Paid Summer Internship Program

About the Program

Projects in the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) at UC San Diego Health's summer internship program cover a range of topic areas and vary according to the intern's background and interests. Past projects have included predictive modeling for personalized medicine; privacy technology; natural language processing; image processing and retrieval; integration of genotypic, phenotypic, and behavioral patient data for discovery; informed consent ontology/tools; and blockchain technology.

Eligibility & Availability

Generally, the summer internship opportunity is available for undergraduate students, graduate students, M.D.'s, other postdocs and veterinarians from diverse backgrounds on a limited basis, and contingent upon funding.  

There are a limited number of position openings funded by research grants and by the University of California-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI) for UC San Diego students.  UC San Diego under-represented undergraduate or graduate students are encouraged to apply.  For this opportunity (UC-HSI DDI),  the U.S. citizen or permanent legal residency requirement does not apply.

Internships will include:

Stipend Support

• Hands-on experience
• Participation in a 2-Day Bootcamp, and Full Summer Curriculum Training Program
• Learning about biomedical data analysis
• Work with experienced faculty, postdocs and students
• Work with a designated Mentor
• Office space

Additional Criteria:

• Applicants are expected to be available 40 hours/weeks
• The most highly qualified applicants have at least basic experience in computer science, human-computer interaction, or related disciplines
• Must be at least 18 years of age by the program start date
• Must be currently enrolled or employed at a university or other research institution
• Must currently reside and be eligible to work in the United States
• Must have Social Security Number at start of program
• NOTE that the department of Biomedial Informatics does not offer visa sponsorship

Please see our program flyer here 

How to Apply

 Applications require the following:

1. A personal statement
2. Your educational transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
3. A resume
4. At least one, and up to two personal references.

 Use your best judgment on what to include, but the following are often helpful to include:

• A brief description of your academic record, relevant classes, etc.
• A summary of any opportunities you have already had for research related activities. If you have not had these opportunities yet. That is OK, too.
• We strongly recommend a description of your academic and career goals, but more importantly how the internship could help you accomplish them.
• We strongly recommend looking over our faculty mentor projects and related research to see if there is anything that you would be interested in. Faculty projects can be found at: education/internships/profile-listing
• Any information you feel comfortable sharing that may explain issues with your academic record. We realize many students have financial, personal, and health issues that may impact their academic record including poor grades, suspension, intermittent leave, or even expulsion.

 There is no specified word count requirement.

2024 application is now CLOSED. Please see below for 2025 timeline. 

Tentative 2025 Summer Internship Timeline

If you are interested and would like us to notify you when the 2025 application period opens, please email DBMISummer@health.ucsd.edu with your name, email, and phone number.

FAQs (Updated 10/23/2024)

I do not have (or only have limited) clinical, biomedical, and/or informatics background. Am I still encouraged to apply?

Yes, all applicants are encouraged to apply. Our trainees come from a diverse pool, some of whom have no formal clinical, biomedical, and/or informatics training/experiences.

Is U.S citizenship needed to apply?

U.S. citizenship is not required to apply. However, applicants must currently reside and be able to work in the United States. NOTE that the department of Biomedial Informatics does not offer visa sponsorship. All interns must also have a social security number at start of program. 

 I cannot fully attend the program. Would this still be okay?

Unfortunately, we expect our trainees to fully attend the program. This is to ensure our trainees have enough time for a more complete research experience. We have a structured program (including bootcamp, lectures, and final presentation conference) that we would like every trainee to attend. 

Can I attend virtually?

Given the structure of our program, in-person participation is required. 

 How much is the stipend?

Stipend amounts may vary slightly depending on funding source.  Generally, the stipend will be ~$5,500.

 How would I get paid?

Any student is who is a current UCSD student must go through the financial aid office. Students who are not currently enrolled at UCSD receive a stipend check.

 How often do I get paid?

Depending on the payment mechanism, you may receive a monthly, bi-weekly, two lump-sum payments.

Are there resources for travel to San Diego or housing in San Diego?

The program does not directly pay for travel or housing beyond your stipend payment.

Do I need to bring anything to the internship?

We recommend you bring your personal laptop/computing device. If you do not own one we may be able to loan you one during the internship.

Can I take vacation during the internship?

Our internship is meant to be an immersive experience, and given the limited time that you have with us, we generally discourage vacation during the internship. 

Is it ok to take summer classes? 

The internship requires that you dedicate 40 hours weekly, and as a result, students are generally not able to take summer courses during the internship.

Is it ok for me to have a second job / part-time job in the summer? 

The internship requires that you dedicate 40 hours weekly.  Depending on the position and required hours, this may be challenging.

Questions?

For administrative questions, contact:

Maria Triplett
Academic and Research Cordinator
M1Triplett@health.ucsd.edu

For programmatic questions, contact:

Dr. Jejo Koola
jkoola@health.ucsd.edu

Dr. Matteo D'antonio
madantonio@health.ucsd.edu

Information about our faculty mentors, internship students, research projects, and annual symposiums for previous years are posted in the links provided in the left bar area of this page.