In the Nursing school, summer employment opportunities extend well beyond the halls of the local ER.
Nursing students engage in a wide variety of summer jobs, from study abroad programs to community service.
The most common course of action is the eventual enrollment in an externship program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania or a hometown hospital.
Diane Spatz, faculty advisor to Student Nurses at Penn, describes an externship as a program that allows for hands-on clinical experience with a mentor.
Nursing junior Stephanie Johnson, who is in the process of applying for an externship, said, "It's going to be a really good opportunity for us to hone our skills and really start feeling more confident in what we're doing as Nursing students."
The majority of Nursing juniors have been anxiously seeking these positions since December, and many others are in the process of applying for these coveted spots.
Externships are in high demand because they often don't presuppose any training and they usually provide side classes to develop nursing skills.
Other summer choices can be tailored to the specific nursing interests or personal preferences of the student.
Some alternatives include training to become a certified nursing assistant, working in a doctor's office in an administrative position or taking research positions alongside faculty.
However, whatever plans Nursing students pursue depend largely on their grade level in school.
As Johnson elaborated, there isn't excessive pressure to build up a sparkling resume or develop a sophisticated array of nursing skills over the summer following freshman year.
Another important aspect of what Nursing students choose to do is based on their own personal interests.
There is no typical job for nurses in the summer because there is such a diversity of specialization within the field, Nursing junior Colin Plover said.
Plover himself has ensured that his summer activities reflect his international interests. During his summers, he has traveled to France, Botswana and Costa Rica in study abroad and international programs catered to Nursing students.
Although the vast international experience he has acquired certainly is an asset in the job market, Plover confided that resume-polishing wasn't his primary focus.
"Pursuing things that I found interesting . would probably build my resume," he said.
And for those looking for some extra summer cash, Nursing students are also very qualified - especially those with CPR training - for the many babysitting offers that await them, not only over the summer but also throughout the year.
