High School Interns

The PERFORM-KUH Internship provides paid summer research experiences for Philadelphia-area high school students interested in STEM and biomedical research. Interns are placed in PERFORM-KUH affiliated labs in nephrology, benign urology, or benign hematology and are supported by a senior faculty research mentor and a TL1 predoctoral or postdoctoral near-peer mentor.

Experience

Interns gain exposure to:

• The daily life of a wet lab or dry lab.
• Research questions in kidney, urology, and hematology.
• Weekly research and clinical conferences.
• Clinical shadowing experiences when available.
• College and career readiness seminars.
• Scientific presentation and poster development.
• Mentorship from faculty, trainees, and program staff.

Program format

The source program model describes a six-week paid summer experience of approximately 35 hours per week. Meals and transportation may be subsidized as funding permits. Mentors receive support for student supervision.

Application route

PERFORM-KUH has partnered with Jamie Shuda, EdD and the Office of Outreach, Education and Research (OER)'s related pathway programs. Priority may be given to students from programs such as the Penn Academy of Reproductive Medicine (PARS) and Penn Academy for Skin Health (PASH), particularly students from low-income and underrepresented groups and returning program alumni still in high school.

End-of-summer presentation

Interns present their work in a poster session that describes a project they contributed to or a technique they learned.