ERIC Number: ED470496
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 5
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Internship as a Capstone Experience: The Bridge from Academia to Practice.
Don Gibala; Wendy Stuhldreher
Link, v15 n2 Sum 2001
The internship program for undergraduate-level community health students at Slippery Rock University in Butler, Pennsylvania, is designed as a capstone experience bridging the gap from academia to practice. Students in the internship program spend 12 weeks during the summer of their senior year working in any health organization of their choice, provided their experience culminates in a major project that demonstrates entry-level professional skills such as planning health promotion education programs, program evaluation, and data management and reporting. The internship experience gives students the opportunity to apply the theory they have learned in classes and develop competencies through a work-related experience. During the internship experience, students submit weekly detailed work logs. The internship site supervisor evaluates their performance in the following areas: ability to develop effective relationships with staff; acceptance of supervision and constructive criticism; effective communication with clients and peers; and capacity to relate learning to new experiences. Students also complete a major project and write a project report based on a strict format. The internship experience has received high ratings from students and their worksite mentors and has given students hands-on experience and promoted their professional growth and job readiness. Several program graduates have found employment at their internship site. (MN)
Descriptors: Allied Health Occupations Education, Capstone Experiences, Communication Skills, Community Health Services, Competence, Data Collection, Education Work Relationship, Educational Objectives, Employment, Entry Workers, Ethics, Evaluation Methods, Health Promotion, Higher Education, Individual Development, Information Management, Internship Programs, Job Skills, Outcomes of Education, Performance Based Assessment, Professional Development, Program Content, Program Development, Program Effectiveness, Student Evaluation, Student Experience, Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Study, Work Experience
For full text: http://www.phf.org/Link/vol15n2/internship.pdf.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A