Pre-Health & Study Abroad

Research can be a rewarding part of your study abroad experience. Some programs even offer credit-bearing faculty-directed research projects or independent study courses. 

Conducting research abroad contributes to personal, academic, and pre-professional development, as you are engaging in research in a different context, culture, and maybe even language(!). Additionally, you can draw upon your research in your personal statements and interviews as part of your application materials.. 

If you’re interested in conducting research abroad, here are a few tips:

• Ask program staff and faculty about their research and connections to projects and labs once you’ve been admitted to your study abroad program. Some programs have strong ties to local universities, NGOs, clinics, conservation centers, or public-health agencies and can help you secure a research experience..
• Be flexible with your research expectations. While you may have your heart set on researching one particular topic, it may not be possible while abroad, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t conduct research at all. By engaging in any experience abroad you may discover projects that broaden your interests. Embrace them!
• Just as you would do here at Harvard, it’s important to build relationships early. Introduce yourself to instructors and express genuine interest in their work. Faculty are often excited to mentor visiting students.

Some programs offer internship courses with placements in local organizations. While internships are not credit-bearing, they are encouraged. Just like conducting research, internships are a great way to explore your pre-professional interests, build cultural competencies, and deepen local connections. 

Service opportunities may also be possible abroad. Even if your program does not formally offer service placements, talk to program staff and faculty about your interests as they may be able to identify organizations and facilitate introductions for you. 

Good networking is rooted in genuine conversations. Going abroad, I made it a point to connect with my staff and faculty throughout the semester. Now they are the network I am relying on for fellowship opportunities and internships abroad. 

Another strategy for networking is to attend local events. The staff in my program sent out a weekly events newsletter every week that included opportunities that were pre-professional in nature. 

-Vanessa Norris ‘26

I graduated in May 2026 as a History of Science (Medicine & Science track) concentrator on the pre-med track who studied abroad junior spring with Temple University in Rome. I completed all my degree and pre-med requirements while also spending a semester eating gelato and exploring a new country every weekend. It can be done, I promise.

When I arrived at Harvard, I thought studying abroad as a pre-health student was something I would have to sacrifice due to pre-med demands. Like many pre-meds, I assumed that stepping away from campus—even for a semester—would derail my timeline or put me behind.

But as I dug deeper into my concentration, talked with advisors, and started imagining what kind of physician I want to become, I realized something important. Studying abroad wasn’t a detour. It was part of my education.

So I went for it and it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made at Harvard. In Rome, I took courses that complemented my academic interests and others that made me an even more well-rounded student. 

I returned to Harvard with a deeper sense of independence, a clearer understanding of the kind of doctor I hope to be, and a whole new perspective on how healing is practiced around the world. Studying abroad gave me stories and experiences that now show up in my research, writing, and even my medical school applications.

Leaving Harvard—even temporarily—can feel intimidating, especially when you’re on a tight pre-health trajectory. But studying abroad provides breathing room, inspiration, and an experience that makes you stand out to medical schools. Instead of focusing on what you think you’ll miss, think about what you’ll gain: confidence, a broader perspective, community, and a renewed sense of purpose. It’s important to remember that our paths aren’t identical nor should they be. So have fun and enjoy it while you can! 

I graduated in May 2026 as a pre-med student and Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology concentrator with a secondary in South Asian Studies. During my junior fall semester, I studied abroad with CIEE Lisbon: Language and Culture. Fun fact: I have never overloaded and still completed all my degree and pre-med requirements. So yes, it can be done! 

Coming to college, I had the all too common misconception that Harvard students rarely study abroad, and even more rarely, a pre-med student. During my first term, I was so overwhelmed looking at the Pre-Med Blue Book and hearing from upper-level students about the pre-med journey that I assumed study abroad would be impossible for me. 

Fast forward to Spring 2023 when I am a sophomore struggling to focus in Chem 27 and see an email for a study abroad info session in my inbox. Suddenly, I thought “fall course registration is coming up, but what if I just don’t register for classes and go abroad – like, is that crazy?!” As Harvard pre-meds, you guys might think I’m crazy – we are so used to planning our life several years in advance that just going abroad on a whim seems WILD. At the time, I also thought it was wild, but this thought about studying abroad persisted. So with the help of my HDRB advisor (Shout out Dr. Holmes!), I created two versions of my course plan, one with study abroad and one without, and realized studying abroad was compatible with my pre-med, concentration, and secondary requirements! 

My semester in Portugal afforded me some of the best experiences of my college career and my life. In Lisbon, I learned a new language, experienced a new culture, and saw so many amazing sights. I would have missed out on so much if I had stayed in Cambridge.

In terms of my academic and professional development, I gained experience abroad that speaks directly to my interests in culturally competent medicine, and public and global health. I also networked with professionals in public service and public health. In fact, now I am reaching back out to my Portuguese network regarding fellowship opportunities for my gap year before medical school! 

I graduated in May 2026 as a Neuroscience concentrator on the pre-veterinary track who studied abroad for a semester with the School for Field Studies in Queensland, Australia, and for a summer with HSS in Milan and Siena, Italy. Yes, I studied abroad twice, am still graduating on time and with all my prerequisites complete, and am all the happier for these adventures. Believe it or not, I also have been able to engage in many extracurricular activities both professionally and personally that have increased my confidence in my future career field. 

So I got into Harvard… just to leave? You can look at it from many points of view, but from my perspective I had two significant international academic experiences with the full support of my Harvard advisors, peers, and friends. Studying abroad broadened my horizons and afforded me experiences that positively impacted all aspects of my life. 

My time in Australia was spent conducting conservation field research, an opportunity unavailable in Cambridge. I networked with and learned from international scientists in the field, locals outside academia who have had thousands of species named from their work, and had discussions with Aboriginal people about the nuances of protecting the Wet Tropics. 

Sure, it might seem a little scary to leave Harvard. Don’t think of what you are losing, but what you will gain from having the opportunity to spend months immersed in another culture. I can promise whatever pros/cons list you make, the benefits will outweigh the tradeoffs. Not convinced? Request a coffee chat with a current OIE Student Advisor!