How to get a lab based internship?

I'm a second year student and have been looking at getting a biomed/biology based internship. I applied for one last year which I didn't get and another one this year which turned out to just be for postgrads. Last year I also sent out a bunch of emails to professors in various unis asking if they were able to take on a student for the summer but most didn't reply and the ones who did said they didn't, which was to be expected I guess. I've looked at loads of websites but it seems like the "proper" internships I can find are very competitive (I averaged a 2:1 and not a first) and also there aren't many out there at all, but I'll still try my best to apply. I'm not looking to get paid or anything either.

tl;dr: I can't seem to get an internship despite trying everything, so can someone please tell me how they managed to get one or maybe something else I can try? I really want some research experience and to make use of my summer. I might try asking professors at my uni if they can take me on even though ideally I'd prefer to try something different, but even that seems unlikely at this point. If you've got any advice I'd appreciate it x

Well, I can't see anything you're specifically doing wrong here... It's really about keeping your ear to the ground and searching for opportunities and seizing them when they arise, but you knew that already. The 2(i) is, in all honesty, possibly not helping you - was it a high 2(i), i.e. >68?

All I can advise is that you keep trying, unhelpful as that is. Do you go to research seminars at your institution? Are you a known 'face' in your department, and for the right reasons!

Best thing to do is to do one with your university over the summer! That should set you up to get better one's once you're in third year.

I would have recommended year ones such as J&J for example but you seem to want summer ones only.

I'm a second year student and have been looking at getting a biomed/biology based internship. I applied for one last year which I didn't get and another one this year which turned out to just be for postgrads. Last year I also sent out a bunch of emails to professors in various unis asking if they were able to take on a student for the summer but most didn't reply and the ones who did said they didn't, which was to be expected I guess.

What you did last year is probably the best thing to do, to be honest (although I'd ask at your own university first). You may have more luck this year now that you're in second year. Also keep a look out for research internship schemes because some organisations (I know this isn't relevant to your area, but the Met Office is an example) have funds available specifically for things like this.

I've got a bunch of bookmarked websites from various science societies that fund internship schemes but I was hesitant on going for one. You usually need to have arranged a project beforehand and it all seems like a huge faff, and I believe the funds are a sort of grant/stipend just for me and not for the uni to be able to use. You're right, I'll ask around in my uni and if someone doesn't mind taking me on, I'll try to design a project and go for one of those funds. That sounds somewhat promising but at this point I'm desperate enough to pay them to take me on hahaha, thanks for the reply!

That does sound like a faff, I mean there definitely are schemes where you apply for a specific project that's already been designed (because that's what I did) but I don't know how many of them there are in your field.

Right? Huge faff and I've already got a billion deadlines lol. May I ask about your experience? Did you apply for non-stem internships and if not what field? I'm just looking for anything vaguely biology based in terms of physio/biochem/neuro