MIT Prehealth Advising Clinical Research Externship

The MIT Prehealth Advising Clinical Research Externship (CRE) is a 6-week experiential learning opportunity designed to help undergraduates explore the career path of a physician that conducts clinical research.

Participants will spend 10-hrs per week acquiring career-building connections with Physician Mentors at Mass General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and UCSF Health (San Francisco, CA) while learning about the important role physicians and clinical research play in advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes.  The program is best suited for undergraduates pursuing a career as a physician (MD) or physician-scientist (MD-PhD).

Learn more about the participating Physician Mentors.

Through the Clinical Research Externship, selected participants will:

• Spend up to 6 weeks under the guidance of a physician mentor at a local Boston hospital or UCSF Health.  Each participant will commit up to 10-hrs per week, Monday through Friday.  The 10-hrs can be consistent through the entire 6-week experience or vary week-to-week.
• Receive a stipend up to $2000 to offset any costs associated with participating in the program.  The duration of the externship impacts the amount of funding received and is determined by each participant and their physician mentor.
• Engage in small-scale projects meant to expose each student to the process of conducting clinical research.  This may include data collection, entry, and/or management, literature reviews, participant recruitment, statistical analysis, and other relevant short-term projects
• Observe physicians in their clinical setting and their interactions with patients.
• Develop meaningful connections with a physician mentor through 1-1 check-ins while also meeting with lab members and research collaborators.
• Become better equipped to confirm an interest a Medical Degree (MD) or combined MD/PhD.
• Acquire a valuable learning opportunity meant to assist one in exploring a career in medicine.

Timeline:

• Each externship will last up to six weeks, with participants committing up to 10 hours per week, Monday through Friday.  *Keep in mind, the CRE is not a full-time experience nor an opportunity to conduct a research project and is instead an opportunity for students to gain exposure to the career of a physician that conducts clinical research.  The CRE is ideal for students that have an additional free 10 hours a week to contribute to this experience.  The CRE is meant to supplement another experience you are already engaging in since the externship is only 10 hours per week. 

Eligibility:

• Must be a current MIT student
• Preference given to rising juniors and seniors
• A current MIT Prehealth student; please email prehealth@mit.edu if you are not

Application Requirements:

• Resume
• Responses to short answer essay questions
• Government Issued ID
• Visa Information (if applicable)

Required Health Forms (submitted upon being accepted):

• Vaccination & Immunization Records/History (provided by MIT Health)
• COVID Vaccine Documentation with Pfizer or Moderna Booster Shot
• Flu Vaccine Documentation
• TB Test within 3 months of start date (only for specific hospitals participating; applicants will be notified if required to submit)