Internships for High School & College Students

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Parent Q&A

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  • Medical shadowing this summer

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    Mar 26, 2024

    My son graduates HS in May and has been focused on pre med for a few years, has been selected for several internships around Oakland and beyond. He's been accepted to some great universities (still deciding which one) so he's a serious, accomplished, focused student. I'm a fairly low income mom and he needs to earn money this summer, so he can't do much volunteer work - though he could do a little. He's applying to standard summer camp jobs and so on. But he really wants to shadow ANY medical professionals, or do a very p/t volunteer role in medicine, as well as earn money. We don't really have any doctor friends. If he writes to local doctors, dentists, PTs and etc do you think they'd allow him to shadow? Does anyone have any creative ideas to get him shadowing this summer? He simply needs exposure to almost any aspect of medicine, both for his resume and to learn what he might be interested in, because we have no medical professionals in our family. BTW, 95% of internships either demand 1+ years of college, or that they be in HS. He's in an in-between spot as a graduate. Thank you.

    Mar 26, 2024

    Is he a decent swimmer? If so he can get first aid and CPR training and pass certification to be a lifeguard, which will certainly provide exposure to some emergency medical situations. Albany Pool is for sure hiring and training. I know there must be more! 

    Mar 28, 2024

    You might consider looking into/reaching out to Faces for the Future Coalition to see if there are options there - it’s a very cool program.And it looks like the are hosting a 2 week long summer academy that provides hands-on learning in July for exactly this purpose.  facesforthefuture.org

    Apr 1, 2024

    Following up to one poster - thank you for the response and yes, he's a great swimmer and already has Red Cross Lifeguard and CPR certifications, for this very reason. He's really looking for shadowing opportunities to observe different areas of medicine.

    Apr 1, 2024

    Not exactly shadowing and there is some up-front cost: he should train to become an EMT. He could work part time through college/summer break and it really gives him already a lot of experience talking to patients and basic assessments.

    Apr 1, 2024

    Our friend's student did paid summer internship work at a VA hospital even when they were in HS - you may want to check out the Veteran's Administration? He sounds like a great kid! Good luck!

    Apr 1, 2024

    I don't know anything about this program other than it exists. Looks like it may have some potential to provide some clinical care observation. I found it through CHORI, a research arm of Children's Hospital, Oakland.

    https://summerstudents.ucsf.edu/about

    Apr 10, 2024

    Hi again. ( I wasn't able to add to my last posting.)

    About:   https://summerstudents.ucsf.edu/about

    It looks like there is also a $3000-$3400 stipend! 

    Apr 10, 2024
    Reply now  »

  • Research position for college student (rising Sophomore)

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    Dec 5, 2020

    Hi Parents,

    Our daughter will be home in the Bay Area this summer after finishing her freshman year of college.  She is majoring Cell & Molecular Biology at UCSD.  She is hoping to find a volunteer position or a research job in any bio related lab.  She is willing to take on any task that needs to be done in the lab (i.e. wash glassware and other tedious jobs) to get exposure to research. I have told her to temper her expectations because 1) she will only be a rising Sophomore, and 2) COVID will likely still be an issue.

    We would love to hear any suggestions that parents (or their college age kids) have regarding finding research opportunities at UC Berkeley, UCSF, Children's Hospital Oakland, or any where else in the Bay Area.

    Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance.

    Dec 5, 2020

    Has she looked in to NSF REUs? These are PAID summer research internships for undergraduates all over the country, generally with housing and airfare provided. I'm pretty sure some of them take rising sophomores. Applications are generally due in February. My son applied to 12 last year and accepted the first one he was offered, which turned out to be a lucky choice because while some REUs were canceled, his actually did go forward this past summer, with a lot of covid safety measures, live in New Mexico. It was a GREAT experience. I'd also suggest that if it could be possible for her to stay in SD next summer your daughter should reach out directly to professors whose research she is interested in. Also check the Berkeley website under undergrad research, there may be opportunities she can apply for there.

    Dec 7, 2020

    The best thing your daughter can do is apply to National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) programs. They are usually 10 week residential programs where she will receive mentorship and do original research. See https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp

    If she wants to volunteer, she should ask her  professors at UCSD to connect her with their friends in the Bay Area.

    Dec 7, 2020

    Hi, there. I'm so glad that you are tempering your daughter's expectations on finding a fellowship for this summer, for both of the reasons you've outlined.

    Our daughter is currently a Junior in college, also majoring in biology, and my husband is a materials scientist affiliated with UCB and LBNL. I will share some of my observations on things based on their current experience, and also share some advice given by a professor at the parents' weekend put on by our daughter's college in her freshman year.

    1. COVID - for safety reasons, there is very limited access to labs at either UCB or LBNL; only a few people can be there at a time, and cleaning has to happen between visits, so researchers have to take turns. They may have access only once or twice a week. Priority of access is for grad students and post-doctoral students; access is very limited for undergrads. Training is also an issue: it is very challenging to train people under these circumstances. And chances are, if this is your daughter's first year of college, her lab experience is limited. 

