Location:

Cleveland, Ohio

Position type:

Gap year program, full-time paid research, pre-medical experience, pre-graduate school experience

Job description:

This program is for recent graduates with bachelor’s degrees who wish to spend time participating in research to decide on their career path and to bolster their resumes or applications. The program is designed to last for two years, though participants can leave sooner if necessary. Participants will work full time in a research lab studying a topic related to human health and disease and will also participate in a curriculum designed to set participants on a course for career success. The curriculum includes career development seminars, opportunities for shadowing and observing clinical medicine, and access to the wide range of seminars and learning opportunities offered at the Cleveland Clinic.  Our goal for this program is to help you achieve your career goals, whether that be medical school, graduate school, or something else entirely!

The program will include:

• A full-time, paid position in a research lab here at the Cleveland Clinic
• A seminar series on careers in science and medicine
• Mentorship from some of the top scientists in the world
• Career development coursework and application guidance for graduate or medical school 
• Opportunities to travel for meetings or presentations
• Opportunities for publications, letters of recommendation, and networking

Key Responsibilities:

• Participants will work full time in a research laboratory here at the Cleveland Clinic. Specific responsibilities will vary depending on the needs of the lab, but will likely include performing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating and interpreting findings.
• Participants will also take part in a curriculum centered around career development in science and medicine, both to help them discern their appropriate career path and to prepare them for success in their chosen field.
• Participants will also have access to a wide breadth of seminars and other learning opportunities here at the Cleveland Clinic

Qualifications:

• Recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree
• Experience, either through classwork or extracurricular activities, with a laboratory setting and/or scientific research
• Strong written and oral communication skills, organizational skills, and ability to work in teams
• Strong interests in scientific research, with a desire to pursue research or medicine as a career

Application:

Application timeline:

• Submit application no later than end of day Friday, May 2, 2025
• Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis from the time of submission, so applying sooner is recommended
• If accepted, participants will be paired with a PI here at Cleveland Clinic
• Start date for the program is the first Monday in June. For this year, that is June 2, 2025

How to apply:

Applicants should send an email with their application materials to the Manager of Student Training and Programs, Sara Baicker-McKee, at [email protected]. 

The application materials are:

• A brief letter of intent, no more than 500 words, explaining the applicant’s interest in the program, relevant research and science experience, areas of scientific interests, and career goals. 
• A CV or resume (which should include the applicant’s schools attended, degree granted, major, and GPA)
• A list of science courses taken, grades for those courses, and any research/lab experiences the applicant has had which would demonstrate capacity to work in a research environment.

Questions

Any questions can be directed to Sara Baicker-McKee at [email protected]

For more information about the types of research performed at Cleveland Clinic, please feel free to browse our website https://www.lerner.ccf.org/