Internships

Internship FAQ Internship Contract  Types of Work/Possible Settings

The internship, a for-credit field placement (CH140) is an integral part of the Department of Community Health. It is designed to offer second semester juniors and seniors a "hands-on", structured work experience in the diverse field of community health where students apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom. Students choose internships related to their specific interests and goals and work at sites in our local communities. Previous sites include hospitals, clinics, public health or government agencies, schools, community-based organizations, consulting or tech firms, or research institutions. Through their internships, students are trained to research, implement and evaluate policy and programmatic solutions to mitigate inequities and promote health equity locally, nationally and globally. The internship projects vary broadly and address a range of topics such as: inequities in health outcomes; access to healthcare, housing, food, jobs or education; environmental health; healthcare administration, mental health, healthcare technology, policies that impact health, or health economics.

Students spend 150 hours working at their sites throughout the semester while receiving regular, weekly supervision from their direct supervisors. The time commitment is equivalent to about 11 hours per week during the fall and spring semester and 14 hours per week during the entire twelve-week summer session. Additionally, interns attend several meetings throughout the semester on the Medford campus which offer group and individual supervision with members of the Department of Community Health and the entire intern cohort.

The internship program is designed to enable both the agency and the student to mutually benefit from the experience. As interns, students are expected to make positive contributions to the agency. In return, placements offer students valuable opportunities to try out new work roles and to interact with diverse professionals in the health fields. Community Health students provide services such as: client advocacy and outreach, health screenings, constituent services, policy analysis, health education, data collection and analysis, research design and implementation, program development, grant writing, planning, evaluation and much more.

The Community Health Internship provides an opportunity in a structured learning environment to set and evaluate personal and professional goals and objectives. In addition, students receive regular on-site supervision (one hour per week) and two performance evaluations from the site supervisor. During the course of the semester, the CH Internship Administrator will be in regular contact with the site supervisor to ensure that both the student and the agency are satisfied with the placement.

In order to search for and select the best fit for the internship experience, students have found that it is very helpful to be in the Boston area during the prior semester to conduct a thorough search, set up multiple in-person interviews, and utilize the resources in the CH Department. In-person visits allow students to assess transportation time and costs, workplace culture, and supervisor's working style in order to make an informed choice and find a good fit for the internship placement. If you know you will not be in the Boston area during the semester prior to your internship, consider switching CH 140 to a different semester.

Students can arrange to meet with Pamela Schoenberg Reider, Internship Administrator, for support and guidance at any time throughout the search, interview, or internship process.

Learn more about internships for international students from the I-Center website.

Internships Outside of CH 140 (the required CH internship) 
Occasionally, students choose to complete additional internships outside of the one required for the CH major. To obtain academic credit for this experience, students may register through the Career Center.

Questions? 
Contact Pamela Schoenberg Reider, Internship Administrator by email or call 617-627-2349.