The SIR Foundation Summer Medical Internship Program introduces medical students to interventional radiology research and medical device development.
The SIR Foundation Summer Medical Internship Program introduces medical students early in their studies to interventional radiology research and medical device development. These internships are for highly motivated medical students who seek to acquire a fundamental understanding of research methods as they relate to vascular and interventional radiology.
2021 IR internship sites:
Children's National Medical Center / George Washington University
The University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
2021 corporate host site:
An update on the 2020 program
Due to developments related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, SIR Foundation has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Summer Medical Internship Program. We would like to thank the selected medical students and mentors for their continued support during this challenging time.
Interns selected for 2020:
Becton Dickinson (BD) with Alex Tessmer and JD Meler, MD:
Children's National Medical Center/George Washington University with Karun Sharma, MD, PhD, FSIR:
Cleveland Clinic with Gordon McLennan, MD, FSIR:
Johns Hopkins University with Clifford R. Weiss, MD, FSIR:
Medical College of Wisconsin with Sarah B. White, MD, MS, FSIR:
University of Illinois at Chicago with Ron C. Gaba, MD, FSIR:
Students applying for the program must show strong potential for a career in IR with proven academic success. Selected students will have an opportunity to intern with an interventional radiologist research mentor or a corporate research and development mentor during the summer. Medical students interested in applying for the summer 2021 internship program must submit the following:
1. The application document
2. A letter of recommendation
The application will be considered incomplete until SIR Foundation receives a letter of recommendation from one of the following members of the applicant's faculty:
Note: If you wish to submit a letter of recommendation from another IR because your faculty does not have a residency or fellowship program, please contact the coordinator of research and grants.
Please review the guidelines for more information about eligibility and application requirements. For any additional questions regarding the application, please email the coordinator of research and grants.
Application dates
Applications for the 2021 Summer Medical Internship Program opens on Oct. 1, 2020, and closes on Jan. 15, 2021.
To apply, please visit apply.sirfoundation.org
Host site applications
If you are a corporate or IR academic host site interested in participating in the 2021 program, please review the guidelines below and fill out the survey by Sep. 15, 2020.
Follow their experiences
Throughout the summer on Fridays, medical students participating in the internship program are sharing their experiences by taking over SIR's Instagram account. Visit SIR's Instagram for a day in the life of the summer interns. Due to COVID-19, we will unfortunately not have summer interns to feature during the summer of 2020.
“The SIR Foundation internship with BARD PV was an incredible and unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of device design and the integral role that industry plays within our profession. Working with Mike Randall and his fabulous team to find new ideas, explore possible solutions, to visit the FDA, and to investigate a particular market size were all unique opportunities that I would not ever have been exposed to without this internship. I feel that I now have the tools to evaluate the need for devices in a clinical scenario, and how to properly assess and convey my ideas. Working with BARD was exciting, engaging, and I hope that many more people seize this special opportunity to see the other side of medical devices!” — Erica Emmons, MD, summer intern with mentors Mike Randall, BSME, MBA, and JD Meler, MD
“My summer spent at UCLA IR was an absolutely incredible experience. I had the opportunity to learn about and participate in a multitude of IR case types, as well as contribute to cutting-edge IR research. The entire faculty and staff at UCLA were welcoming, kind, and truly made me feel part of the extraordinary program they have built there. Dr. Lee was a fantastic mentor. He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and encouraging in all aspects of the internship. He has continued to be a tremendous support and remarkable mentor in the field of IR. I could not have asked for a better experience and would highly recommend the summer internship to any medical student interested in IR.” — Lauren Shreve, MD, MBA, with mentor Edward W. Lee, MD, PhD, FSIR, and fellow intern Kevin Fernandes, MD