The Department of Medical Student Services, in conjunction with the Washington, D.C., office of the American Medical Association, is pleased to offer assistance to students seeking to increase their involvement and education in national health policy and in the national legislative activities of organized medicine. The Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) provides stipends to assist selected students who are completing summer health policy internships in the Washington, D.C., area.
Medical students report that their credibility as AMA-sponsored interns allows them to pursue issues in depth, and in many cases, become experts on a specific topic. Similarly, internship sponsors welcome the enthusiasm and unique perspective that medical students bring to discussions about issues that require medicine's point of view.
All students selected to participate in GRIP will receive a $2,500 stipend and will benefit from attendance at weekly seminars conducted at the AMA Washington Office. These seminars are designed to increase the continuity of the internship experience, promote camaraderie among medical students working in health policy, and facilitate continuing education on important political issues. A report on your internship experience will be required upon completion of the program. Internships should be arranged for a six- to eight-week period, June through August 2008.
The GRIP application deadline is February 15, 2008. However, late applications (through April 15) will be considered on a rolling basis if space remains.
Eligibility and Internship Requirements
To be eligible for the GRIP program, students must be AMA members who have secured policy internships in the Washington, DC, area during the summer. Eligible internship sites include:
- AMA’s Washington, DC, office (one spot)
- Congressional offices
- Federal agencies
- National specialty societies seated in the AMA House of Delegates
- Public health advocacy groups
- Non-clinical international health policy programs (limited spots)
For additional ideas, see where past GRIP participants have completed their internships (Word, 34KB).
A limited number of pre-arranged internships are also available. Pre-arranged internship sites include:
- AMA’s Washington, DC, office
- National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration*
- American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
*The position at NHTSA may not be available for GRIP 2008. Please check back or contact the MSS for updates.
Please refer to the GRIP application (Word, 56KB) for information on applying for these pre-arranged positions.
In addition, limited funding is available for non-clinical international health policy internships. These funds are available only if all other GRIP spots have not been filled.
Note: Internships with narrowly focused lobbying organizations or with specialty organizations that are not seated in the AMA House of Delegates are strongly discouraged.
The Washington policy experience promises to make future physicians better advocates for their patients and for their profession. See what past program participants have to say about their GRIP experiences.
Application Materials (Word, 56 KB)
Note: Internship placements, with the exception of pre-arranged internships, must be arranged prior to applying.
Submit completed application materials to:
American Medical Association
Department of Medical Student Services
515 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60610
Fax: (312) 464-5845
Deadline: For fullest consideration, application materials must be received by February 15, 2008. Applications received after April 15 will not be considered. If you have any questions, please contact Keith Voogd, MSS Policy Analyst, in the Department of Medical Student Services at (312) 464-4745.
Internship Resources
Learn more about designing your own internship experience.2006 Internship Reports
Read about the experiences of the 2006 GRIP participants.Testimonials
Learn what other GRIP applicants have to say about their experience.Washington, DC Housing and City Information
Washington, DC housing and city info for MSS GRIP internsContent provided by: Medical Student Section