Navigating the World of Healthcare Analyst Internships: A Comprehensive Guide
For students pursuing a career in healthcare, internships provide invaluable experience and a crucial stepping stone into the industry. This article delves into the requirements, opportunities, and benefits of healthcare analyst internships, drawing upon real-world experiences and expert insights.
The Importance of Healthcare Internships
Internships play a pivotal role in shaping a student's career trajectory. For Jindal School of Management (JSOM) students, internships are not just beneficial but mandatory for graduation. A healthcare internship allows students to gain practical work experience and evaluate different areas within the healthcare sector to determine their best fit. These internships are essential for building a strong resume and expanding professional networks.
Finding the Right Internship
The healthcare industry offers a vast array of opportunities. When searching for internships on platforms like Handshake, using the keyword "healthcare" is a great starting point. Filters can help narrow down the search to clinical or non-clinical roles, such as "non-clinical healthcare management," "business," or "healthcare administration." Healthcare administration roles can include marketing within healthcare, administration in a doctor's office, or diagnostics labs.
Special Projects
In some cases, a current job can be considered an internship through a "special project." Students interested in this option should consult the CMC page on Special Project Requirements for detailed information and contact the relevant advisors to work out the specifics.
Internship Approval Process
Once an internship offer is received, it must be approved on Orion, JSOM’s platform. The JSOM Internships page provides instructional videos. The "Reporting & Timelines" section of the JSOM Internship page outlines the necessary documents for approval.
Read also: Explore GE HealthCare Internships
Diverse Internship Experiences
The experiences of students who have completed healthcare internships highlight the diverse opportunities available:
Clinical Settings
Foundation Pain and Spine (FPS): One student worked as a medical assistant, gaining experience in patient care and medical procedures. Responsibilities included collecting patient vitals, scheduling appointments, sterilizing instruments, and completing insurance claims.
Clinical Pathology Laboratory: Another student joined as a laboratory assistant, contributing to the vital work of diagnostic analysis.
Cubic Care Family Medicine: A student worked alongside a physician on a quality improvement project, utilizing the "Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle" to improve blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.
Administrative and Operational Roles
Heart to Heart Hospice: An administration intern learned about building patient relationships, time management, and the inner workings of a hospice, receiving valuable mentorship and guidance.
Read also: Guide to Healthcare Consultant Internships
ADD/ADHD Treatment & Diagnostic Center: A student gained experience in the front office, acquiring useful skills and important lessons.
Intracare: A Population Health Quality Reporting Intern worked alongside their mentor and manager on quality reporting initiatives.
Auro Pharmacy: A marketing/operations intern contributed to a service provider delivering high-quality pharmaceutical services and products, focusing on medication therapy treatment and health screenings.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas: A Volunteer Services/Hospitality intern gained insights into hospital operations and volunteer management, dealing with seasonal compliance and safety protocols, serving as the point-of-contact for all volunteers, and facilitating events and onboarding processes.
Scottish Rite: An Administration Intern worked on projects across multiple departments, including financial reporting, volunteer training, and research assignments, gaining experience in both administrative and clinical operations.
Read also: Guide to UCF Healthcare Programs
Research and Analysis
UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) and Texas Health Resources (THR): Students can get involved with Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), a clinically integrated network. SWHR involves over 7,000 providers caring for over 790,000 patients across North Texas.
Outpatient Care Reimbursement Project: A student collaborated on a project to determine which outpatient care hospital system in Texas has the best reimbursement rates, contributing to data analysis across 500 Texas hospitals.
Shadowing Experiences
- Shadowing the CEO of an acute care hospital provided invaluable insight into the administrative perspective of hospital management, with opportunities to learn about various departments from a clinical standpoint.
Key Skills and Lessons Learned
Healthcare internships provide opportunities to develop essential skills and learn valuable lessons:
Healthcare Operations: Interns gain an understanding of the intricacies of healthcare operations.
Organizational Skills: Internships help hone organizational skills necessary for managing administrative tasks.
Patient Care: Direct involvement or observation fosters insights into effective patient care strategies.
Communication: Clear communication is emphasized as crucial for managing diverse challenges.
Adaptability: The dynamic healthcare landscape requires adaptability, which interns develop through hands-on experience.
Time Management: Balancing administrative duties and prioritizing tasks are critical skills learned during internships.
Cardinal Health Internship Program
Cardinal Health offers a 10 to 12-week summer internship program that provides hands-on experience and meaningful contributions to business-essential projects. Interns interact with professionals, business partners, customers, and vendors, enhancing their knowledge of Cardinal Health and the healthcare industry while developing essential leadership skills. The program includes opportunities to contribute to the bottom line through challenging projects and participate in employee resource groups, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. Cardinal Health internships are available for students pursuing degrees in business, engineering, technology, and more. The Sophomore Leadership Program offers professional development and behind-the-scenes access to a leading healthcare company.
Global Opportunities with the World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers internships for students and recent graduates in public health, medical, social, management, administrative, communications, or external relations-related fields. WHO is committed to building a diverse pool of future leaders in public health. Interns at WHO gain insights into how stakeholders interact within the international health arena.
WHO Internship Requirements
Applicants must be students (graduate or postgraduate) or recent graduates (within six months of completing their formal qualification) in a relevant field. Interns are responsible for their own financial arrangements, including travel and accommodation. As of January 2020, WHO provides a living allowance to eligible interns who need financial support. All interns must complete a legal Declaration of Interests form.
Important Considerations
WHO interns do not have the status of WHO staff members and cannot represent the organization in any official capacity. They are also ineligible for appointment to any non-staff position within WHO for three months following the end of their internship. Any employment with WHO requires a competitive recruitment and selection process. Internships at WHO are highly competitive, and only successful candidates will be contacted.
Johnson & Johnson Internship Program
Johnson & Johnson seeks motivated candidates ready to make an immediate impact on the world and bring innovative ideas to life. Interns are given significant responsibility and their input is valued by senior leaders. Johnson & Johnson is committed to creating a world without disease.
How to Connect
Johnson & Johnson meets and keeps in touch with students, new grads, and early-in-career professionals through various channels. Recruiters often look for potential candidates through these connections. Sharing career experience and goals and connecting with recruiters can increase the chances of landing an internship.
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