should I bother applying to summer internships?

[breakxbarriers]

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I'm a sophomore with a 3.1 sGPA, no research experience (although I work in a lab). most of summer research programs say they have a minimum gpa requirement of 3.0 yet looking around these forums I keep seeing people talking about needing >3.7. the various internships I'm considering are from websites such as these: http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/summer.htm and
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/intern.html

most of these applications require a personals statement, LORs and do require some work to complete. I already have two professors who are willing to write me LORs for the future. should I bother applying for internships for this summer or do I have no hope? (I would FOR SURE apply for next summer). I just want a thoughts on if I have a realistic chance of being accepted. are there ANY stipend-based programs that are less-competitive? if not, I'm probably just going to do research in a lab at my school.

 

[breakxbarriers]

Bump

 

[phltz]

I worked in all sorts of awesome labs doing research in my college summers. I don't think anyone ever asked me about my grades.

Just start checking out the web sites and/or publications of research groups you think might interest you. Make a list of a handful that you especially like, and email the professors saying that you're interested in their research and would they be willing to talk to you about how you could get involved. If you come across as personable, intelligent, and hard working, I'd be surprised if you didn't end up with a summer gig.

Why go for some hand-holdy organized summer internship where you'll be baby-sat half the time, when you could just do the real deal?

 

[jc235693]

I worked in all sorts of awesome labs doing research in my college summers. I don't think anyone ever asked me about my grades.

Just start checking out the web sites and/or publications of research groups you think might interest you. Make a list of a handful that you especially like, and email the professors saying that you're interested in their research and would they be willing to talk to you about how you could get involved. If you come across as personable, intelligent, and hard working, I'd be surprised if you didn't end up with a summer gig.

Why go for some hand-holdy organized summer internship where you'll be baby-sat half the time, when you could just do the real deal?

👍 I totally agree. I tried applying to some of those organized summer programs after both my sophomore and junior year and I never got into a single one (I had a 3.9 gpa and had been doing research at my school). I think those programs are incredibly competitive and so the applications may not be worth your time or your letter writers.

If you want to do research over the summer I think the best thing you can do is start e-mailing professors at your school who you would be interested in working with. You might be able to get a stop in their lab over the summer and could even get paid to do it! If you go to a small school with not a lot of research you could email larger universities near you as well, I got a paid research position last summer by sending e-mails and my CV to professors at another school.

 

[RipCity167]

Go for it you have nothing to lose. I applied to a summer internship my sophomore year having a 3.3 science GPA with no research experience and I got accepted. In my opinion many of these programs choose applicants based on their personal statement and LORs rather than GPA alone (although some have a cutoff GPA so do some research before you apply).

Summer internships are a great opportunity to gain some clinical/research experience and build up your resume for med school. You can try applying to several internships to improve your chances and if you don't get in there's always next year.

Here's a link to the internship I was accepted to:
http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Pre-Med+Internship+Program

This is an unpaid internship and there is no housing available (so if you don't live in the area it's probably not a good idea to apply). Nevertheless, this internship is an excellent way of exposing yourself to a clinical setting, and you also get to do an OR rotation which is pretty cool.

Good Luck!

 

[breakxbarriers]

alright, thanks for all the input, I'm definitely going to start emailing professors soon!!

 

[blackarrowmoose]

Go for it you have nothing to lose. I applied to a summer internship my sophomore year having a 3.3 science GPA with no research experience and I got accepted. In my opinion many of these programs choose applicants based on their personal statement and LORs rather than GPA alone (although some have a cutoff GPA so do some research before you apply).

Summer internships are a great opportunity to gain some clinical/research experience and build up your resume for med school. You can try applying to several internships to improve your chances and if you don't get in there's always next year.

Here's a link to the internship I was accepted to:
http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Pre-Med+Internship+Program

This is an unpaid internship and there is no housing available (so if you don't live in the area it's probably not a good idea to apply). Nevertheless, this internship is an excellent way of exposing yourself to a clinical setting, and you also get to do an OR rotation which is pretty cool.

Good Luck!

i just received an email about interviewing for north shore 😀

OP you should definitely apply. however, what i did was i made a HUGE list of summer programs. Then contacted every program individually and asked about my competitiveness (listed my general stats, gpa, etc.) and depending on the responses that i received i decided which ones im going to apply to and not.

 

[RipCity167]

i just received an email about interviewing for north shore 😀

OP you should definitely apply. however, what i did was i made a HUGE list of summer programs. Then contacted every program individually and asked about my competitiveness (listed my general stats, gpa, etc.) and depending on the responses that i received i decided which ones im going to apply to and not.

Congrats! I'm planning to apply there myself. What did you think about their secondary??

 

[nolookpass]

You guys know of any other summer programs leaning toward clinical experience this summer in the NY area. I've worked at North Shore in Manhasset for the past two years so I want something else. The city would be nice, and certain parts of LI as well

Thanks.