Now in its fifth year, the Population Data Science Summer Internship was created to provide real-world project experience to students interested in a career or supporting data science. But the programme has also had a positive impact on the host teams.
Dr Hywel Turner Evans is a Research Officer within the SAIL Databank Analytical Services Team. As an early adopter of the Population Data Science Summer Internships, Hywel talks about how involvement in the programme has helped the interns and the team in equal measures.
“Being a part of the Population Data Science Summer Internship has really benefitted our team. We’ve been involved in the internship since it began, and the experience has always been so positive that it has paved the way for us to continue to support this and other programmes, such as with Nuffield research placements and HDR UK black internships.
We were keen to support the programme as we believe that data can be a part of big breakthroughs to improve population health, and our team supports this daily. The interns benefit from mentorship by experienced professionals in the field, which helps in honing their skills and understanding of population data science. Being part of our team also exposes them to the collaborative and dynamic nature of our work environment, preparing them for future careers in the industry.
Each of our intern’s contributions has often exceeded our expectations, leading to completed coding development tasks and published research that may not have been achieved without their input. Their insights and enthusiasm have inspired new ideas for short projects, enhancing our overall productivity by helping us meet our team goals. The relationships built during the internships can lead to longer-term collaborations, further strengthening our whole team through subsequent recruitment and attracting new SAIL projects from other institutions.
Our team has certainly gained from being a part of the Population Data Science Summer Internship programme. The opportunity to manage, mentor and work with bright, diverse and motivated interns allows us to with our commitment to educating and innovating, which upskills our team as well as the data scientists of the future. It has introduced fresh perspectives and ideas to enrich our projects. The experience has been mutually beneficial, providing valuable opportunities for interns to grow, while doing the same for our team. It’s a chance for team members to take on mentorship and line management roles to develop their skills.
We’ve been very fortunate that we have been able to recruit former interns to be members of our team from the Population Data Science Summer Internship, as well as other interns staying in touch and going on to work in other organisations delivering research and health analytics. Our methodological research project on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation from last year produced a manuscript, which is currently under peer-review with an academic journal.
We believe in the mission of the Population Data Science Summer Internship programme, and we are proud to support it each year. We want to be a part of a team to help inspire the next generation of researchers and offer bright minds a stepping stone into this profession.
We encourage other teams and organisations to participate in the internship programme, and for future interns to apply as the programme is an impactful way to advance Population Data Science.”
For further information on the Population Data Science Summer Internship Programme, click here.