<p>First of all, there are very few or no formal interships for pre-meds. (There are science research summer programs. There are also some special summer medical opportunity programs for individuals from under-represented social and ethnic groups. But for the rest—summer is strictly do-it-on-your-own type activities.)</p>
<p>It’s usually not possible to do internships in two different areas at the same time because most internships are 40 hours/week–and there’s just not enough hours in the day to do two at the same time.</p>
<p>However, if you are enterprising and ambitious and don’t mind giving up your weekends, you may be able to do a communications internship and do medical volunteering/shadowing on the weekend, providing you can find a physician or hospital willing to have you.</p>
<p>If you want to do a year abroad (typically done during junior year), you are going to have to plan your schedule very carefully. </p>
<p>If you plan to start medical school immediately after graduation, you may have to postpone or forego junior year abroad unless you really load up with sciences/math during your first 2 years of college since many (most?) abroad programs do not offer lab science classes. Junior year abroad may also interfere with your ability to take the MCAT in a timely fashion. (If you plan to apply after junior year, you will need to take the MCAT usually no later than mid-May or your score will come back very later in the application cycle, putting you at a disadvantage compared to your peers.)</p>
<p>If you plan to just do a summer abroad or take a glide year and apply after you’ve graduated from college then the above issues are moot. </p>
<p>One thing to consider is the science and non-science requirements for med school are increasing. There will be new MCAT exam in 2015 which adds biochemistry and human behavior (psych and sociology) to the current topics tested.</p>