Home - Internship in Science, Health Training, and Research (ISHTaR)

What is ISHTaR?

Interns shadowing with the Durham Tech Community Health Lab!

Interns on the bus after grabbing lunch on Franklin Street.

Eithar, Julianne, and Amina at the Castillo Scholar’s Research Symposium.

At the University of North Carolina School of Medicine (UNC-SOM), we aim to promote a more equitable culture to improve the health of all North Carolinians. The Internship in Science Health Training and Research (ISHTaR) program is sponsored by UNC’s Department of Emergency Medicine. This internship is designed to help local high school students develop research skills and explore career options in medicine and public health over the summer. The project aims to increase exposure to health care and public health by impacting and inspiring the next generation of clinicians and researchers.

ISHTaR offers many opportunities to help interns gain experience in research and clinical medicine. Each year’s activities are unique and dependent on available research opportunities and interns’ interests.

ISHTaR provides:

Working with a team of researchers on a variety of projects
- Planning health communications materials for lay and clinical audiences
- Creating informational documents for research partners
- Developing educational courses
- Reviewing literature on health conditions and programs related to emergency medicine
Shadowing clinicians in practice and developing mentorships
- Shadowing EMS paramedics on an ambulance
- Shadowing physicians during inpatient and outpatient efforts
- Discussing life experiences and careers pathways with clinicians and researchers
- Other experiences tailored to student’s interests
Team activities
- Book club exploring complex healthcare-related issues

What to expect from ISHTaR:

Hybrid work environment
- Each week consists of 1-3 in-person days. Interns must have reliable transportation to in-person days.
- No housing or food allowance provided
A minimum of 20 hours of paid work per week
Flexible start and end dates to align with the intern’s school year

The ISHTaR Experience

To facilitate future high school students exploring summer internship opportunities, our 2023 & 2024 ISHTaR cohorts each developed a video to share their summer internship experience. These videos are a great example of how experiences can differ throughout the years based off intern interests. For a firsthand look at their summers, check out the videos down below!

Application Information

Thank you for your interest in our program. Our selection committee is committed to a fair and holistic review of each candidate’s application.

Eligibility Requirements

Current enrollment in a North Carolina High School as a rising sophomore, junior, or senior
16 years of age or older by June 1st, 2025
Strong interest in medicine, biology, nursing, emergency medical services, public health, or research
Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended
Strong preference is given to applicants from underrepresented/disadvantaged background. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Attending schools located in underserved and rural areas of the state (e.g., Eastern & Western NC)
- Low family income and individual income

Yani and Amina working on their research projects at Friend’s Cafe.

How to Apply

All interested applicants must contact Julianne Cyr between January 6th, 2025– February 24th, 2025. (jcyr@med.unc.edu)
Further instructions will be provided to interested applicants upon request.
Applicants will not be considered after February 24th, 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be delivered mid-April.