Choosing the Right Internship
Have you secured a
summer internship related to your career goal? If not, don't give up. It's not too late if you start working on it now.
The first step is to choose the right internship experience for you.
As you research programs
at your university's career center or navigate online to learn of opportunities,
first think about what kind of experience you are seeking. In order to best articulate the kind of
experience you hope to secure, consider the following:
- What
are your motives in securing an internship?
-
What
type of skill-sets do you hope to gain?
-
What
organizations and programs best align with your career goals?
-
What
are your strengths and perceived weaknesses?
Is
it imperative that you secure a paid internship or is there flexibility to accept a
non-paid opportunity? Although money is nice
to have, always remember that an internship is a great way to explore if your
major can lead to a career of interest. It can also be a great time to try
something completely new.
The following information is
to help you understand what kind of internship experience will most benefit
your needs. To learn how to secure any
of the following at your respective college/university, speak to your academic
advisor, pre-health advisor and/or career counseling center.
Cooperative Education (co-op)
A co-op is a three-way partnership between a student, college/university and employer. Traditionally,
students secure an internship related to their major, and typically receive academic credit for
co-op placements. An example of a co-op
is a student studying veterinary medicine while working at a local veterinary
hospital or zoo.
Service Learning
Service learning projects integrate meaningful service with instruction and
reflection. Most often, service projects involve three
steps: 1) outlining objectives, 2) performing service
work, and 3) presenting conclusions based upon the student's experiences. An example of a service learning project is a
college student teaching elementary students about household chemicals that
are poisonous while working in cooperation with a group of pediatricians.
Practicum Experience
Practicum experiences provide students an opportunity to apply their
academics in a real-world setting. Students are usually under joint supervision of an academic adviser and
employer. A group of pre-pharmacy students working a summer-long project sponsored by
a pharmaceutical firm and supervised by a faculty member is a great example of a practicum experience.
Field Experience
A field experience is an ideal way to apply what students learn in the classroom
to a practical test. It is a popular
choice amongst science majors because it integrates education, supervision, and the
interpretation of data/research. Research may be limited to one subject or encompass a number of
different topics. An example of a field
experience is taking a research course at a college/university and applying
what is learned while working under the supervision of an expert.
Externship
Externships are traditionally short in duration and allow a student to
investigate a career field without making a long-term commitment. Students spend a short period of time
observing professionals in their career field of choice. Pre-medical
students shadowing a physician in a private clinic or hospital is an example of an externship.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internship
http://www.quintcareers.com/grad_internships.htmlhttp://internships.about.com/od/internshipsquestions/tp/typeofinternships.htm
NC-HCAP 2.0
You never know how an experience will affect you or when it might lead you to your life's calling. Take Dr. David Satcher, for instance. 
Ms. Borden
is NC-HCAP's associate
director/college outreach coordinator. She oversees the
day-to-day operations of the office as well as plans, develops and
implements college outreach initiatives, with particular
emphasis on the Science Enrichment Preparation (SEP) Program. She also serves
as the advisor for the NC-HCAP Health Careers Club.