Opportunities

• A post-baccalaureate program prepares a person with a bachelor's degree to get into an advanced degree program. They range from a few months to two years, and are run by a university. Some offer admission advantages to an advanced degree program at that university. There are graduate (pre-PhD) and clinical (pre-MD, etc.) post-bacs. They can focus on research experience, networking/mentoring, helping you raise your GPA, taking needed courses if you're changing fields, preparing for admissions tests, etc. They may be full-time or part-time, in person or online. 

• Diversity post-bac programs pay you (often by including a research job). They exist because the university or a funder like the NIH or NSF wants to see a wider range of people working in that field. Other post-bac programs charge you tuition, like a degree program. A post-bac program does not give you a degree. It prepares you to get into an advanced degree program and a career in a field. Talk to mentors who know the field about whether a post-bac program, a first professional job, or going directly to an advanced degree program would fit your needs and goals after college.

• An internship is a short-term job with a focus on training that lets you meet professionals in a field, and experience working in that field. Interns may be paid or unpaid. It's usually a good idea to get an internship and/or undergrad research opportunity after your second or third year of college. Junior year experiences help you understand your interests so you can choose Senior courses, write graduate school applications or job cover letters, and have professional experience to put on a resume and CV. Internships are important in fields where new developments and research often happen outside academia--in industry or government and policy organizations--or if you plan to work in your field after college and take gap time before a next degree.

• People in any field can shadow a professional (follow them through a work activity or typical day at work). People in medicine and allied health fields are expected to do job shadows before applying to clinical school. A good online shadow includes an interview with the professional and case studies: stories of a specific patient they worked with--what happened and what they did.

• Like internships, but summer intensives. Can be summer research experiences in social, clinical, or natural sciences. There are also summer intensives in areas like career development or minority leadership that can be useful. In STEM fields, many summer research experiences are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). You will hear the term "REU" here; see below. In health research, many are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other organizations may also run summer intensives, such as professional associations in a field or individual universities or museums.

• Here's a list of summer research experiences: 

• Online opportunities have existed for years, and more may remain after in-person activities restart. Check with someone who knows academia or the field about whether a kind of training is considered helpful for what you want to do, especially if it costs money. A good online training can help you build skills and network with professionals in a field even when you can't travel due to work, school, health, family, etc. Online trainings can go on your resume and CV.

Find all sorts of amazing items from OHSU's Office of Science Education Opportunities, including community education programs and offerings.

See an existing list of online training opportunities through OHSU's Equity program.

• ASPSU (Associated Students of Portland State University). 

Student government. Advocates for students, offers internship and networking support for participants.

Website link, with search tool for resources at PSU: https://ondeck.pdx.edu/student-government/ (may require an ODIN login. Contact exito@pdx.edu if you’re a transfer partner program and need one.)

• DMSS (Diversity and Multicultural Student Services) MRS programs:  

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/multicultural-retention-services/

o   DSP=Diversity Scholars Program, a program with $ for students in any year at PSU. Apply through PSU Scholarships, open Oct 1-Feb 1: https://www.pdx.edu/student-finance/scholarships

o   Five programs with $ and support for underrepresented students starting their first year at PSU in Fall (including transfer students). Priority application deadline for students planning to start PSU in Fall 2021=Jan 29, final deadline March 1.

• EXITO Trainee Program

Link: https://sites.google.com/pdx.edu/buildexitotraineeapplication/home

NIH program with undergrad research opportunities, support, and $ for students seeking careers in biomedical research.

• Ignite Pre-Health 

Link:https://www.pdx.edu/pre-health/ignite

Program for pre-health students. Deadline Feb 1.

•  Lewis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science (LSAMP)

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/alliance-minority-participation/

Mentoring and support with access to NSF undergrad research opportunities, available to all PSU students in STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) who meet its qualifying requirements, no application required. Has an outreach program at PCC.

•  PSU Learning Center

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/learning-center/

Some online tools for all. For PSU students, get course tutoring, college success classes, and academic and academic-life support resources.

• TRiO Student Support Services

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/trio-student-support-services/

Mentorship and many supports for underrepresented/first-generation college/low-income college students. No deadline, can sign up or be referred by a teacher/advisor/mentor. Can be dual-admitted at PSU and PCC, Clark College, or Clackamas CC.

• Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/mcnair-program/

Undergrad research program with faculty mentors for underrepresented undergrads with graduate school goals. Apply in Fall as a Junior or Senior at PSU. Sometimes offers a second application opportunity in Spring.

• University Career Center

Link:  https://www.pdx.edu/careers/students-alumni

For any PSU student or alum: one-on-one career counseling and exploration, job search support, and regular workshops including a sequence for grad school preparation. Some online tools for all at the website.

• University Honors College:

Link: https://www.pdx.edu/honors/

A small college within the university with a strong academic focus. Honors students can be in any major and write a Senior undergraduate thesis that can be combined with research. Open to students at PSU and new transfers to PSU.