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Internship Program Grooms Teens for Health Science Careers
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For Arya Srinivasan, the UCSF Pediatrics High School Summer Internship Program in the Biomedical and Health Sciences is more than just a stimulating way to spend the summer. It's an opportunity to begin shaping her future.
As an intern assisting Kristine Madsen, MD, clinical fellow in the department of pediatrics, Srinivasan examined how childhood obesity can be prevented and treated through programs that build a young person's "self-efficacy," or belief in one's ability to do something.
"This internship gives you a better idea of what you want to do in life," Srinivasan observes. "I've come out of it with so much." A senior at The Harker School in San Jose, Srinivasan will apply to schools within the UC system this fall and wants to eventually become a clinician.
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| Joseph Rodrigues of Aragon High School in San Mateo presents his research project to onlookers. Click here to view more intern photos. |
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For gifted students like Srinivasan, the UCSF internship, which is funded in part by a grant from the Genentech Foundation for Biomedical Sciences, is a confidence-builder and an entryway to a career in the health sciences. Over the course of eight weeks, 21 students (most of whom are economically disadvantaged, minority, or female—groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences) conduct exciting laboratory, clinical, or behavioral research; attend thought-provoking seminars; tour the UC Berkeley and Stanford campuses; and receive guidance on how to apply for college and scholarships. At the end of the summer, they receive a stipend for their work.
"These are really bright, talented students who just need someone to put them on the right track and encourage their enthusiasm about science," says Program Director Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at UCSF.
Now in its third year, the program is a resounding success, with 180 teens throughout the Bay Area vying for 21 spots. Students are paired with a faculty mentor and engage in challenging research projects such as "Tetranucleotide Instability and Its Relation to Childhood Leukemia" and "Disclosure of Status by People Recently Diagnosed with HIV." Their studies culminate in a closing ceremony at the Laurel Heights Campus, where they present their findings—either by PowerPoint or poster—to family, friends, and colleagues.
"This program is amazing," says Tyler Jurich, a student at Foothill High School in Pleasanton. Jurich collaborated with Ken Mak, a student at George Washington High School in San Francisco, on a project called "Bay Area Chinese-American Adolescent Depression and Aggression."
"We learned what developing a research project entails, from writing a letter of intent to applying for grants," Jurich explains. "We had to think on our own and come to our own conclusions. As a high school student, you never get this kind of experience."
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| Debbie Huang, a student at Mission High School in San Francisco, evaluated the internship program itself for her project. She found that interns appreciated the independence the program afforded them. "We teens are between adulthood and childhood," she noted. "We're eager to be given responsibility and freedom. This program gives us both." |
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| Ken Mak (in dark blue) and Tyler Jurich (at poster) surveyed 16- to 18-year-old Chinese-Americans to determine the prevalence of depression and aggression in young Chinese immigrants. |
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| Interns received certificates of recognition from San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno (far left). Program Director Bonnie Halpern-Felsher is at right. |
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Arya Srinivasan, whose research focused on self-efficacy and pediatric
obesity, was honored for her achievement by Mark Leno. |
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| James Kim suggested that increased body awareness, such as that achieved by dancers and practitioners of yoga and Tai Chi, may help alleviate anxiety and chronic lower back pain. |
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| Proud parents pulled out their cameras as interns received their certificates of recognition from Mark Leno. |
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To support the UCSF High School Summer Internship Program within the department of pediatrics, contact Faye Ainsworth at 415/502-6198 or fainsworth@support.ucsf.edu.
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