Demographics Project Research Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience given to me by the foundation. It allowed me to further my knowledge surrounding genetics and also do impactful research that has been incredibly valuable in the rare genetic syndromes community. The management team of [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] were fabulous - they were incredibly helpful throughout the internship and allowed myself and the other intern not only flexibility for working hours but also research methods and avenues too. This allowed us to guide the research ourselves which was incredibly motivating and very well thought out.

I felt valued throughout my internship and time with the company. [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] were wonderful throughout the whole process and I truly think that the company morals and ideals are wonderful - and this was partly my motivation for applying specifically to them. The demographics project I conducted with another intern has produced data that is incredibly valuable to the SMS Foundation and has also provided a foundation for other foundations to do their own research using our method.

Particularly during a very uncertain time, it was imperative that communication and support were given when necessary - and I can say that without fault it was. We had regular meetings via online conferencing platforms, as well as shared drives and regular check-ins to see how the project was doing and if we needed any guidance. Although the internship was student driven and led, guidance and advice was always given to use when we needed it which was more than valuable.

I have not only developed digital literacy skills - through working in a purely digital medium, but I have also developed valuable communication and problem solving skills also. There were often times during the project where we hit a 'dead-end', and this meant we had to devise new ways to find out information and continue our research. So this internship has been more than valuable in that way. But not only that - this experience has put me in contact with a number of individuals all across the world who are working in a field in which I also aspire to be working in. And the internship has without a doubt given me a greater idea of what career path I wish to follow.

The internship was truly seamless. Every aspect had been well thought out, and it seemed like every question we had, an answer had already been thought through and devised. The organisation of the internship was phenomenal and allowed myself and the other intern to get on with the project without hesitation which was ideal. Moving so quickly from doing physical internships to digital internships must have been difficult for so many companies, however the SMS Foundation did this seamlessly providing a fabulous internship.

I thoroughly enjoyed the internship. Because it was student-led this allowed myself and the other intern to go into the sections of the project that most interested us - and if we found a better method of research, the Foundation allowed us to follow every avenue. This allowed for the internship to become exciting and it was something that I looked forward to every day over the summer.

This internship gave me a great understanding of the inner workings of charities and third sector companies. Through conducting the internship under the guidance of the CEO and Information and Communications Manager, this allowed me to ask questions about how the Foundation works and also about how researchers and scientists interact with the Foundation. This provided me with great insight, and allowed me to further develop my career aspiration from the brilliant information and advice they gave me.

I was paid at £10 per hour for 100 hours. Due to the internship being in partnership with Santander Internships and my university, they ensured that we were paid for the full amount of time spent on the project. The internship was also fabulous in making sure that we reached our full 100 hours which built a friendly working environment which I would recommend to anyone wishing to partake in an internship or part time job with in the future.

There were more than enough opportunities to network and meet other professionals. The Foundation were able to hold conferences with Genetic Alliance UK to allow us to present our research to leading professionals across the globe. This has also allowed us to network with these individuals and build professional relationships which will be valuable in the future particularly when it comes to getting a job in healthcare. The Foundation also scheduled regular meetings with their own research and scientific panel, this also allowed us to network and meet with professionals and gain insight into their working lives.

I would more than recommend this experience to a friend. This experience has not only been a fun and valuable experience - not only for me but for the Foundation also, it has opened so many doors for me professionally through networking and providing greater insight to the healthcare profession in not only the UK but across the world. The project itself was more than enjoyable allowing me to conduct research into a field which greatly interests me and is generally fascinating, also providing a great help for the Foundation and for the families it supports.