Clinical Research Internship Program

Developing and empowering the next generation of cardiovascular health professionals through a cutting-edge research internship program.

Educating the Next Generation

The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® (MHIF) offers one of the most outstanding and unique internship opportunities available to undergraduates who are pre-med or planning a career in medicine. The goal of the research internship program is to develop and empower the next generation of cardiovascular health professionals by offering a robust research experience in the field of cardiology.

During this unique educational experience, the research intern is paired with a physician mentor who is actively engaged as a clinician and researcher at a nationally recognized hospital. At the conclusion of the program, the interns will showcase their research work at an open house and poster session. Many projects result in the intern having the opportunity to be an author on an article published in a national scientific journal. Some interns also have the opportunity to present their work at a national cardiovascular conference.

This internship is made possible thanks to philanthropic support from generous donors.

A photograph of the 10 2024 MHIF Summer Clinical Research Interns

Research Internship Details

2025 Internship Application

Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open and will close at midnight on January 5th.

Cheers to 20 Years of Interns!

During the past 20+ years, 244 clinical research interns have contributed to 223 posters and presentations at national scientific sessions, 219 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and 59% of former interns are now practicing physicians!

In celebration of this 20-year landmark, we were excited to reconnect with Dr. Aaron Tande, MD, who was part of our first internship program in 2002. Hear what Aaron has to say about his internship experience 20 years later:

Intern Program Highlights

Since 2002, 244 research interns have contributed to…

Image
poster icon

223 posters and presentations at national scientific sessions

Image
publications icon

219 publications in peer-reviewed journals

Where are they now?

Image
physician icon

59% are physicians

Image
laptop icon

24% are in medical school

Image
healthcare icon

12% are in healthcare related fields

Image
briefcase icon

5% are in non-healthcare fields

2021 interns at twins game

Intern Experience

During the summer research internship, interns will be exposed to a vast array of clinical research and educational experiences. They will be matched with a physician and staff mentor, who will guide them through a clinical research project throughout the summer. This valuable exposure takes place at a nationally ranked and award-winning hospital, Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In addition to many observations of surgery and procedures in the hospital, interns will embark on several field trips to destinations including the University of Minnesota Heart Lab, medical device companies and research organizations. Weekly Lunch and Learn presentations from the renowned cardiologists at the Minneapolis Heart Institute® and other guest speakers will offer exposure to the wide range of research happening at MHIF and unique career paths.

2024 Intern Program Donors

This cutting-edge educational experience is made possible by the generous contributions of individual donors, local foundations and industry organizations who share in the belief that hands-on experience is critical for tomorrow’s leaders. Financial support from donors means interns can work with both a staff and a physician mentor to learn about the research process and cardiology.

Thank you to the following generous donors for their contributions to the 2024 MHIF Internship Program:

Named Internships:

Heart Rhythm Intern

Cline and Dianne Hickok Intern

Leonardus Loos and Shelley Holzemer Intern

Dubes Family Intern

Pete Pierce Intern

Rose Peterson Memorial Intern

Discovery Intern

Drs. Richard and Jeanette Hoffman Intern

Program Donors:

M. Nicholas Burke, MD & Sue Slattery-Burke

Ivan Chavez, MD & Gail Chavez

Leah and Patrick Coveney

Jerry and Charlotte Golinvaux Family Fund (Bank of America)

Meghan and Russel Holmes

Hopkins Youth Hockey Association

David Hurrell, MD & Stacey Hurrell

Michael and Cara Jennings

Minnesota Hospital Association

Charles and Shirley Paterson

Denise Windenburg and Jill Schwimmer 

If you're interested in supporting our Clinical Research Internship Program, please reach out to our Development Team at donorrelations@mhif.org. We appreciate your support in educating the next generation of researchers!

Match Alert! Make a Gift by December 31st