Each summer, up to 40 undergraduate, medical, and graduate students from schools across the country participate in a paid summer internship program at MCORRP. These students perform a wide variety of tasks, from data collection, analyses, and entering data into our various registries, to shadowing physicians and volunteering at World Medical Relief. With access to MCORRP statisticians and staff, students are able to design their own research projects. At the end of the internship program, students summarize their research in a formal presentation at the Cardiovascular Center. Furthermore, they are encouraged to develop abstracts on their research for submission to national scientific meetings. Many of these lead to peer-reviewed poster presentations and publications.
In addition to working with the databases and creating research projects, students attend cardiology grand rounds, meetings at the hospital, and lectures on various topics in cardiology, healthcare, and research. Interns also organize social events, field trips, and sports teams, further enriching the “team” experience.
Following a cancellation of the internship in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, a hybrid program was developed for Summers 2021 and 2022. While we were unable to provide shadowing experiences for the students, we still provided a comprehensive learning environment that included lectures, volunteering at WMR, team meetings, and orientation to registries via Zoom and in-person, along with individual virtual/in-person instruction, based on CDC and Michigan Medicine Guidelines.
A total of 27 students participated in the 2022 MCORRP Student Internship program, abstracting data for 7 MCORRP registries. With help from staff, students created and implemented 18 individual research projects; many of these projects have been submitted as abstracts to national meetings. Additionally, interns spent over 300 hours volunteering at World Medical Relief, sorting medical supplies and screening over 8,500 used pacemakers for Project My Heart Your Heart.
MCORRP staff remain grateful for the opportunity to provide the annual summer internship program. Students provide our staff with innovative ideas and creative problem solving, along with helping with the day-to-day work of the registries.
To apply for the internship or obtain further information, please contact us at MCORRP.