Northwestern Medicine Pre-Med Gap Year Internship Program

The Pre-Med Gap Year Internship Program places exceptional pre-medicine students into clinical environments for 13 months to work, conduct research and participate in faculty-led lectures.

This program offers the opportunity to be part of a team of knowledgeable and caring clinicians who are committed to providing world-class care in a premier academic medical center. Through the program, you will also be immersed in a network of other pre-med students. This is a paid benefits-eligible role.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Have completed your bachelor’s degree within the last year by the time the program starts
  • Demonstrate interest and eligibility to apply to med school within the next 1-3 years
  • Be available to participate in the program for 40 hours per week for a 13-month period

Program information:

Gap year interns work for 40 hours a week. Eight hours are spent focusing on research. For the remaining 32 hours, they work in a patient support role, such as:

  • Scribes
  • Clinic assistants
  • Technicians
  • Immediate care assistants
  • Patient liaisons

In addition, you will attend faculty lectures and rounds, and participate in social programming. When you apply, you can indicate your position-specific preferences, such as location, role and specialty. We offer intern roles in a variety of clinical areas across Northwestern Medicine, including:

  • Orthopaedics
  • Primary care
  • Cardiology
  • Hospital medicine
  • Dermatology
  • Immediate care
  • Pediatrics
  • Neurosurgery

Orientation will take place on June 12 at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital campus in downtown Chicago.

How to Apply

Applications opened on February 26. Go to jobs.nm.org, search for “Gap Year,” and click on the listing for Pre-Med Gap Year Intern. We may close the role if we receive many applications, so apply early.

When you apply, submit the following as PDFs:

  • A one-page personal statement where you:
    • Explain why you are interested in a career as a physician.
    • Describe an obstacle you’ve faced when working toward your academic, career or personal goals and how you’ve worked to overcome it.
    • Discuss any lessons you’ve learned through those experiences and how they will help you succeed in your career as a physician.
    • Explain how you will spend your gap year preparing for medical school.
  • Your updated resume
  • Your unofficial transcripts (preference given to those with 3.4 GPA and above)

Meet Our NM Pre-Med Gap-Year Internship Alumni

2023 Alumni

Learn about the 2023 Northwestern Medicine Pre-Med Gap-Year interns.