Biomedical Internship for an 8th grader?

Believe it or not, I've had more than one request for this ...and the answer is..... no! Which brings up a very important point. What is the best age for an internship?

It really depends on the maturity of the student. Sometimes a high school freshman can be more mature and ready for an internship than a high school senior. One very young student in our program did so well at her internship at an arts organization, the director told me that she was better than interns they've had from Harvard.

Ideally, sophomore and junior summer is ideal for a high school student. By then, they may have had an interesting course that sparked their interest or a school or family trip that inspired them. One mom told me that she thought her daughter would enjoy interior design but when we met with her, she spoke enthusiastically about a school trip to Washington, D.C. We placed her on a government internship at the State House where she was exposed to a myriad of experiences- everything from seeing how legislation is passed to attending hearings and lectures from mayors and governors.

With the internships fresh in their minds, students talk about their experiences during college interviews and on college essays.

So.... to our 8th graders (and their parents) - not this summer, but it's always good to plan ahead.

-Dr. Internship