IMPORTANT NOTES FROM MCS:
- This opportunity is being posted as part of the Harvard Coleman Family Ventures (CFV) Summer Fellowship.
- Step 1: Apply to this position by following the “How To Apply” instructions.
- Step 2: If/when you receive a position offer, apply for the Harvard CFV Fellowship in CARAT by March 30.
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Organization: Boston Children’s Primary Care
Job Title: Summer Intern
Location: Boston, MA
Duration: 10 weeks
Start/End dates: Flexible, but available to have a summer intern from May 18 through August 21
Working Hours: Flexible, hybrid format, in person days are still to be determined based on Dr. Zara Atal’s clinic days, but are likely to include a mix of morning, afternoon, and evening sessions.
Overview
Boston Children’s Primary Care is an academically affiliated general pediatrics practice. Dr. Zara Atal practices at two of our locations at CHPCC at 300 Longwood and Martha Eliot Health Center at 75 Bickford Street in Jamaica Plain. Summer interns will be expected to join her at both locations. Her clinical interests and academic work are broadly focused on atopic diseases – asthma, food allergies, eczema, seasonal allergies – which collectively encompass some of the most common pediatric diseases. Through working with her in her routine well child visits, summer interns will also explore other common pediatric illnesses along with their treatments, as well as explore preventive care, pediatric nutrition, developmental milestones, and common parental concerns. Summer interns will be expected to join Dr. Atal during both her well child and urgent care clinic sessions as well as her atopic clinic sessions, which will include supervised peanut feeding visits.
Additionally, they will also have opportunities to contribute to her research work by participating in data collection and analysis. Dr. Atal is currently researching the effects of supervised peanut feeding visits in primary care on rates of at home peanut consumption in infants, as early introduction has been shown to prevent peanut allergies, but prior research also indicates parental hesitancy towards at home introduction.
Fellow’s Responsibilities
- Participate in routine well child visits and atopic clinic sessions, with attending supervision and in compliance with HIPAA with patient/family consent. This will include training in basic clinical skills including taking vital signs (under supervision from our medical assistants), assisting with history-taking, and observing clinical exams.
- Participate in supervised peanut feeding visits, where families feed their infants age-appropriate peanut products under clinic supervision. Students will learn about food allergies including risk factors, prevention and treatment of allergic reactions.
- Participate in health education activities, resident teaching, departmental meetings
- Participate in research project on supervised peanut feeding visits. This is likely to take the form of assisting with family interviews to gather feedback on their experience with the visits and early peanut introduction, as well as coding/data analysis of these interviews.
Qualifications:
- Undergraduate premedical or other pre-health students (rising juniors and seniors) with interest in pediatrics
- Legal authorization to work or intern at the hosting institution/site
- Strong interpersonal skills and motivation for working with children and their families
- Evidence of responsibility, initiative, and reliability
How To Apply:
Email Dr. Atal a resume and cover letter. (Email Below)
Funding
Applicants who are accepted for the Summer Intern position at Boston Children’s are eligible to apply to the Harvard Coleman Family Ventures (CFV) Summer Fellowship through Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success by Monday, March 30. Funding is not guaranteed. Students will be informed no later than Friday, April 17, if they are awarded the CFV Fellowship.
