What EXACTLY is an Internship and how does it compare to volunteering?

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hv92

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I know that for some hospitals, you have to apply to be a volunteer, but what is considered an internship? plus, what is it called when you work for another doctor doing errands.. filing papers.. shadowing.. AND if you have patient interaction?

In medicine, internship traditionally means the first year of training following medical school graduation.

In business, internships are typically unpaid work experiences that serve as a means of obtaining work experience that is necessary to acquire paid employment.

Now, sometimes, physicians and hospitals will create paid or unpaid work experiences that they will label an "internship" perhaps as a way of getting around certain union work rules, human resources hoops or some other reason I can't even imagine.

One type of working along side of a physician is called a "scribe". Most often I've heard of them working with emergency medicine physicians. These employees take notes, enter information in the computer system, etc while the doc does "hands on" things with the patient.
 
An internship would be through your university. You would receive credit and/or transcript recognition for it. These programs are typically more selective than say, calling your local hospital and asking to volunteer. Are you working with a doctor in his office? If that's the case, it sounds to me like you're working for free. It still sounds like shadowing to me, though.
 
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An internship would be through your university. You would receive credit and/or transcript recognition for it. These programs are typically more selective than say, calling your local hospital and asking to volunteer. Are you working with a doctor in his office? If that's the case, it sounds to me like you're working for free. It still sounds like shadowing to me, though.

I met someone this week who had a paid internship (as a college pre-med) working in ambulatory surgery including setting up before procedures, cleaning the rooms after procedures, and assisting during surgical procedures. It was not just shadowing and it was paid!

"Internship" means nothing in particular because there is no specific meaning to the term. If you do one, you'll need to explain what was involved.
 
assisting during surgical procedures....? hmmm
 
also had a friend who "interned" for a physician over a summer and ended up filing papers for x hrs/day in the office. find out what your duties would entail first.
 
I'll second what LizzyM said about the word internship having no universal meaning itself. As another example, in engineering, internship almost universally means being compensated about the same as a normal employee by a company for a shortened or trial period. It's a way to learn the profession before you earn your degree. Sometimes/often leads to job offers if you do well.
 
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at my hospital, volunteers and interns were different things. interns got to sit in out surgeries, births, etc.
 
so what would I tell the doctor with whom I want to gain some clinical experience with? How would i Go about letting him/her know that I want to interact with patients without being too assertive or annoying the doctor?

"I want to help with whatever you need me to do. I'd like to become more comfortable in clinical settings so anything that you can show me would be a big help and any opportunity I might have to interact with patients would be great. It would be a privilege to serve here."
 
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