Opportunities & Programs

BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL-NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE | Design and execute a medical research project resulting in publication under the mentorship of Boston Children’s hospital Physician Scientists.

CLINICAL EXPOSURE | Shadow physicians and other allied health clinicians to learn more about their careers.

MENTORSHIP | Identify future academic and career mentors for your future career in healthcare.

Program Description

An 8-week paid internship held on the campus of Boston Children’s Hospital. Interns will learn about careers in academic medicine with a focus on medical research and exposure to clinicians in this culture. Interns will gain skills and knowledge about medical research through both didactic learning and the design and performance of their own group research project with the goal of authoring an original scientific manuscript. Research mentors will provide medical journal to learn about careers in academic medicine through shadowing opportunities, career development talks, and opportunities to interact with future mentors.

At the conclusion of this internship, interns will have gained the skills and knowledge to design and execute a research project from start to finish including literature review, study design, data collection and analysis, data interpretation, manuscript drafting, and the presentation of scientific data. Interns will understand the types of careers that exist in academic medicine including the necessary prerequisites and training, day-to-day job responsibilities, academic opportunities and the joys and rigors of working in a field that positively impacts the lives of others.

Program Details

• Duration: July-August
• Commitment: This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position
• Salary: $5,000 over 8 weeks
• Application Deadline: Your completed application — including all required attachments and a letter of recommendation — must be submitted by the spring of the year you intend to participate [future deadlines to be determined].

Responsibilities:

• Perform a group research project under the supervision of research mentor
• Attend didactic learning experiences on research, clinical care, and career development
• Attend structured clinical shadowing experiences

Qualifications:

• This is an entry level position. No prior research or clinical experience is required.

Introducing Our Summer 2025 Cohort

We are thrilled to introduce the exceptional group of Northeastern University students selected for our prestigious 8-week summer internship program. Only 5 outstanding individuals were chosen for this exclusive opportunity that bridges academic medicine, hands-on research, and clinical exposure.

This elite cohort will spend July and August immersed in the world of academic medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s leading pediatric medical centers. Over the course of 8 intensive weeks, these interns will design and execute original research projects under expert mentorship, participate in structured clinical shadowing experiences, and engage in comprehensive didactic learning sessions focused on research methodology, clinical care, and career development in healthcare.

Each intern brings unique perspectives and academic backgrounds to this collaborative environment, where they will not only contribute to meaningful medical research but also gain invaluable insights into careers in academic medicine. Through this full-time, compensated program, our cohort members will develop essential skills in scientific inquiry, manuscript preparation, and professional presentation—experiences that will serve as a foundation for their future endeavors in medicine, research, and healthcare innovation.

We look forward to witnessing the impact these dedicated students will make during their transformative summer at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Imma Pierre is a rising second-year student at Northeastern University, majoring in Health Science on the pre-PA track. She is passionate about pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant, where she hopes to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes in high-pressure clinical settings. Imma is particularly interested and passionate about addressing healthcare disparities and working with underserved communities and spreading the importance of providing culturally competent care to promote health equity. Through her academic journey so far, Imma has developed a deep appreciation for the role of research in advancing healthcare, especially in underserved communities and improving patient care. She values the opportunity to work across cultural lines as an essential step toward becoming a compassionate and skilled healthcare provider. Outside of academics, Imma is actively involved in student organizations that promote diversity in medicine and healthcare advocacy.

Yachne Elysse is a rising second-year student who is passionate about becoming a doctor and driven by the desire to connect research and patient care, especially for communities that don’t have easy access to healthcare. She is particularly interested in pediatrics and surgery because she wants to make a real difference in how children receive care and how surgical treatments can help patients lead better lives. On campus, Yachne is involved in H4H, a club that offers blood pressure screenings to people who don’t have consistent access to this kind of care. She is also a member of WREN, a club that helps her in her career as a future medical professional and researcher, specifically through its focus on bringing women’s contributions to science to the forefront. With the Boston Children’s Hospital Internship, Yachne hopes to learn how to approach patient care in multiple settings and contribute to research that helps doctors better understand how to provide the best care possible.

Thea Carr started at Northeastern University on the Oakland campus as a Behavioral Neuroscience major on the Pre-Med track. She was a member of the Young Lab and studied the effect of orientation on C. elegans behavioral response to electrical stimuli. This experience sparked her passion for research and prompted her to continue doing research in Boston. She will be continuing to pursue research in the Apfeld Lab in Boston, as well as during her summer internship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Furthermore, she has also discovered a passion for working with children which she found through her work as a coach with an organization called Girls on the Run. She hopes to bridge her interests in the future and work in pediatric medicine doing research. She hopes to become a well-rounded pediatric doctor who not only treats but also contributes to understanding the conditions affecting young people.

Chanelle Boadu is an Africana Studies major with a minor in Public Health on the pre-med track. As an aspiring obstetric anesthesiologist, she is committed to addressing healthcare disparities in minority communities and tackling the alarming maternal mortality rates among Black women in the United States. As a 2025 Hellman Scholar, she dedicated her independent research to examining these issues by analyzing the correlation between the demographics of healthcare professionals—from active physicians to registered nurses—between 2018 and 2023 and the maternal mortality rates of Black women. She hopes to further this research interest through the didactic learning at the Boston Children’s Hospital–Northeastern academic summer internship. She aims to conduct a more in-depth analysis and gain the tools necessary to advance this critical work.

Lucia Gizzi will be a second year Honors Behavioral Neuroscience Northeastern student this fall. On campus she is involved with the Women’s Research Engagement Network, Women’s Run Club, Noreste Ballet Company and Acting Out (an advocacy focused theater club). Additionally, she is a Jumpstart Ameri-Corps member and works with preschool children helping develop confidence and literacy skills. Lucia is very passionate about healthcare and medicine and is so excited and grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Boston Children’s Hospital Summer Internship.