The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Enhancing Research and Industry Career Horizons (EnRICH) Program offers career guidance and support to master's and doctoral students in biomedical science. Partnering with companies, organizations and mentors, students explore future career opportunities through paid or unpaid, short-term or long-term work experiences. Employers network with and mentor talented students, further developing their organization's talent pipeline.
How it Works
A mentor and student spend time together for a paid or unpaid experience that is beneficial to both the employer and student. The timeframe and duration of the experience are flexible and agreed upon by the mentor and student. Some examples include:
- Career mentor: 1–2 hour meetings, 2–4 times per year to discuss career-related topics.
- Immersion experience: Tours, happy hours, meet-and-greets, workshops, or other events; typically 6–48 hours over a short period of time.
- Volunteer experience: Can be one-day-long, a few weeks, or a long-term volunteer position.
- Special project: Students are brought into the company/organization when there is a need for extra power to move a specific project to the next milestone; the duration of this experience is based solely on the timeframe of the project itself.
- Shadowing experience: 8–40 hours; one day a week for 6–12 weeks, 4 hours a day for 6–12 weeks, etc.
- Part-time internship: 5–20 hours per week for 6–18 months, paid or unpaid. Students can take this internship for credits.
- Full-time, paid internship for master’s students: 40 hours per week for 6 weeks to 6 months, typically paid and commonly participated in by master’s students, but special circumstances allow doctorate students to partake. Students can take this internship for credits.
- Remote internship: 5–20 hours per week for 6 weeks to 6 months, paid or unpaid. Students can take this for internship credits.
Benefits for Students
During the experience, students clarify career goals as they:
- Realize the results of applied skills in a non-academic career
- Identify ways to adapt skills for a variety of occupations and work environments
- Gain broader perspectives of careers that require their skills and talents
- Learn the business side of science and technology
- Develop personal and interpersonal skills for relationship building to broaden professional networks
Benefits for Organizations
Mentors come to know how their student’s talents and skills add value to their organization, and possibly fill full-time employment positions post student graduation. Employers get to:
- Network with talented, energetic master's and doctoral students eager to apply their skills to company goals and projects
- Identify high-potential talent needed for career paths and opportunities within the organization and industry
- Solve complex and challenging projects and gain fresh perspectives and problem-solving methods that can be applied to a broad range of company projects
- Join Case Western Reserve University in enriching the future of scientific education