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. The 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.
2020 IR internship sites:
Children's National Medical Center / George Washington University
University of Illinois at Chicago
2020 Corporate host sites:
Current interns (2019):
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 host or a corporate research and development mentor host during the summer. Medical students interested in applying to the upcoming Summer 2020 internship period 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:
Complete applications must be submitted by Jan. 15, 2020. Please read the guidelines for more information and submit your final application here.
For questions regarding the application, please email the Manager of Research & Grants.
If you are a corporate or IR academic host site interested in participating in the 2020 program, please apply by Sep. 15, 2019.
For corporate host sites: Please review the guidelines and apply here.
For IR host sites: Please review the guidelines and apply here.
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.
“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, University of Colorado School of Medicine, medical student 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, UC Irvine School of Medicine & UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, with mentor Edward W. Lee, MD, PhD, FSIR