Internship & Career Exploration Funding
Spotlight
My Experience as a Science Communication Intern
By Ashley Peppriell, PhD; Toxicology Program Alumna
An old adage in the field of toxicology explains that anything can be toxic, given the dose and duration of exposure. This messsage dates back to the 16th century, yet there is still misconceptions surrounding toxic substances in the environment. I think that most people are aware that pollution is bad, but may not fully understand the societal impacts of toxic exposures. More work needs to be done to communicate the risks of toxic exposures to the public.
Read Ashley Peppriell's full blog post
- Overview of shadowing & internships
myHub is continuously developing a flexible career exploration learning program that includes long-term internships (full-time, up to three month), short-term internships ( X hours-per-week), shadowing experiences, and volunteer opportunities (< 4 hours per week). If you are considering participating in a career exploration opportunity, trainees must be enrolled in the myHub Career Exploration program. Enrolling in the Career Exploration provides you the following benefits.
- Access to career exploration funding including travel and lodging funds for career exploration experiences
- Cohort learning model with other SMD trainees to prepare for career exploration experiences
- myHub Career Exploration Learning Modules (Launching Spring 2023)
- Considering a shadowing or internship experience
If you are considering or plan to want to explore career opportunities while a graduate student or postdoc in the School of Medicine & Dentistry, you are encouraged to apply for the myHub Career Exploration program and schedule an appointment with Eric Vaughn through Handshake.
How to apply for an internship, shadowing experience and career exploration funds:
- Enroll in the myHub Career Exploration program and be part of the program for 6 months
- Develop a career exploration plan with goals and activities
- Passed your qualifying exam
- Get permission of PI
- One first author, multiple coauthor publication or another productivity assessment provided by PI
- If on a T32, F31 or F32, Approval of program officer to undertake an internship for your training
Ultimately, the decision to hire an intern rest with the employer who needs to comply with their company’s recruitment and hiring practices. However, the myHub Career Exploration program will help trainees navigate the internship application and interview process, facilitate intellectual property or non-disclosure agreements, provide potential stipend support and/or arrange possible housing supplements.
For more information about internships read our Internship FAQ and contact Eric Vaughn.
- Locating shadowing and/or internship experiences
SMD trainees are encouraged to utilize a number of methods to locate shadowing and/or internship experiences including but not limited to the following:
- Handshake
- The Meliora Collective
- myHub Opportunities to Explore (OTE) weekly email newsletter
- myHub Email Digest
- Networking
- Company/organization websites
- Previous myHub Internship opportunities: Companies and organizations who have hosted previous internships
- When to start and apply for shadowing and/or internship experiences
Ideally, you should plan at least a year out for any type of career exploration opportunity. All trainees must be registered as a graduate student or postdoc while participating in any form of career exploration. If you are on some type of training grant or fellowship, please contact your program coordinator and SMD GEPA to discuss your stipend situation and make contact with your program officer to get approval for your internship. It is up to the program officer as to whether or not your internship contributes to your training.
Locating shadowing, volunteer, and internship experiences take time and myHub encourages all trainees to explore opportunities and conduct informational interviews to ensure the experience meets the individual’s goals and expectations. Trainees are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Eric Vaughn through Handshake.
- Registering for academic credit for an internship
All SMD graduate students and postdocs completing an internship experience must register for academic credit for their opportunity. Communicate your intention of completing an internship with your PI/advisor, Eric Vaughn from myHub, and the SMD GEPA Registrar’s Office prior to or during the registration period of the semester you wish to compete the internship opportunity (ex. If you plan to complete the experience during the Spring 2023 semester, register for the internship during the registration period for Spring 2023 courses.). Please contact both Eric Vaughn from myHub and Tracy Pezzimenti, registrar for SMD.
All registered internships will also complete the myHub Internship Description, Goals and Objective Document and return it to myHub and the SMD Registrar’s Office prior to registering for the internship to approve the internship registration for credit. This form will be completed with the internship site host/supervisor.
SMD international trainees are encouraged to review the F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) webpage for additional information.
- Available funding resources
- Application for shadowing, workshop, trade show, training, certificate, or other professional development event
- Application for internship funding including internship travel and lodging awards associated with internship experience
- If you have questions about payment/reimbursements, please contact myHub@urmc.rochester.edu.
- Post-experience steps and sharing seminar
SMD trainees receiving funding support for career exploration will complete a blog post with photo within one month of completing their experience along with participation in the myHub Career Exploration Experience Seminar where the trainee will share their experience in a five-minute presentation with one-three slides. The career exploration experience seminar will be recorded and shared through the myHub YouTube Channel (Starting Summer 2023).