(USC) Life According to Elizabeth

It's only October and I'm already thinking about summer...but not fun, relaxing, school-free summer. Internships. Fellowships. Volunteer work. Resume-padding experiences. Or waitressing? Maybe I just want to go (more) broke backpacking through Europe. Is there a way to combine them all? (Minus the waitressing). This is ridiculous, I've only been at school a month and I'm alrady starting to have to think about applying for jobs this summer. I want to do something adventurous, I'm getting kind of restless. I need to do something medical/clinical for my med-school apps. I really need to something where I get paid, because I'm starting to rack up the credit card bills. And I have to do something that I will enjoy because seriously, otherwise what's the point?

So I'm considering these options right now. Maybe you guys know of some cool ones, and you could throw them my way.

1) USC's Global Fellows program.

 +$5,000-$7000 stiped (way more than I made last summer, but also factors in housing and travel expenses)

 +in Asia (soooo cool. I've never been there, would be stoked)

  - super-competitive (might not get it)

  -engineering related (probably really interesting, but not medical which is what I need, might be low-level internship, slightly boring work)

2) Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT)

   +Clinical work to improve health disparities (perfect)

   +Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe (never been any of those places, probably wouldn't want to go to Zimbabwe at the moment)

   +stipend (although I have no idea how much it is)

   -don't really know anything about it or anyone that's done it (i.e. real adventerous, which is great, but also potential to be a bust and scary)

I need some more options. I'm going to keep looking. Most of the deadlines aren't until December (still so far from summer, and I don't like thinking that far in advance), so I have some time. Wish me luck!