Introducing the Diagnosis Internship Network (DIN)

As a medical student, I frequently found it challenging to organise non-clinical based internships at leading healthcare organisations. This was either due to the fact that I did not know anyone working at particular organisations, or companies would be unsure on how to manage interns or simply due to the fact many felt why does a medical student wants to work in a non-clinical environment.

After constant persistence, I did manage to secure internships in my summer holidays through people I knew or met but I felt there was surely an easier and more organised approach to organising these placements.

I had this idea where I wanted to create a network which medical students could use to gain these internships. The idea had been lingering but I was waiting for the right opportunity and right time. The opportunity did arrive in the form of Emma Stanton and Claire Lemer. Through the Diagnosis Salon’s I was attending, I saw the opportunity to set up the internship network. At the salons I was meeting high profile individuals and I felt by sharing my idea I was getting good feedback and vibes from the movers and shakers in healthcare.

After liaising with Claire and Emma, I wanted to run this internship network through Diagnosis, hence the name Diagnosis Internship Network (DIN).

Both Emma and Claire have been fantastic and inspirational in setting up DIN. DIN coordinates placements for interns undertaking Special Study Components (SSCs), dissertations, master’s projects or summer vacations. Potential interns will browse and complete an application form which will then be screened and filtered by DIN. Shortlisted candidates’ CVs will be sent to potential employers who then select their preferred intern and preferred dates.  Dates tend to be flexible.

We have an excellent array of organisations who have partnered with DIN in order to provide internships for medical students. This year is a pilot project and our priority is to focus on providing quality internships where both the candidate and organisation can gain and learn from one another.

We work closely with our partners to set up meaningful and worthwhile projects for interns. All the organisations we work with do not pay the interns but they cover travel and other expenses. However organisations also work towards making sure that the interns can present their work in the form of a presentation or a paper.

In addition to this, we are evaluating the project through the interns’ perspective. This is being done by sending a pre-placement questionnaire followed by a post-placement questionnaire. We will also be getting feedback from the organisations we work with. Since the launch in October 2010, we have already learnt so much and we are still learning.

Currently I am an academic foundation trainee, and I have strong interest in medical education. I am a strong believer in nurturing, inspiring and laying strong foundations from an early stage of medical training. We hope to achieve this through DIN and mentor today’s medical students who go on to become tomorrow’s clinical leaders.

There are a few things lined up in the pipeline for the next year or two that will allow us to expand DIN and achieve further success. Many thanks to all our partners, medical students who are showing considerable interest and the Diagnosis team working hard to make DIN feasible.

I am very exciting and very much looking forward to this project. 

By Harpreet Sood, Diagnosis Associate and Foundation Doctor, North East London Deanery. 

Contact via pa.diagnosis@gmail.com