Trauma Service: Summer Research Internship for Undergraduates
The Partners Orthopaedic Trauma Service is a busy cross-campus orthopaedic trauma service with sites at two Harvard-affiliated Level I Trauma Centers, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women's Hospital. We are actively recruiting undergraduates to work with our clinical research team. The main aim of the internship is to provide interns with a basic understanding about clinical research, primarily through providing practical experience. The secondary aim is to provide opportunities for interns to shadow in the clinical environment in order to see what life is like in the hospital setting.
Our clinical research work primarily involves the study of patients who experience orthopaedic injuries and the treatments that help these patients heal from their injuries. As part of this work you will conduct literature searches, interact with research subjects, and collect and/or analyze data. You may provide specific research-related expertise to us depending on your background and interests, or be asked to write up a case report based on a specific finding in the clinical setting. At some point during the Summer it is possible that you may become involved with projects not specifically related to clinical research that are of pertinent interest to our clinical team at the time – i.e. quality assurance projects. You will work with all members of our team - including senior and junior orthopaedic faculty, residents, nurses, and research personnel – along with our colleagues from disciplines outside of Orthopaedic Surgery.
A key part of the internship is the experiences our interns have in the hospital environment that show them what it is like to work in a hospital and what it can be like to take care of patients. With this in mind, you will be welcome and encouraged to observe our team in all of the clinical areas in which we work: the operating room; the emergency room; the outpatient clinic; and the inpatient units. You are welcome to attend any conferences or educational forums that are open to resident, attending, and hospital staff. We will also strongly encourage you to talk with us about any clinical disciplines outside of Orthopaedics that are of interest to you so that we may connect you with faculty and staff who work in these areas.
We are looking for candidates who are curious, flexible, and have the ability to think on their feet. We look for candidates with strong interpersonal skills who like to be part of a team. Candidates should be literate in Microsoft Word, Excel, and have a basic understanding of Microsoft Access. Past experience with clinical research is helpful but not required. We encourage you to apply if you intend to pursue a career in Healthcare, or if you are considering a career in Healthcare.
The dates of the internship are June 3 – August 30, 2013. We ask you to make a commitment of at least 8 weeks and that you work a minimum of 20 hours per each week of work. This is truly an “it is what you make of it” kind of internship, so you are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities we provide.
The internship is unpaid. We give our interns a voucher to pay for any meals and snacks purchased while working in the hospital.
To apply for our 2013 program, please follow these steps:
- Prepare the following materials:
- Cover letter
- Resume/CV
- Two (2) letters of recommendation
- Submit these application materials to Suzanne Morrison at smmorrison@partners.org.
Our application process for Summer 2013 is closed. Please check back with us in January about our Summer 2014 program.
Brigham & Women's Hospital - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Massachusetts General Hospital - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Aches & Joints - Patient Education
