Nearly 40 students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine recently completed summer internships at Corewell Health hospitals in Royal Oak and Troy.
The internships ranged in specialties from internal medicine and general surgery to OB-GYN and pediatrics.
Among the many benefits identified, students said they received meaningful clinical and/or research experience that generally left them feeling excited and served as a good reminder of why they went into medicine.
“Students have told me … that when they get this exposure, they feel recognized and appreciated,” said Maham Siddiqi, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, and program coordinator. (She also directs the internal medicine clerkship for third-year students.)
“They’ve shared that it opens their minds and widens their horizons.”
First-year medical students are invited to apply for summer internships the previous fall. Students must be in good academic standing. In addition to a CV/resume, applicants must submit a targeted personal statement explaining why they are a good fit and why they want placement within a certain specialty. (Students may apply for multiple internship opportunities.)
A panel of OUWB leaders review applications. Siddiqi said each application is evaluated on merit and how and why a specific program would be beneficial for the applicant.
The program is highly competitive with about 200 applications received for the less than 40 openings.
Internships take place in June and each student is paid $1,000.
Siddiqi said there are several benefits students receive through internships. For many, it’s their first true clinical experience in a medical school setting.
And because students must produce a research or clinical vignette poster related to their respective internships, they also gain scholarly and professional development experience.
Further, students build their professional network and oftentimes find mentors.
“Whether it’s a respiratory therapist, resident physician, fellow, or attending … these are folks who can be their mentors and future guides,” said Siddiqi. “Anyone can be a mentor … anyone can be the stimulus for your future.”
Students who had internships this year said that their respective experiences were impactful.
Zerick Dill had an orthopaedic surgery internship at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (WBUH) in Royal Oak.
“It was one of the first times I felt like a doctor,” he said. “It reminded me of why all of the studying is so important.”
During his four-week internship, Dill rotated through different orthopaedic surgery subspecialties and was paired with residents at different training levels. He spent time in operating rooms, where he scrubbed in and observed. And he worked in clinics, where he saw patients alongside residents and attendings.
He was able to put to use many of the skills and techniques learned during his first year and in courses like OUWB’s Art and Practice of Medicine (APM).
“It was one of the greatest feelings I ever had in my life, and it reassured me completely that I want a career in medicine,” he said.
Sarah Sheena expressed similar feelings about her radiation oncology internship at WBUH.
Her internship involved extensive data entry and entering patient information related to breast cancer into the hospital system.
“(The internship) exposed me to a specialty I didn’t really know about … and I definitely see myself wanting to explore the specialty more,” she said. “Which is awesome because I probably never would have experienced that in rotations because it’s not a classic rotation we go through as medical students.”
Sheena said one of the top benefits of the internship was getting to know residents, attendings, and other team members.
Illyaas Rasheed said the same thing about his ophthalmology internship, where he worked alongside Corewell professionals whom he felt truly wanted him to learn from this experience.
“I got to know people and meet fellows,” he said. “I think that’s such a testament to the training that is happening at Corewell.”
Rasheed was not only exposed to different subspecialties, but several outpatient specialty facilities and operating rooms.
“It was just a really good experience,” he added.
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