The Internship course is designed to provide students with practical work experience in PHIT competencies and domains with a focus on the application of management theories in an actual work setting. Students are to analyze specific healthcare case studies, situations, issues, and research to demonstrate an elevated degree of critical thinking and analysis for effective problem solving, solutions, and decision-making.
The PHIT Program Director/Instructor, the Internship site manager, and the student will collaboratively create a research project that is a “real-world” assignment of interest to the student and beneficial to the Site by fulfilling and supporting site-specific health information management needs and current industry challenges.
Upon project approval, the student will create a work plan in which the student will break down the project development and writing phase of the research project into appropriate steps with associated timelines. The work plan will include the identification of resources needed at the various stages within the plan.
A minimum of 54 hours has been allotted for research and data gathering at the Internship site via face-to-face communication, telecommuting, or virtual work modes. The research at the Site will be used to build the student’s final written capstone project in the last semester of the Public Health Informatics and Technology Certificate of Achievement program, should the student choose that path.
Throughout the internship, the student will keep a log of his or her activities and hours. At the end of the internship, the student will present their research project to the internship site manager and staff.
At the end of the course, the site manager will be asked to complete a student evaluation form. The student is taking this experience as an academic course requirement and for a grade.