opportunities help you gain firsthand insight into the realities of healthcare and develop skills for interacting with patients from diverse backgrounds.
When searching for opportunities, start by reviewing information on hospital or clinic websites before reaching out. Larger facilities often have Human Resources departments or staff who coordinate student experiences. Smaller private practices may not have HR departments, but an office manager can often assist. Always review available information and policies before calling or emailing to inquire about opportunities.
Research
Undergraduate research is an excellent way to strengthen your critical thinking, reasoning, and scientific skills—all valuable for future healthcare professionals. Some programs, such as combined MD/PhD programs, even require research experience. At UCSB, students have unique opportunities to engage in groundbreaking research across a wide range of disciplines, allowing you to explore projects that match your interests. Use the links below to start getting involved in research at UCSB:
Volunteer Opportunities in the Santa Barbara Area
Join the Pre-health Listserv
- Our Pre-health advisors receive requests from local clinics, doctors, and organizations for student volunteers on a weekly basis. Students should subscribe to the pre-health listserv to receive emails regarding various opportunities.
Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
- Visit the website to explore opportunities each out via phone (805-569-7357) or email (volunteering@sbch.org) to learn more.
Sansum Clinics
- Sansum Clinics Community Service Programs
- Camp Wheez, a FREE week-long day camp that blends learning and play in an environment designed to meet the special needs of children with asthma
- Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Volunteer Program
- Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Special Events
Get Involved!
UCSB Pre-Health Organizations
UCSB is home to a variety of pre-health student organizations that bring together students with shared interests and goals. By joining one, you can connect with peers, gain insight from others on similar career paths, and open doors to valuable shadowing, clinical, and volunteer experiences. Use the link to explore the list of organizations at UCSB.
Want to add your organization to the list? Use this link.
UCSB Campus Organizations
Get connected with Shoreline, UCSB's official involvement platform managed by Student Engagement & Leadership (SEAL). This central tool helps students, faculty, and staff discover and engage with campus life. Log in with your UCSB credentials to find events, explore Registered Campus Organizations (RCOs), and connect with departments.
The search for experience is a big step.
Here are some resources to help you get started.
Handshake: This is our university's official job and internship platform. Employers on Handshake are specifically looking to recruit students from our school for a wide range of roles.
LinkedIn: A powerful tool for both networking and job searching. Use the "Jobs" tab to search for opportunities and follow the company pages of local hospitals and healthcare systems to stay updated on new openings.
General Job Search Engines (Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter): These large databases are excellent for finding paid, entry-level positions. For the best results, use specific pre-health keywords.
Department-Specific Opportunities: Check the website and bulletin boards for the Biology, Chemistry, or other science departments. Make connections with your instructors! Faculty may post openings for paid or for-credit undergraduate research assistants.
Join the Pre-health Listserv. Subscribe to the pre-health listserv to receive emails regarding volunteer opportunities from local clinics, doctors, and organizations.
Enrichment Courses at UCSB
Student's can gain additional experience and understanding of various healthcare professions through UCSB INT courses.
INT 175, Healthcare Delivery
This unique course is directed to those upper division students interested in health professions and who should understand the important issues related to health care delivery in the US. Guest speakers will address the economics and models of health care delivery as well as other topics to include quality control, the Affordable Care Act, the ethics in decision making and more.
NT 176, Introduction to Clinical Medicine
For students interested in careers in the health profession. Presenters are clinical faculty members at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine who practice with UCLA Health in the greater Santa Barbara area. The course helps students understand the systemic environment and career considerations as they relate to healthcare delivery in the U.S.
INT 176LA, UCLA Health Shadow
40-hour shadowing opportunity for UCSB pre-med undergraduates with UCLA Health physicians practicing in the Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura County areas. Facilitates watching and listening during patient histories, physical examinations, procedures, surgeries, teaching rounds, and/or educational activities. This course does not include participation in direct or indirect patient care or management, nor constitute formal medical training. Note: INT 176 is a prerequisite.
INT 184PD
A 2-unit course giving students an opportunity to shadow physicians at Sansum Clinic and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, was restarted in Winter 2023, after a three-year pandemic moratorium. There are 11 students per course (six at Cottage, five at Sansum) per quarter. We appreciate your patience as we work through the backlog of applicants. We are giving priority to students who will soon be graduating who have little-to-no shadowing experience.
Summer and Gap Year Experiences
Breaks between quarters and during the summer offer the perfect opportunity to gain meaningful shadowing, clinical, or volunteer experience—whether in your hometown or right here in the Goleta and Santa Barbara areas. Summer is also a wonderful time to study abroad and explore different countries, healthcare systems, and cultures.
If you are considering a gap year, we encourage you to connect with a Pre-Health Advisor to discuss your options and plan next steps.