Dear Dale, I am puzzled with the statement of not having internship in the US.

  If only Monica Lewinsky had believed in it!...  or it´s me that is missing something? it´s more likely.

 PP,

 P.S. Not wanna an intern in the White  House, never.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Lewinsky

unpaid summer intern starting in July 1995, working in the office of White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta.[2][5] She moved to a paid position there in December 1995.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern
Student internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit. Internships provide employers with cheap or free labor for (typically) low-level tasks, and also the prospect of interns returning to the company after completing their education and requiring little or no training.
An internship may be either paid, unpaid or partially paid (in the form of a stipend). Paid internships are most common in the medical, architecture science, engineering, law, business (especially accounting and finance), technology and advertising fields. Internships in non-profit organization such as charities and think tanks are often unpaid, volunteer positions. Internships may be part-time or full-time; typically they are part-time during the university year and full-time in the summer, and they typically last 6–12 weeks, but can be shorter or longer. The act of job shadowing may also constitute as interning.
Internship positions are available from businesses, government departments, non-profit groups and organizations. Due to strict labor laws, European internships are mostly unpaid, although they are still popular among non-Europeans in order to gain international exposure on one's résumé and for foreign language improvement.

Some companies will find and place students in internships for a fee; such internships are mostly unpaid.[2] In some cases companies charge to assist with a search, promising to refund their fees if no internship is found.[3] What is included in such paid programs varies by company. Overall, the advantages are that they provide internship placements at reputable companies, provide controlled housing in a new city, mentorship and support throughout the summer, networking, weekend activities in some programs, and sometimes academic credit.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curricular_Practical_Training
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary employment authorization for non-immigrant students in the United States while enrolled in a college-level degree program.
CPT permission is granted through the institution's International Students Office or equivalent upon approval of advisor, pursuant to regulations established by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curricular_Practical_Training"

http://www.internshipprograms.com/Pages/Internships/Search.aspx
Internships can be paid, full time and part time.

http://careercenter.tamu.edu/employers/internship/howintern.cfm?sn=employers
An internship is single semester, one-time, paid or unpaid work term which offers students an experience related to their field of study or career objective. The Students normally work during the Summer semester, but some Internships are offered during the Fall or Spring semesters. Students may or may not obtain credit for the internship. However, in either case, the internship should be a carefully monitored learning experience in which the individual reflects actively on what s/he is learning throughout the experience.

http://careercenter.tamu.edu/guides/tamuemployees/?sn=faculty&
The Career Center manages campus recruiting for Texas A&M University. The Career Center staff coordinates on-campus interviewing, provides career education, and offers experiential education opportunities (i.e. co-op education, internships, and externships) for our students. Through the Career Coordinators and advisors, we provide targeted career services to the colleges, graduate students, and former students.