Summer Research Internships Prepare High School Students for 21st Century Biomedical Careers

Abstract

STEM internships for both high school and college students provide early opportunities for students to discover careers of interest and career paths they may not otherwise experience. For over 25 years, the University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Center for Community OutReach Development (CORD) has provided rising high school seniors with opportunities to conduct research in federally-funded laboratories under the mentorship of UAB faculty. This paper evaluates CORD's High School Summer Science Institute III Program (SSI III) and its impact on participants' STEM career trajectories. Outcomes were tracked for SSI III participants over an eight-year period, and former interns' perceptions of the program reported. Over 99% of surveyed interns (N=102) chose a STEM undergraduate major, and 97% of the former interns reported they were pursuing STEM careers. Nearly all interns indicated their SSI-III experience was very positive and influenced their career decision. Over half of the interns matriculated into an undergraduate STEM major at UAB, providing the university with return as more excellent students for their investment in the program. These results highlight the importance of high school student involvement in STEM internships as a pathway that leads towards STEM careers.