Mayo Clinic Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Internship (Florida) - Non-Clinical Education - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science

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Mayo Clinic physics and engineering interns work on a model

Program overview

Program length: 1 semester (3-4 months)
Internship class size: 3-6 students
Location: Jacksonville, Florida

The Mayo Clinic Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Internship (MCPC&E) allows current or recently graduated college students to learn more about physics, chemistry, and engineering in the medical field. The internship is 10 to 16 weeks long. The program is a great way for you to test your inclination toward careers in these technical fields in a clinical environment. You are placed with a mentor to work on a physics, chemistry, or engineering project.

Specialty tracks

There are six tracks to choose from:

Diagnostic Medical Physics (Radiology)

The Diagnostic Medical Physics track focuses on applying physics principles to imaging in diagnostic radiology, including radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and nuclear medicine. In addition to opportunities to learn about work in all imaging modalities, students may be involved in projects related to:

Innovation and development of new imaging techniques
Monitoring and optimization of image quality and patient radiation dose
Implementation of imaging equipment performance testing and quality control

Therapeutic Medical Physics (Radiation Oncology)

The Therapeutic Medical Physics track focuses on the application of radiation in the treatment of cancer. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and observe the role of a therapeutic medical physicist with respect to CT simulation, motion management, treatment planning, patient-specific QA, and specialized treatments (such as total body irradiation, total skin irradiation, intraoperative radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, radiosurgery, brachytherapy, radioactive iodine, and clinical setups). In addition to the clinical aspects of therapeutic medical physics, students will be involved in a project related to:

Imaging applications for treatment planning and treatment response assessment
Radiomics processing and machine learning for outcomes prediction

Medical Health Physics (Radiation Safety)

The Medical Health Physics track focuses on applying radiation principles in the health care setting to protect staff, members of the public, and patients from unnecessary radiation exposure. Students will work on projects to improve radiation safety practices in radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, or research. Areas of investigation may include:

Personnel monitoring
Workplace monitoring
Instrumentation – calibration and applications
Regulatory analysis

Anatomic Modeling / 3D Printing (Engineering)

The Anatomic Modeling / 3D Printing track focuses on expanding visualization capabilities in medicine through 3D printing and virtual reality technologies. From pre-surgical planning models of complex anatomy and pathology to surgical cutting guides used for maxillofacial reconstruction, the Anatomic Modeling Unit provides Mayo Clinic physicians and staff with cutting-edge visualization for both clinical and non-clinical cases. Students will adopt a project best suited for their skillset while learning about the scope of projects and clinical cases within the Anatomic Modeling Unit.

Students will gain skills and experience in areas such as:

Computer-aided design modeling software used to generate 3D-printed and VR models
Clinical knowledge related to project anatomy and pathology
3D printer utilization and maintenance in a medical environment

Early-Stage Innovations (Engineering): Innovation Alliance

The Innovation Alliances track focuses on helping Mayo Clinic innovators advance their early ideas. Students will collaborate with staff across several disciplines and, for innovations being explored, assist with:

Quantifying potential market size and customers,
Searching for similar products and patents in the market today,
Executing innovation sprints (prep work for the sprints and/or participating),
Completing conceptual design / rapid prototyping, and/or
Performing prototype testing and associated documentation

Chemistry, Radiochemistry, and Radiopharmaceutical Science

The Chemistry, Radiochemistry, and Radiopharmaceutical Science track focuses on applying chemistry principles and knowledge to the production of radiopharmaceuticals, using automated radiosynthesizers, analytical chemistry instruments, and quality control techniques at the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiochemistry facility. In addition to opportunities to learn about work in FDA-approved radiopharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control, students may be involved in projects related to:

Implementation of new radiopharmaceutical production for clinical trials
Design and development of new radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging and radiotherapy in preclinical animal models
Development of new chemistry techniques and procedures for radiopharmaceutical quality analysis

Application process

2024 Mayo Clinic Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Internship application timeline

Application window	Semester	Interview dates	Program dates
Jan. 22-Feb. 12, 2024	Summer 2024	Mid to late February	May 13-Aug. 2, 2024
May 20-June 9, 2024	Fall 2024	Mid to late June	Aug. 19-Dec. 13, 2024
Sept. 2-22, 2024	Spring 2025	Mid to late September	Jan. 6-April 25, 2025

Prerequisites

To be eligible for the MCPC&E internship, you must:

Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree in an accredited U.S. college or university
Undergraduates must be a junior or senior
Have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Visa sponsorship is not available for this program
Be seriously considering a career in healthcare

Applicants are selected based on grades, work and volunteer experiences, leadership qualities, and representation of personal qualities and skills in a personal letter.

Application instructions

Complete the following steps to apply:

Create an account to begin the online Application for Admission. Select the following when creating an account:
- School of Study - Office of Non-Clinical Education Programs
- Area of Interest - Mayo Clinic Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Internship
Once logged on, select "Create a New Application"
Select "Start a Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Experience Application"
Complete each section of the application and submit
After submission:
- Select the "View" button next to your application
- Select the "Supplemental Items and Documents" tab
  - Upload each required item in the Supplemental Items section
  - Complete the Recommendation Request section

Additional required items

Select specialty/track interest (select all that apply)
Recent CV/resume
Personal statement to include the following and then be uploaded in the Supplemental Items section:
- In 500 words or less, write about your career goals and why you would be a good candidate for the program. Please include why you selected the specific track of interest.
Unofficial college transcripts
One letter of recommendation is required and must be completed in the Recommendation Request section. The recommender will receive an email with a link to upload a letter.
- Professional: References should be individuals who are/were an authority figure in your current/previous schooling or place of employment (i.e., supervisor, teacher)

Curriculum

A consultant-mentor directs each student's learning experience for the research project. MCP&E students work on a variety of projects. The Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB) approves all research projects involving human subjects.

To successfully complete the program, you must:

Comply with all program and institutional policies
Participate in an ongoing project investigation
Develop skills in research methodology
Participate in assigned educational activities
Present a written summary and oral presentation of their projects at the end of the program

Schedule and time commitment

Typical business days are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Selected students will work with their mentor to determine a mutually agreeable schedule.

Interns are required to commit to a minimum of 10-15 hours a week for the duration of the semester with minimal flexibility in the last two weeks, regardless of a student's academic internship requirements. Many interns elect to work more than this but cannot exceed 40 hours.

Tuition and financial aid

Mayo Clinic Office of Non-Clinical Education Programs does not charge tuition or fees for the internship. No stipends or financial aid are provided to participants.

You are responsible for your living accommodations and transportation.

You may hold outside employment during the program if it does not conflict with your program responsibilities.