August 11, 2000

The MGH summer interns

The MGH Summer Internship Program, now in its second year, recruits college students from around the globe to learn about one of many departments in the hospital – ranging from Research, to Human Resources, to the Institute of Health Professions.

According to Suzanne Culver of MGH Human Resources and director of the Summer Internship Program, this second year has been a success. "We received more than 350 applicants for the 31 slots in the program this year," says Culver. "There are so many talented and enthusiastic students, and I wish we had the space to place more of them. Hopefully the program will continue to grow to allow more interns to be accepted."

Internship candidates submit applications with an essay, and departments select candidates from those who have been accepted to the program. The 12-week program is for students who are entering at least their junior year of college.

Interns get more from the program than work experience alone – they also are provided with activities, such as taking a tour of the operating rooms, and group gatherings to help them learn about different departments at the MGH. These gatherings also give participants the chance to learn about what other members of the program are doing.

Program participants gathered for a midsummer luncheon July 11 to discuss their experiences with Culver. They also attended a presentation by Traci Knoblauch of MGH Human Resources about formatting resumes to catch the attention of potential employers and general pointers for interviewing.

"I'm having fun here this summer," says Neysa Kekich, who worked in the Cardiology Department this summer and will begin her first year at Northwestern University Medical School this fall. "It's interesting to interview people for the coronary artery disease study that I helped work on this summer and then track the results. I really have learned a lot."

David Haffty, who did an internship this summer with the MGH Budget Office, adds: "I also learned which kinds of projects I don't want to do in the future. That has been really helpful as well."

Departments that wish to host a summer intern next year can contact the program during the winter to request an intern. Departments must submit a job description outlining the intern's responsibilities during the 12-week program. For more information, call 724-8568.