The University of Texas Southwestern Department of Psychiatry annually hosts a 2-week virtual summer internship for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and rising college first-years that shows the range of careers available in mental health. Interactive sessions are led by a variety of mental health clinician-scientists, such as licensed clinical social workers, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and psychiatrists. Before sessions, participants complete topical readings from prepared packets with sources ranging from mass media to scientific journal articles. Leaders demonstrate their daily work and answer participant questions, including such practical, personal queries as, What does it mean to be a social worker? How did you pay for medical school? How did you get on your career path?

Participants learn about the wide breadth of work available in mental health, including psychotherapy, neuropsychological testing, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community psychiatry. Mentoring relationships formed during the internship endure beyond the experience.

Applications open in late September and are due in early February. Students are selected in March, and sessions occur in June. Materials needed to apply:

• Attestation of no felonies
• Recommendation from one's guidance counselor or homeschool administrator
• Personal essay describing motivations for participating in the internship

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