Get Experience to Help You Get There
The CWRU School of Medicine EnRICH Program provides career guidance and support to masters and doctoral students pursuing biomedical science degrees while simultaneously developing partnerships with companies, organizations and mentors who recognize the skills of such students. During paid or non-paid, short-term exposure or long-term work experiences with employers/mentors, masters and doctoral students explore future career opportunities, and giving employers the opportunity to network with and mentor talented and highly skilled students, further developing the talent pipeline for their organization.
Enhancing Research and Industry Career Horizons (EnRICH)
Did you know?
According to a recent NIH Biomedical Workforce Working Group report, only about 20 percent of PhD graduates will continue in academics in tenure-track research positions, and according to the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States, the number of jobs requiring an advanced degree is estimated to grow by 2.5 million. Of that number, those requiring a PhD are projected to increase 17 percent.
How it Works
A mentor and student spend time together for a paid or non-paid work or exposure experience that is beneficial to both the employer and student. The timeframe and duration of the experience is FLEXIBLE, agreed upon by the mentor and student. Some examples include:
- Career mentor: 1-2 hour meeting to discuss careers related topics; Career mentors typically meet with the students 2-4 times a year.
- Immersion experience: Tours, happy hours, meet and greet, workshops or other events over a short period of time, typically 2-48 hours over a short period of time.
- Volunteer experience: can be a one day-long experience, 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 man power to move a specific project to the next milestone. Duration of this experience is based solely on the timeframe of the project itself.
- Shadowing experience: 8-40 contact hours; one day a week for 6-12 weeks, 4 hours a day for 6-12 weeks, etc.
- Part-time internship: 5–20 contact 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 a week for 6 weeks to 6 months, typically paid and commonly participated 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 will clarify career goals as he or she:
- Realizes the results of applied skills in a non-academic career
- Identifies ways to adapt skills for a variety of occupations and work environments
- Gains broader perspectives of careers that require his or her skills and talents
- Learns the business side of science and technology
- Develops personal and interpersonal skills for relationship building to broaden professional networks
Benefits for Organizations
While mentoring a student, you will come to know how their talents and skills can add value to your organization, and possibly fill full time employment positions post student graduation. Employers can:
- Network with talented, energetic Masters and Doctoral students eager to apply their skills to your company goals and projects
- Identify high-potential talent needed for career paths and opportunities within your organization and industry
- Through student engagement, 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