The Karen M. Gil Internship Program offers undergraduate Psychology and Neuroscience majors an opportunity to deepen their understanding of psychology and develop professional skills. The Gil Internship Program places students at a worksite in the Chapel Hill area, offers a monthly stipend, and a 3 hour course credit towards the Psychology major. The program is funded by a generous gift from anonymous donors. This prestigious, highly-competitive program accepts 10-12 applicants per semester based on qualifications and achievement.
Gil interns have the opportunity to deepen their psychology and general professional knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as to make connections and develop relationships with community leaders. Gil interns find the program to be a rewarding experience that enriches their resume, allows them to earn course credit as a Psychology elective, and pays monthly!
Dr. Jennie Byrne, and Cognitive Psychiatry of Chapel Hill, has hosted Gil interns consistently since the program’s founding. During the Fall 2017 semester, Mary Triplett, a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Medical Anthropology, was matched with Cognitive Psychiatry of Chapel Hill. Her interest in clinical psychiatry, and desire to pursue a career in a private practice made her a perfect candidate to intern under Dr. Jennie Byrne. Over the course of the semester, Mary was able to shadow psychiatrists, as well as learn about the business aspects of running a practice. Regarding her time spent at Cognitive Psychiatry, Mary wrote “My internship time has not only bolstered my clinical and professional skill set development, but has also informed my career path. I am truly grateful for the Gil Internship program which has allowed me to experience the day-to-day operations of clinical psychology practice.” A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to keep this program running, and feedback like this from the students makes everything worth it!
I am excited to continue the partnership between the Karen M. Gil Internship and Cognitive Psychiatry of Chapel Hill. We are truly grateful to the work Dr. Jennie Byrne has done to help our students. If you are interested in learning more about our program, check out our blog, Confessions of a Giller.