<p>I'm a high school student hoping to have a career in optometry
I am really interested in applying for an internship at a practice that doesn't have to pay me whatsoever, however I have no idea how to even go about doing this. I'll be 17 years old in the summer. Any help?</p>
<p>Cold calls..........
I mean get a list of local optometry practices in your area of interest; this could come from a medical directory. Email them a letter of interest and attach your resume. Don't call them and waste their time since most are probably not hiring. If they are interest, they will respond. Try this over and over 20+ . You should also consider other kinds of medical practices just because you are still fairly young and you could be exposed to something you might really end up liking or disliking. (I know for me once I started to work at a surgery medical practice in high school it was bye medicine, hello business)</p>
<p>The classification they might assign may not be an internship but just a job. But both look great on the old resume.</p>
<p>Props on starting EARLY!!!</p>
<p>The only problem with this type of practice is you'll do jack *****. You can't visit with patients b/c there are confidentail doctor-patient laws, and you are completely unqualified to do anything medically. At most you'll help with selling glasses, and maybe file a paper or two. I don't recommend summer jobs in doctor offices, unless you do some type of volunteer work for a hospital. Speaking of volunteer work in hospitals, I highly recommend that. You don't want any money anyway, and you'll probably work 7 hours a day. Assume your work 4-5 days a week for 5-6 weeks, that'll give you from 160-250+ community service hours. But, if that doesn't sound good to you, dont do anything involving omptomety or the medical field at all. It might sound good, but it's boring as hell. I recommend an internship with a law firm, especially solo practitioners, they'll give you a lot of "adult" work.</p>