SickKids Summer Mentorship Program
Are you interested in learning about biomedical research? What about state-of-the-art, world-renowned pediatric research happening so close to home? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are in the right place! The Hospital for Sick Children, more commonly known as SickKids hospital is known for its level of expertise in the field of pediatrics and is home to amazing physicians, scientists, and researchers who dedicate their work and time to improving the quality of life of children living with illnesses and rare health conditions. Despite being known for their contributions to pediatric care, SickKids hospital is also an advocate for teaching and mentorship and has established many competitive programs to give students of all education levels from high school, to undergraduate students, to post-graduate and medical school students, the opportunity to learn more about how they can get involved themselves! One of these programs is the Summer Mentorship Program, which focuses on giving high school students the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in biomedical research and learn more about some science-related research topics that they are interested in. If this sounds like something you may be interested in for this upcoming summer, be sure to continue reading down below to learn more about the program and important deadlines to keep in mind.
Are you interested in learning about biomedical research? What about state-of-the-art, world-renowned pediatric research happening so close to home? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are in the right place! The Hospital for Sick Children, more commonly known as SickKids hospital is known for its level of expertise in the field of pediatrics and is home to amazing physicians, scientists, and researchers who dedicate their work and time to improving the quality of life of children living with illnesses and rare health conditions. Despite being known for their contributions to pediatric care, SickKids hospital is also an advocate for teaching and mentorship and has established many competitive programs to give students of all education levels from high school, to undergraduate students, to post-graduate and medical school students, the opportunity to learn more about how they can get involved themselves! One of these programs is the Summer Mentorship Program, which focuses on giving high school students the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in biomedical research and learn more about some science-related research topics that they are interested in. If this sounds like something you may be interested in for this upcoming summer, be sure to continue reading down below to learn more about the program and important deadlines to keep in mind.
About The Program
The Summer Mentorship Program at SickKids hospital provides high school students like you, the chance to explore areas of interest on a much deeper level than what you may have learned in your high school classes. The program selects a group of students to visit SickKids hospital located in downtown Toronto to network, interact, and learn from experts in the fields of research, medicine, and more! The mentorship program is part of the SickKids Kids Science Program which is a larger initiative to increase the exposure of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) related fields to high school and elementary school students. In this mentorship program, you will have the opportunity to speak with researchers about their research and perhaps learn about what the road to becoming a researcher looks like, inquire about potential opportunities for the future, and how to get involved in research as a student. In addition, you will have the chance to hear from doctors and physicians who are specialized in a diverse range of pediatric fields. If you are thinking about medicine as a potential future career path, being able to talk to professionals in the field is a great start and will definitely give you exclusive insight and advice that will put you ahead of the game.
Things to Remember
Now, I am sure you are all wondering, how can I get involved? Well, I am here to give you all the information and details about the application for this program. It is quite a competitive program and so I would recommend starting to draft your thoughts to the supplementary questions so that you can edit them and ask your friends and classmates to edit and review them as well! The registration period for the 2023 Summer Mentorship program is currently open and the application deadline is May 1st, 2023 which gives you plenty of time to perfect your answers and put your best effort into showing SickKids why you are the best fit for the program. To be eligible for the program, you must be 16 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be in high school or recently graduated, and must be able to participate in the entire program. The entire duration of the program is approximately 4 weeks running from August 2nd to August 28th, 2023. There is a form that you will be asked to complete which consists of all the logistical information and contact information as an applicant. In addition, you will be asked to create a mentorship entry which can consist of any multimedia form you prefer including but not limited to an essay, a painting, a song or a poem. This is your time to shine and showcase all your amazing talents because what they are looking for is someone who is passionate and interested in learning new things! Although the prompt is not exclusively released on the website it is definitely a good idea to start thinking about why you want to participate in the program, what are some of your strengths, what interests you about the program, and perhaps what you are looking to obtain from this program!
Why Mentorship?
Now, there are so many different programs for high school students like you to get involved in over the summer to expand your experiences and give back to the community. But why mentorship? Mentorship is always an exclusive opportunity despite what the program is for, or who the program is run by, because it will allow you to gain insight into things that you may have questions about, or perhaps it is a field you are interested in pursuing in the future. Whatever the mentorship program is for, you are guaranteed to meet new people who share similar experiences with you and learn from someone who has been in your shoes and who has amazing words of advice to help you have success in your future.
Source: https://www.stafflink.net/benefits-of-mentorship-program/
I hope that this blog introduced an opportunity that you will take advantage of because I am positive that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that if you have the opportunity of pursuing, will have gained skills and valuable insight to help you in your healthcare or science-related journey! Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming blogs part of the Summer Opportunities series to learn more about different ways you can get involved this summer!
About the Writer: Wynter Sutchy is a second-year undergraduate student at McMaster University studying Biology (Physiology) and is from King City, ON. She is very passionate about the healthcare field and enjoys sharing her volunteering experiences through writing. She plans to pursue a career in medicine in the future and plans to explore the field of healthcare through research and volunteering throughout her undergraduate career. In her free time, you can expect her to be watching her favourite show, Greys Anatomy, teaching children how to swim, or baking some delicious desserts!
Sources
https://www.sickkids.ca/en/learning/patient-family-education/kids-science/
