Patient Advocacy Internships at Ben’s Friends

Ben’s Friends provides a limited number of volunteer internship positions for those who are considering applying to medical school or similar professional training. 

Please click and watch a short video about Ben’s Friends from this link and have a look at our website.

Meet some of our interns from this page.

Internship Basic Info:

  • We prefer university students with at least one successful academic year completed. Grads are welcome too, of course!
  • Internships are continuous entry, and can be started at any time during the year.
  • Most of our interns start off by acting as a greeter on one of our communities
  • Experienced greeters may be invited to act as intern moderators 
  • Interns should have strong written communication skills
  • All work is online, and can be done at your convenience, but is expected to be regular: 10-15 hours per month, minimum, but very flexible.

Functions:

  • Greet new members to our communities (you will work on two or three communities)
  • Monitor community discussion and interaction, and discuss with moderators and/or administrators as necessary
  • Help members navigate and use the community site
  • Leverage other social media to boost visibility of Ben’s friends
  • (Interns with a year’s successful experience) Act as mentors for new interns, and as intern-moderators, facilitating discussion, admitting new members, and resolving conflicts.

Benefits To You:

  • Strengthening communication skills (your writing is your voice)
  • Learning to approach strangers with warmth, empathy and confidence
  • Broadening of medical knowledge 
  • Understanding the patient’s everyday burden and personal struggles
  • Opportunity to coach and teach online skills to novice, and sometimes reluctant, users of computer technology
  • Flexibility: your Ben’s Friends volunteer work can fit in around your work, school or family commitments
  • Visible easily-accessed online samples of your progress and your volunteer work for your portfolio
  • Good karma: after all, you’re working to help rare disease patients in need.

Interested?  Please click and fill-up the Patient Advocacy Internship Form

Email internship@bensfriends.org if you have any questions.