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Office of Workforce Development Student Training Program

  • students training

    Dana-Farber's Office of Workforce Development fosters initiatives that provide young people from the Boston public school system with professional experience in health care. Our Student Training Program is offered as both an academic-year commitment and a summer opportunity. Participating students intern in a hospital department aligned with their interests and experiences.

    Through Dana-Farber's Workforce Development Student Training Program, students gain valuable professional and personal skills, while developing positive community through mentorship, student retreats, and college tours. In an environment that promotes growth and success, young people in the Student Training Program are encouraged to empower themselves and to embrace their promising futures.

    These are paid opportunities. Graduating seniors are also eligible to apply for scholarship funding.

  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Summer Jobs Program

  • DFCI Workforce Development Student Training Program

  • Summer commitment requirements

    Students commit to:

    • Attend an all-day orientation
    • Work 30 hours per week for 7 weeks
    • Participate in mandatory weekly college and career readiness workshops and college tours

    Academic year commitment requirements

    Students who successfully complete the summer Student Training Program and have a specific interest in clinical, research, or health administration careers are eligible to apply for the school-year program. In this experience, students deepen their professional networks through an intensive relationship-building experience with their mentors and supervisors.

    Students commit to:

    • Work 8 to 15 hours per week from October to June
    • Enroll in the following summer program
    • Attend twice-monthly college and career readiness workshops and field trips

    Eligibility requirements

    • 2.0 GPA and good school attendance record
    • Boston resident, at least a rising sophomore
    • Affiliated with one of the following:
      • Fenway High School
      • John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics & Science
      • Madison Park Technical Vocational High School
      • Sociedad Latina
      • Youth Enrichment Services

      Other student training activities

      • Groundhog Job Shadow Day
      • Fenway Career Day

      Supervisor testimonials

      "Not only did they provide me with a phenomenal student intern, but I also learned important leadership and managerial skills."

      — Christine Lydon, Medical Oncology

      "Mentoring gave me the opportunity to facilitate a protégé's personal and professional growth by sharing the knowledge I learned through years of experience. While the primary intent of my mentoring role was to challenge the student to think in new and different ways, the student was not the only one who gained experience from this arrangement."

      — Mayra Mollinedo, Pediatric Oncology

      "Our whole department was incredibly impressed with the maturity, intelligence, and strong work ethic our high school interns possessed. On the last day of the program, we were all commenting how wonderful it was to have been part of their early professional work experience."

      — Maria McCallion, Telecommunications

      Student testimonials

      "My supervisor taught me skills that'll benefit me greatly in my future employment. I gained skills that I didn't have before or struggled with, such as time management, multitasking, handling different tasks, using spreadsheets, and many other skills. This summer internship experience at Dana-Farber has made me a better person, academically and professionally."

      — Sachie

      "What I liked the most about my summer internship was I was able to get more exposure to how it feels to actually work in a hospital. I was able to see how the employees interacted with each other, and the background research that goes into helping people with cancer. Another thing I liked was all the college tours we had and the college panel. It really helped me feel more prepared for college."

      — Joanne

      "For me the best part of being part of this internship is having the opportunity of meeting so many people. Networking with various co-workers and getting to know their stories made everything more memorable. Growing personal connections with people here allowed this experience to be wonderful."

      — Darbie

      View our Student Training Program Impact Report