Make the most of your 'break'

Maybe that defeats the purpose of a break, yes, but if you're looking for a leg up on the competition and your career, think about saying goodbye to the couch-TV-potato-chips winter break routine.

Lots of health-related worksites accept -- and love -- volunteers. Call one up, tell them you have a month and see if they can use you. Even though it's a short period, offer to work a lot of hours. A condensed internship at a hospital, clinic, nonprofit organization or government agency is still an internship (read: something that will look sweet on your resume...and, yes, get you some good experience).

Check local volunteer listings on sites like VolunteerMatch.org and Idealist.org. Something interesting might pop up or inspire you, but if not, don't panic: Many places would love to have you volunteer; you just have to offer.