    2. Finding a mentor/establishing a connection with your professors: this advice came from a professor who has studied student success for decades, and who shares the data with a network of other professors: go to office hours for your professors. Many new students are under the mistaken impression that "staying after class" to ask questions of a professor is a sign of weakness. Going to office hours establishes a rapport with your professors, which can lead to letters of recommendation for internships and fellowships.

    3. Fellowships: some schools offer resources for networking, mentorship and fellowships you can apply for. I highly recommend that she see what resources are available at UCSD.

    4. Non-COVID times: looking through the websites for the labs of scientists she'd like to work for and sending them an email describing what she's looking for can absolutely yield results! Don't be afraid to keep reaching out. Some labs might require that she bring funding for her post, even if she is willing to work for nothing; as one lab told our daughter, it wouldn't be fair to her if she worked for nothing - she had to apply for funding through a separate source. And letters of recommendation will be necessary to land the post.

    Dec 10, 2020

  • Pre-med student seeking scribe position or patient care position

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    Nov 1, 2020

    Hi Parents,

    My daughter is a freshman at UCSD this year and she is working on making plans for a summer job or volunteer position.  Although she is very early in the overall process, after undergrad she would like to attend medical school.  With that in mind, next summer (2021) she is hoping to come home to the Bay Area and work as a scribe at a hospital or other medical practice. Neither my husband nor I have any connection to medicine, so we don't have any advice to give her regarding how to find such a position. We would greatly appreciate any information or advice from parents or recent or current medical students regarding how to obtain a scribe position or other position that would provide patient care experience.

    Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

    P.S.  Based on information I've previously obtained from BPN, I am encouraging our daughter to keep her options open in case she decides to reorient her career choice.

    Nov 1, 2020

    Some hospitals have student volunteer/training opportunities, inlcuding Highland Hospital

    Nov 2, 2020

    I would recommend she at a minimum get a BLS CPR card but ideally possibly train to become an EMT. And then volunteer with her university's or your county's Medical Reserve Corps, or an organization like Rock Medicine. Especially as an EMT she will really get to work with patients which will make it easier later as she is already used to talking to patients.

    Nov 2, 2020

    The best thing your daughter could do to increase her chances of admission to medical school is to get involved in research.  She could contact researchers at the medical school, or in any field of biology or chemistry, and offer her services.  If they don't feel she's ready yet, as a freshman, she should ask how to best prepare to join their research group. The goal is to get her name on publications.  These can help her chances of being admitted to medical school.

    Nov 3, 2020

    Both me and my husband are MDs and he is on faculty at several medical schools.  In response to the poster who suggested that she get involved in research, yes that can help with some medical schools, particularly those focused on academic research.  There are other schools that focus on primary care and humanistic medicine.  She might get involved in a social service program, such as homeless outreach.  It really depends on what sort of person she is and which way she'd like to go.  She can become an EMT, but there are a lot of candidates who will have a similar credential.  The more leadership she shows, whether that's developing some kind of program or getting her name on a publication, the more impressive she will be as a candidate. 

    Nov 9, 2020

  • Political Science Internship

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    Jun 19, 2020

    Hello Parents,

    My junior college student is home this coming fall, taking online classes at SDSU and is looking for an internship opportunity. She is passionate about equality and has taken many classes on the matter. Would you know of organizations she could contact? We live in Walnut Creek but she is able to commute.  Thank you.

    Jun 19, 2020

    Hi,

    I am from  “UC Berkeley Asian American Women project” . This projects is to honor the 150th Anniversary of Women at UC Berkeley. I will work with Renee Sung on the history of Asian American women, from students to faculty and staff.  https://nature.berkeley.edu/news/2020/05/professor-emerita-receives-scheiber-emeriti-faculty-research-grant
    If you are interested, welcome to contact us.  yuancherry [at] berkeley.edu

    Jun 22, 2020

    I volunteer with the Coalition for Police Accountability in Oakland. They get a tremendous amount done and are happy to turn over real responsibility to anyone who is doing work. We often talk about how much fun it is to be so impactful and collaborate with thoughtful, innovative people that represent many different communities. There are several projects right now. If your daughter is looking for credit, we have written up internships and research projects in the past and worked with schools to ensure it qualifies. We don't actively post internships, because we can't pay and don't like unpaid internships since they are not equally available to everyone, but we would welcome your daughter. We interact (obviously) with the police dept, fire dept, dept of violence prevention, mayor's office, police commission, etc. It's poly sci on a local level, with national implications. Happy to talk about specific projects (Use of Force, alternative responses to emergency calls, and policing in unhoused communities are examples) right now. (We're kind of cutting edge on police accountability nationally.) contact:  rashidah AT  coalitionforpoliceaccountability.com

    Jun 23, 2020

  • Summer internship or job for Spanish niece?

