Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Careers in Science Summer Internship for Students Interested in Cancer Research

The CSM Initiative seeks to develop scholars from low-income and diverse backgrounds to help them build the accomplishments, skills, network, and support necessary to achieve advanced careers in biomedical, medical, health-related, and STEM professions. Since 2019, the Office of CRTEC has partnered with the Careers in Science in Medicine (CSM) Office to formalize an oncology thread and 4 undergraduate students are selected each year to participate in a 10-week cancer focused internship. It has trained 52 students (25% with SKCCC Members, four-year data), and 42% have matriculated in graduate or medical school.

Photo of 2021 MSU-Johns Hopkins Cancer Research Summer Program Participants

Johns Hopkins-Morgan State University Cancer Research Summer Program

The Hopkins-MSU Cancer Research Summer Program was launched in 2021 as part of a collaboration between the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Morgan State University to create mentorship and academic opportunities for Morgan State University students. This 6-week virtual internship allows undergraduate students to engage in interdisciplinary faculty-mentored research with Cancer Center faculty, with the opportunity to continue their research during through academic school year. It includes opportunities to network with medical students as well as workshops for career development, opportunities to learn about preparing for graduate and medical school applications as well as clinical exposure where feasible. Details including program Faculty are linked above.

SKCCC-Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship

The SKCCC-Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship recruits students to an eight-week paid rotation that spans inpatient and outpatient oncology practice with modules on the psychosocial context of oncology nursing and evidence-based research projects. The internship, which aims to recruit a diverse, talented group of nurses to oncology careers, has trained seven students from regional programs including MSU and Salisbury State University; six have remained in cancer careers.

Opportunities for Post-Baccalaureate Students

PREP (Post baccalaureate Research Education Program)

Our faculty are enthusiastic partners and research mentors for underrepresented scholars in the NIH-funded Hopkins PREP program (Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program). SKCCC faculty host six new PREP scholars for 1-2 years of fulltime cancer research to support their upcoming applications to PhD programs or MD/PhD programs. Since 2017, PREP has hosted 27 students and 71% matriculated in PhD, MD and MD/PhD programs; an additional 7% enrolled in master’s degree programs.

DDP (Doctoral Diversity Program)

The Office of CRTEC partners with the Doctoral Diversity Program to recruit four to six students interested in cancer research each year. The DDP program is a two-year, research-focused post-baccalaureate program for scholars interested in pursuing MD, MD/PhD, PhD, and other health and biomedical research careers. Scholars join a research lab at Johns Hopkins, conduct rigorous original research, get extensive clinician shadowing opportunities and receive course work in scientific scholarly writing and Kaplan MCAT, GRE, or DAT exam preparation.