Medical Can you help me characterize this position as internship, volunteering, or something else?

[Catalystik]

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I am confused. I thought I was volunteering at a clinical lab, but it turns out I'm getting trained as a research coordinator of sorts for all relevant potential trials at my hospital. I'm pleasantly surprised I have an internship. But it's only 3 hours a week for 8 weeks, which is why I assumed it was a volunteering thing. It does seem fun, but does this apply to my pre-med resume?

Duties consist of:
* learning to effectively read clinical trial blurbs (I guess)
* discussing with the research director on which look the most promising,
* contacting PIs and doctors for conducting said trials
* sitting in on IRB/trial related meetings and making an outline of the most important information

Plus I get certified for some clinical coordinator program thing.

Basically it seems like very upper level critical analysis of clinical trial pitches. Is this even an internship to start with, considering its hours? I'm only a freshman so please excuse my ignorance. I've never been in a clinical lab, so I assumed it was only experimentation. Is this too business/administrative?

It looks more like training. It certainly isn't volunteering. Internships are generally multi-component experiences, and from what you describe, this seems one-sided, unless they'll eventually be asking you to assist with patient trials (data gathering, for example). It would be very relevant if you were to someday engage in clinical research as a student, resident, or even in practice. Understanding the whole IRB process/rules is a very good thing that many physicians, even deep into their practice years, don't comprehend.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am confused. I thought I was volunteering at a clinical lab, turns out I'm getting trained as a research coordinator of sorts for all relevant potential trials at my hospital. I'm pleasantly surprised I have an internship. But it's only 3 hours a week for 8 weeks, which is why I assumed it was a volunteering thing. It does seem fun, but does this apply to my pre-med resume? Duties consist of: learning to effectively read clinical trial blurbs I guess, discussing with the research director on which look the most promising, contacting PIs and doctors for conducting said trials, sitting in on IRB/trial related meetings and making an outline of the most important information, plus I get certified for some clinical coordinator program thing. Basically it seems like very upper level critical analysis of clinical trial pitches. Is this even an internship to start with, considering its hours? I'm only a freshman so please excuse my ignorance. I've never been in a clinical lab, I assumed it was only experimentation. Is this too business/administrative?

Yes it's more a certificate program than volunteering. Of course clinical trials is a very lucrative business and don't take what you are learning for granted.

 

[Catalystik]

Thank you! They kept calling me intern so I was confused. Maybe I'll use this to hopefully get into some clinical research when fall rolls around.

It might even qualify you for a paid, vs volunteer position, eventually.