Internship Program | Overview
The Pediatric Anesthesia Clinical and Research Internship (@PACaRI) at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) was established in 2010 to close that gap for prospective medical and healthcare-allied students. By offering high-quality mentorship, and unparalleled hands-on learning and research opportunities, @PACaRI provides exposure to the realities of medical practice and helps students decide whether a medical career aligns with their interests, aptitudes, and values.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 academic year. Please note that this long-term program is specifically designed for graduate students.
PACaRI's Mission Statement
The mission of the program is to inspire future healthcare professionals to be compassionate, forward-thinking, innovative, resilient, and lifelong learners.
The program:
- Complements the didactic training of undergraduate and graduate students to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.
- Encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in research, to pursue further studies or careers in research.
- Encourages individuals, including those from groups underrepresented in the medical field, to pursue healthcare studies.
Program Pillars
- Clinical - hands-on experience in the operating room
- Research - active participation in research with aim to present and publish findings
- Education - educational lecture presentations and workshops
- Academic Advising - application assistance and 1:1 mock interview
These are rare experiences for pre-medical students, and they were exceptionally influential in my road to medicine. I know that I'll be taking all the skills that I obtained during the PACaRI program into medical school when I matriculate there in the fall.
Rachel Scali, PACaRI 2023. MD Candidate, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (Class of 2028)
Meet Our Founder and Director
Read more about Izabela C. Leahy, PhD, MS, RN
Executive Director, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Medicine
Research Associate in Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
For more information, contact PACaRI@childrens.harvard.edu.