About SUMR
The SUMR program is an initiative by the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) and the Health Care Management Department of the Wharton School to provide underrepresented minority undergraduate students, or interested others, an opportunity to explore the exciting field of health services research. SUMR, a 12-week summer internship, introduces promising undergraduates to health services research. The program aims to increase minority representation in graduate schools in the fields of health economics, health care management, health policy, population health, and clinical epidemiology.
This program is supported by the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI), the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), Wharton’s Deputy Dean’s office, the Provost’s Diversity Fund, the Public Policy Initiative (PPI), Office of Inclusion and Diversity, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, The Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE), The Masters of Science in Health Policy Research Program (MSHP) and the mentors’ research grants.
Who Is Eligible?
Program participants should have an interest in health care and strong quantitative skills. Candidates from minority groups that are underrepresented in the field of health services research (African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander) and first generation college students are particularly encouraged to apply. Prospective participants do not have to make a commitment in advance to attend graduate school to be accepted into the program, but an academic or research career should be something they are considering. A committee of Penn faculty selects each year’s SUMR scholars from the highly competitive applicant pool.
What Do SUMR Scholars Do?
Work with Penn faculty mentor(s) full time on health services research project(s) of the student’s choice
Gain practical advice about graduate school opportunities and assistance with the graduate school application process, including a GRE prep program
Attend weekly lunch meetings with program staff and Penn faculty to discuss their projects and learn more about the broad range of health services research at Penn
Present a final presentation on mentored health services research project(s) at the End of SUMR Research Symposium
Attend health services research conference in Boston as a group, all expenses paid
Take part in various extracurricular activities/social functions sponsored by the SUMR program
Time Commitment and Compensation
SUMR scholars earn $15/hour during the summer months for a time commitment of 40 hours per week. Students work with their mentors to devise a schedule that can be flexible to work around other employment.
SUMR Application Timeline:
Application Deadline: February 1
Applicant Interviews: March
Admission Notifications: April
Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/202594249717968
TO APPLY TO THE SUMR PROGRAM, PLEASE FOLLOW THE EXTERNAL APPLICATION LINK ON HANDSHAKE OR CLICK HERE.
Additional Required Materials
In addition to the online application form, we also require two letters of recommendation. For your application to be considered complete, they must be emailed to Joanne Levy by February 1:
Two letters of recommendation
The letters should address something important about the applicant, including a description of academic and personal characteristics, especially related research aptitude.
The letter should be sent directly from the recommender via email as a .pdf attachment.
Please Note: An application will not be considered complete until all required components are received.
Application Review Process
Only complete applications will be reviewed. The top 20% of the applicant pool will be selected for interviews. Applicants not chosen for interviews will be notified. Applicants chosen for interviews will be contacted to schedule a phone or in person interview. A final admission notice will be sent to interviewed applicants within two weeks of the interview.
Check us out and get more information here: https://ldi.upenn.edu/sumr
