Intern Guide

We very often host interns during the summer and during the school year. Sometimes, this internship is your first “work experience”, and norms and expectations may not be clear. Please ask! In addition, I’m pasting this great set of tips on Professionalism and Accountability written by Theresa Hill, Director of Education Programming at SRTI.

Your internship experience is not only about research and clinical exposure. It’s also about developing essential soft skills — responsibility, time management, and professionalism — that will serve you in every aspect of your career and life. With that in mind, I want to highlight a few key expectations:

Punctuality Matters

There’s an old saying: “If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time.” Please do not show up exactly at the scheduled time—or worse, after a seminar or event has begun. Being prompt shows respect for others’ time and the effort put into planning these opportunities for your benefit.

Be Mindful of Resources

You are receiving a stipend to participate in this program, and in addition, we provide meals for many of our events. The cost of catering in San Diego is significant. When you RSVP or are counted for an event and then do not show up, that is money that could have been redirected toward other meaningful program enhancements. Please be considerate.

Required Attendance

Seminars and activities on the Intern Activity Calendar are mandatory and require in-person attendance. These are not optional. They are carefully designed to enrich your experience and help you grow beyond your lab work. Dismissing them as nonessential is a missed opportunity.

Communication is Key

Respond to emails in a timely manner. Check your Scripps email daily. Complete all required forms and sign-ups on time. We should not still be chasing down paperwork and responses that were due weeks ago. It’s not a good use of anyone’s time and creates unnecessary stress for the team.

Clinical & Research Balance

For those of you working across both Scripps Health and Scripps Research, you were made aware of the importance of navigating both environments. This clinical-research dynamic mirrors what many of you will encounter in your future careers. Please ensure you are not neglecting one side in favor of the other.

Professional Courtesy

We understand that life happens. If you need to miss an event or activity, the expectation is that you let us know in advance. Your mentors were informed of your calendar obligations, and you were instructed to communicate and coordinate with them regularly. This is a shared responsibility.