In September 2013, the WSU Graduate School won an award from the National Institutes of Health to initiate the Broadening Experience in Scientific Training program. The goal of the program is to expose graduate students to a wide spectrum of research and research-related careers to broaden graduate and postdoctoral training before graduates enter the workforce.
“This partnership gives our graduate students research-related opportunities outside of the classroom that will help prepare them for their future career choices,” said Ambika Mathur, Ph.D., dean of the WSU Graduate School and professor of pediatrics for the WSU School of Medicine. “MMS will provide students with the opportunity to develop a dynamic skill set and learn about the clinical research industry.”
“MMS has always had a very strong internship program internally and therefore was an ideal collaborating partner for Wayne State for the BEST program,” said Michelle Gayari, director of operations at MMS Holdings. “Interns at MMS are assigned a mentor and are allowed to work on projects directly, giving them hands-on exposure to client deliverables, helping understand client interactions and deciding whether this is indeed a career path for them.”
The MMS team has designed and coordinated internships in regulatory operations, medical writing, data management, clinical programming and pharmacovigilance. All internship positions are open to graduate students and are paid positions. The first interns from the BEST program initiative will begin this month and will pave the way for future students to explore career options while still in school.