Undergraduate & Medical Student Summer Internship

Overview

The Harvard Orthopedic Trauma Service is a busy pan-campus orthopaedic trauma service with sites at four Harvard-affiliated Level I Trauma Centers: Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital. We are actively recruiting undergraduates to work with our clinical research team. The main aim of the internship is to provide interns with a basic understanding about clinical research, primarily through providing practical experience. The secondary aim is to provide opportunities for interns to shadow in the clinical environments in order to see what life is like in the hospital setting.

Our clinical research work primarily involves the study of patients who experience orthopaedic injuries and the treatments that help these patients heal from their injuries. As part of this work you will conduct literature searches, interact with research subjects, and collect and/or analyze data. You may provide specific research-related expertise to us depending on your background and interests or be asked to write up a case report based on a specific finding in the clinical setting. At some point during the summer it is possible that you may become involved with projects not specifically related to clinical research that are of pertinent interest to our clinical team at the time—i.e., quality assurance projects. You will work with all members of our team—including senior and junior orthopaedic faculty, residents, nurses, and research personnel—along with our colleagues from disciplines outside of Orthopedic Surgery.

A key part of the internship is the experiences our interns have in the hospital environment that show them what it is like to work in a hospital and what it can be like to take care of patients. You will be welcomed and encouraged to observe our team in all of the clinical areas in which we work: the operating room, the emergency room, the outpatient clinic, and the inpatient units. You are welcome to attend any conferences or educational forums that are open to residents, attendings, and hospital staff.

We are looking for candidates who are curious, flexible, and have the ability to think on their feet. We value candidates who have strong interpersonal skills and like to be part of a team. Candidates should be literate in Microsoft Word, Excel. Prior coursework in statistics and computer science is a plus. Past experience with clinical research is helpful but not required.

Requirements

The internship program runs from May 29 – August 30, 2024. We ask you to make a commitment of at least 10 weeks and that you work a minimum of 30 hours per each week of work. This is truly an "it is what you make of it" kind of internship, so you are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities we provide.

The internship is unpaid with no stipend for accommodations. 

For undergraduate applicants:

All current full-time freshman, sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply, provided that they:

• Are currently enrolled full-time in a four-year accredited college or university at the time of application
• Are interested in clinical research and/or considering careers in medicine or healthcare
• Are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

For medical student applicants:

All current full-time first-, second-, and third-year medical students are eligible to apply, provided that they:

• Are currently enrolled full-time in an accredited medical school at the time of application
• Are interested in clinical research and/or considering careers in Orthopaedic Surgery
• Are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

It is expected that you will fully dedicate your time in this internship to our research and observation. You should not be looking to undertake courses or clinical rotations simultaneously with this research internship.

Our Faculty

Interns will work with the Orthopedic Trauma faculty across two Harvard institutions: Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women's Hospital. Please see the hospitals’ websites for more information about our faculty.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for our internship, please complete the online application form and submit supporting documents. The supporting documents include:

• Resume
• One academic letter of recommendation
• One professional/clinical letter of recommendation

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Devon Brameier.

Applications will open December 1, 2023 and will be due by Friday, February 9, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST.

FAQs