Unpaid Internships

Unpaid internship opportunities are available for community college students. Unpaid internships can be virtual or on-site and are limited to 6 months. Students can receive academic credit for a course of study or class if it supports the training being received at the School of Medicine under the supervision of a faculty member (or their designee). Alternatively, the training can prepare the individual for future, not current coursework. If an internship is used to obtain academic credit, a training plan that outlines the school's expectations and learning objectives must be provided.

Criteria for Internships:

• Training is for the benefit of the intern, not the university
• Stanford gains no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern
• Intern does not displace regular, temporary, or casual employees
• Intern is not entitled to a job when the assignment is concluded
• Intern understands they are not entitled to wages for time spent intraining
• Due to Stanford policy, prospective interns may not be related to a staff/faculty member within the department
   

Students interested in research experience at Stanford are encouraged to reach out to a lab of their choice. You can find a list of our labs here: Research Labs in Pathology.

If you are considering providing an opportunity for an internship and for more information on the process and questions regarding unpaid internships, please contact Jessica Mondragon at jessxm@stanford.edu.

Please note, internships must be approved by the SoM HRG before an individual starts an internship.

Visiting Observer Program

Stanford Medicine's Department of Pathology Visiting Observers Program is an opportunity to delve into the fascinating field of medical diagnostics and research. Whether you're a medical student eager to explore pathology or a seasoned professional seeking to expand your expertise, our program provides a unique chance to learn from leaders in the field. Stanford Pathology offers two observation opportunities, Visiting Observer which contains your observation for 30 days or less and Stanford Healthcare Observation which is for 30+ days.

Conditions for Visiting Observers:

• Allowed 30 consecutive days
• Not for credit
• Not requiring hands on training
• No VISA sponsorship
• Not allowed to add experience on resume. May ask host for letter of recommendation but cannot be on Stanford letterhead
• Visiting Observers, under the supervision of their host, can observe patient care, procedures, or the use of special equipment at SHC or SCH. They can not participate in patient care, conduct any administrative work, access any protected health information, or use any of the information that he or she is exposed to for research purposes. Visiting Observers cannot take any pictures, audio, or recordings of patients.
• Not allowed to be given any cases to look at independently or handle any information that has any patient identifier
   

Conditions for Stanford Healthcare (SHC) Observers:

• Allowed excess of 30 days and/or requesting hands on activity
• Visiting Scholars and IRB fall under this category regardless of duration/task
• Background screening needed (fee required)
• Health screening needed
• Allowed to be on resume
• No VISA sponsorship
• Not allowed to be given any cases to look at independently or handle any information that has any patient identifier
   

If you would like to host an observer or apply as a Pathology Observer, please complete the observer form​.

Please do not reach out to faculty members regarding observerships. Individuals who reach out to faculty will not be considered for an observer position