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    Dec 29, 2018

    My 17-year-old niece, who lives in Barcelona, will be staying with us for 4-6 weeks in summer 2019 and is seeking an internship or job while she's here. She is fluent in four languages (Spanish, English, German, and Catalan), is very bright, has excellent people skills, and is a hard worker. She's open to all sorts of things--in private sector or public. She's most interested in social studies and psychology so I was thinking maybe something with the departments of psychology/sociology/anthropology at UC Berkeley, though I have no idea what options there might be. She's also wonderful with young children, and since she speaks both English and Spanish we thought perhaps something working with kids. Can anyone advise? 

    Dec 29, 2018

    She can apply to be a counselor in training at UC Berkeley 'Blue Camp' summer camp for kids 6-12 or so. Application starts soon and they will do interview by Skype. They accept several foreign counselors. Its good experience for the kids too.

    Dec 31, 2018

    Is your niece a US citizen? If not she actually needs an appropriate visa.

    Interning at UC as a minor requires some hoops to jump through including that her supervisor needs to be a mandated reporter.

    Jan 2, 2019

    I'm not sure what the visa requirements are for unpaid internships, but if she is here as a tourist she will not legally be eligible for paid work.

    Jan 4, 2019

    Thanks for the input! To clarify, my niece is indeed a U.S. citizen, so we hope there won't be any visa-type hurdles.

    Jan 10, 2019

    I have an 18 year old and I know it is hard for teens to find short-term jobs, and finding internships has proven impossible. There might be a short term opportunity to work at a camp, but I found that most wanted a longer commitment. You don't say what city you are in, so I would suggest googling your city + camps, and + volunteer opportunities to see what may be available, or check temp jobs/internships on Craigslist. Good luck!

    Jan 14, 2019

  • Teen interested in Law Enforcement Summer Internship

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    Nov 6, 2018

    I realize that it's a bit early, but thought I'd solicit some opinions / experiences / suggestions for a 17 year old boy who is interested in learning more about becoming a police officer. A little daunting for me to think about, but it's something he is interested in and I was curious about any summer programs where he could intern on that or possibly make a small amount of money doing a summer job in that area. I read about something called the Oakland Police Explorers, but there wasn't a lot of information about that. Any feedback would be appreciated.

    Nov 6, 2018

    Police explorers is a coed branch of Boy Scouts. In my town (not Oakland) it is very well run and the police officer mentors do a very good job. Explorers is the program for high school students. For college students there is a cadet program that is paid.

    Nov 12, 2018

    I've known teens who have done & are doing the Piedmont Police Explorers program, which is part of the Boy Scouts program although you do not need to be a Boy Scout to participate. (https://piedmontpoa.org/about/piedmont-police-department-explorers-prog…)  It seems like a good one that attracts many students, including one or two girls. I also know some of the staff at Piedmont Police Station who are great with teenagers. Piedmont Police believe in building positive relationships with the residents and community, and the town is small enough that I think they have been successful.  The Explorers even attended a training/competition in Arizona that made it into the news. (https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/04/19/teens-get-taste-of-law-enforcem…)

    Even though the sight of guns makes me so nervous, I'm glad to see teens pursuing what interests them and taking the initiative to learn what it's all about. It's good to do that when they're young and have the time to explore. I volunteer with Boy Scouts, and one of the best guest speakers came from the FBI. The boys were captivated by his presentation. One boy asked what kind of grades he needed to be able to join the FBI. It was motivating. 

    Nov 12, 2018

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Summer internship in law for 16 year old

May 2012

My 16 year old sophomore daughter and I seek a summer internship opportunity for her in the field of law. We have found only very pricy, very short programs, I don't know if you could even call them internships. A couple of them are in D.C. and sponsored by universities. While these seem reputable and like a lot of fun and claim to build a student's college marketability, they don't have a real-world feel. They feel to me like very expensive, one-week summer camps. I would like to hear from parents whose children have attended these summer programs but also from parents whose children have found the more traditional summer internship. How did you find it? How did it benefit your child?

This may not be exactly what your daughter had in mind, but for the last 2 years my son has been volunteering at McCullum Youth Court in Oakland. This is a program designed to keep first-time youth offenders out of the juvenile justice system by providing restorative justice. Teens get to serve on a jury and can train to become attorneys, clerks or bailiffs. My son loves it and has decided to study peace/global studies in college with an ultimate aim of working towards restorative justice. More info at: http://www.youthcourt.org/

Bio Research Summer Internship for HS Student

Jan 2012

My high school student who is currently in her junior year is interested in a summer internship in a biology lab. She is a very high achieving student and is interested in studying biology in college. Can anyone recommend local programs at a research lab that might offer summer study positions. Joy

You could try Biotech Partners (website = http://www.biotechpartners.org/). They organize internships for high school juniors, mostly drawn from specific programs at Berkeley High and Oakland Tech. You could also try Project Seed, organized by the American Chemical Society. There is some overlap between these two programs. I would also suggest contacting appropriate departments at UC Berkeley and UCSF or major biotech firms in the area -- they may be able to point you in the direction of internship sponsors. Lastly, you might contact temporary agencies that fill positions at biotech firms, such as Aerotek or Kelly Scientific, to see if they know about any internships or internship-like positions. Good luck!