Lefteroff Program with Alumni - Fogarty Innovation

Applications for 2026 are closed.

Background

The Lefteroff Internship was formed in 2013 in memory of the late Tracy Lefteroff, a former Fogarty Innovation board member and global managing partner at PwC. Tracy was an influential leader in venture capital-funded life sciences companies and was widely regarded for his perspectives on the industry. His commitment to mentoring and educating the next generation of students, entrepreneurs and innovators in the life sciences is carried on through this program.

Fogarty Innovation believes in education that lasts a lifetime. That’s why we have designed the Lefteroff summer internship program for college students. We want to pique their interest in the healthcare industry and provide valuable on-the-job experience as they start to explore career options.

Each summer we host U.S. and international students and introduce them to the extraordinary world of medical technology and healthcare. Our hands-on program gives students the opportunity to shadow and work on projects with our startups and medical technology partners, learn from the best in the industry through our mentorship program, and get to know industry experts who can offer guidance on potential career paths and options.

The knowledge and experience gained from interacting with inventors, physicians, engineers, business strategy and marketing experts, clinical and regulatory consultants, fundraising and operations experts, lawyers, investors, and other professionals, gives interns a deep understanding of the health technology industry and helps them build a network of contacts who can help shape their future career decisions.

Download the 2026 Lefteroff Internship Flyer

Program Goals

The goal of the Lefteroff Internship is to provide college students with real-world, hands-on experience and mentoring that will inspire them to join the extraordinary world of medical innovation. Set in a creative and collaborative environment, interns learn, work and network with our entrepreneurs, staff, outside industry experts and physicians. Through this experience, the interns gain a broader view of the medtech landscape and careers available in the healthcare industry.

Program Objectives

The program is designed to strengthen the medical device ecosystem by inspiring and educating the next generation of innovators. Lefteroff interns gain real-world experience in developing new medical devices, while also participating in a structured curriculum of activities designed to provide a broad view of the many career choices within the medical innovation ecosystem. In turn, Fogarty companies-in-development benefit by getting to work with talented students on specified projects throughout the summer.

Program Overview

The Lefteroff Internship is an intensive eight-week program comprised of four main components:

Immersion with Fogarty Innovation startups

Lefteroff interns are paired with a host company-in-development, where they become part of the team and work on specific projects that leverage and hone their skillsets via real-world experience.

Management of Health Systems

New to the program in 2026, Fogarty Innovation is teaming up with our long-time partner, El Camino Health (ECH), to create a track within the summer internship focused on hospital administration and management. Students who are interested will learn about the medtech ecosystem from the provider viewpoint and will work on projects with ECH management in areas such as marketing, operations, and data analysis. Interns on this track will still integrate with their classmates for all the additional learning opportunities outlined below. This track is well-suited for non-engineering and engineering majors alike and applicants will be asked to indicate their specific interest in pursuing it on the application form.

Exposure to medical professionals and clinical medicine

FI coordinates meetings with physicians with different specialties as well as shadowing and/or clinical observation days at El Camino Health’s Mountain View hospital. This helps students understand what it’s like to be a physician and how they contribute to the medical device ecosystem.

Interaction with the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem

FI coordinates meetings with a broad range of industry leaders to expand the interns’ understanding of how innovators obtain funding and how companies evolve from early-stage into mature businesses. Examples include meetings with Stanford Biodesign, other incubators, FI senior staff, venture capitalists or later-stage companies, such as Abbott Labs, Medtronic and J&J.

Education Programs

Lefteroff interns participate in a core curriculum that provides a broader understanding of what it takes to develop medical devices and showcases potential career opportunities. They are also invited to join more advanced educational programs designed for our companies-in-development. The core curriculum typically includes the following:

Business 101
The Health Technology Ecosystem 101
Startups 101
Health Systems 101
Commercialization 101
Product Development / Quality Systems 101
Intellectual Property 101
Clinical Evidence Development 101
Regulatory Affairs 101
Reimbursement 101
Business Communications 101
Driving Towards a Career

Summer 2026 – Program Timeline

Important dates:

Applications open: November 20, 2025
Applications close: January 23, 2026
Finalist interviews and acceptance notifications: Early March 2026
Lefteroff Internship begins: June 24, 2026
Internship ends: August 19, 2026

Participation Criteria:

Applicants should be interested in exploring medical and digital health technologies and healthcare systems (this program does not cover biotechnology).
The Lefteroff Internship is best suited for rising college juniors and up, to recent college and grad school graduates.
This is an eight-week PAID program – interns must be available for the full eight weeks, and not plan to take vacation (other than on weekends) during that timeframe. Some exceptions may be made due to academic calendar requirements.
International students must have proof of a work permit.
To be considered, all the following materials must be submitted on or before January 23: your completed application, resume, two letters of recommendation, a photo of yourself (headshot), and a one-minute video that describes your interests, career goals, and reasons for applying for the Lefteroff Internship.

Questions? Email us at Lefteroff@fogartyinnovation.org

Applications for 2027 will open November 2026.

What our alums say

Analiese Bancroft, 2025

Stanford University; Materials Science & Engineering

“Inspired My Career”

“I felt so connected to the mission after doing clinical work and seeing how these physicians’ careers have been so interdisciplinary. I will be pursuing pre-med and hope to be a physician innovator one day.”

For her hands-on project, Analiese worked with Materna Medical, which empowers women to protect and restore pelvic health at every stage of life. Specifically, she worked on Ellora™, an investigational device intended to reduce pelvic floor muscle injury during vaginal delivery, helping to design a rechargeable version for teaching and demonstration.

Connor Lo, 2025

Cal Poly; Mechanical Engineering

“Developing Diverse Skills”

“In addition to being motivated by how meaningful our project was, I learned that technical expertise alone isn’t enough for engineers—soft skills are just as important, especially in small team settings where collaboration makes all the difference”

Connor joined Novocuff, a maternal health company focused on improving outcomes for mothers impacted by preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), where he helped create training kits for the physicians. He was able to take on a variety of roles, which underscored the importance of developing diverse skills.

Fedra Androulidaki, 2025

Carnegie Mellon University; Materials Science & Engineering, Biomedical Engineering

“Culture Shapes Innovation”

“The professionals we worked with emphasized the importance of a company’s culture, and how critical it is to work with people who have the same goals. This summer was transformative: I became more certain about my plan to continue pursuing healthcare/medtech while learning about the technical side, IP and marketing, and the hospital environment.”

During Fedra’s time at Fogarty, she worked with Elevanse—a startup founded by a team of Stanford Biodesign innovation fellows that is reimagining women’s health. Their first product is Vanta, which aims to provide support for pelvic organ health. Fedra’s project entailed researching pelvic floor anatomy and investigating medical balloon materials to help address prolapse.

Ashvin Irrinki, 2021

USC Keck School of Medicine (current)

“Continued Support and Mentorship”

“Thank you for coordinating shadowing opportunities, giving me advice on how to structure my college pre-med experience, writing a letter of recommendation for me, and showing me what a physician innovator can accomplish!”

Ashvin worked with Eclipse Regenesis, a company developing the first device-based restorative therapy for Short Bowel Syndrome. Ashvin designed a benchtop model for a pediatric GI tract and researched biodegradable materials and implantable chips.