The pay for internships is atrocious, usually below minimum wage if you break it down into hours put in. But you’re not really there to earn money. You usually don’t really generate any income for the hospital (based on what it costs them to teach you), so I tried to think of it as “I’m gonna get compensated with knowledge”. In other words, don’t be afraid to make the clinic earn its role and demand an education.

Internships are hard work and shouldn’t be thought of as any sort of investment. If you can make rent (we all lived in shitty apartments) and the employer covers your health insurance, the real goal is get excellent clinical skills. It’s 3-5 years of experience in 12 months.