<p>I was wondering if it's better to do a research internship that is sponsored by a program over an internship that is not for an undergraduate student. At least in high school, I heard it's better to do a research internship that is sponsored by a special program when it comes to college apps. But even if college apps are factored out, I have experienced both kinds of internships, having volunteered at a lab in the summer between my junior and senior year and being accepted into and participating in an internship program this past summer and I can genuinely say that the latter internship was a better experience for me. The kinds of research conducted in the lab was advanced yet simple enough for a high-schooler to comprehend, there were more perks to participating in the program such as receiving college credit and a stipend, and the faculty mentors expected a lot but they were nicer and more understanding. But I was wondering if the same thing applies for undergraduate research internships. I was wondering if grad/med schools prefer one over the other and if there were more "perks" to doing an internship sponsored by a program over one that is not. Here are some reasons that I can think of that would benefit one choice over the other:</p>
<p>Program-sponsored Internship:
-Greater possibility of getting paid and receiving academic credit
-(maybe) More beneficial for higher-education acceptances</p>
<p>Non-program-sponsored Internship:
-Easier to find
-Don't have to go through acceptance/interview processes
-Can take place over the academic year and not just the summer, meaning you can work in the lab as long as you want, time isn't an issue and greater possibility of getting published</p>
<p>If I wanted to start as early as my freshman year, then I would probably have to go with an internship that isn't sponsored by a program because as far as I know, at my university most program-sponsored internships are during the summer and the ones that are not require one to be a sophomore at the least. I can just email some faculty at the research lab, presenting them with my resume, cover letter and details about my prior research experiences. I was wondering if, at the undergraduate level, if it really matters whether your internship was sponsored by a program or not.</p>
<p>Whatever you can get is fine. It’s about what you actually do, not about whether it’s technically an established “program” or just working in a lab. There’s not really a strict divide between what is considered a “program” and what is considered just research with a professor. If you have to choose, then consider what experience you would actually be getting. You could work in a lab during the school year and do research programs over the summer, but keep in mind, that you can get a lot more done over the summer so you’re likely sacrificing progress in the lab you work in during the school year. Your school may also have programs that provide extra support (“perks” as you call them) but also place you with a mentor at your school, which seems like it would be a combination of both.</p>
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<p>You can also get paid to work in a lab, perhaps as a lab tech, research assistant, etc. Or just by working your way up in the lab until they start to fund you. Many universities also allow you to do research for credit, regardless of whether you are part of an established “program” or not. It also doesn’t matter for acceptance to graduate or professional schools. What matters is what experience you get (what techniques you’ve learned, how involved you are, if you have any papers/posters/presentations, how well you can speak about your work, letters of rec, etc). Sometimes, programs have built in writing requirements, presentations, or other activities to help prepare you for a career in research. Not all do, and many of these you can pursue on your own. In my opinion, one of the benefits of doing a research program is that it’s a way to do research in another lab or at another university so that you can be exposed to different ways of thinking and different techniques.</p>
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<p>Don’t assume you won’t have to interview for a position in a lab. You may not, but I had to interview for every lab position I’ve had at my school. Also, there are many research programs where you also don’t have to interview but only have to submit an application (which is a similar process to presenting your resume, cover letter, and details of research experience to a professor). One of the benefits of working in a lab on campus is that you can be there longer and have the ability to become more independent, which is a great skill needed for a future in research. Learning to come up with your own experiments, do lit searches to figure out what has already been done and how to expand on it, and to troubleshoot your own experiments are all important skills in research and are things that are generally only really learned when you are experienced enough to be able to work independently.</p>
<p>Which is a really long way of saying: It doesn’t matter. The experience you have and what you learn from it is more important than the “title” of what you are doing.</p>