by: Alaa Belmokhtar
If you're an upperclassman in high school or an underclassmen in college, and are searching for volunteer opportunities in the field of medicine, then this article is for you. You can gain medical experience from professionals, as well as participate in diverse internships and volunteer programs that pertain to your medical interests.
A prime example of these programs is known as the Arthritis Foundation Summer Science Internship Program, located on the west coast. This program was created in 1982 by the Arthritis Foundation, in collaboration with the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University. This program, located at UCSF and Stanford, has given more than 200 students the opportunity to experience hands-on laboratory and clinical work in the Rheumatology and Immunology Laboratories. The overall goal of this foundation is to provide aspiring scientists and doctors with experience in order to fuel their curiosity and hunger for learning, while further inspiring them to continue on their paths and potentially join the research field of autoimmune diseases.
During this eight week internship, selected students will be assigned to two different programs based on their applications. At the Stanford University location, students can only choose to intern in the basic laboratory research, while the UCSF internship offers both the basic lab research and a clinical epidemiological research, which is more patient oriented. Applicants have to submit separate forms for both programs, whilst the foundation will attempt to place them in the desired program. Both of these programs are beneficial, allowing the students to gain great experience in the specific field of arthritis and autoimmune diseases, as well as experience laboratory research work in general. At the finish of the eight week session, interns are required to complete a brief paper or presentation to submit to the Arthritis Foundation in order to summarize their experience and debrief the foundation on what they’ve learned through it. With all of this said and done, the students are also provided with a $1,500 stipend after the completion of the eight weeks for their hard work and dedication to the program.
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