Internships
Each participant in the UM Summer Enrichment Program is assigned to an 8-week, pre-professional internship in a health care or public health organization in Southeast Michigan. Students are paired with a preceptor who supervises their activities, helps them develop appropriate skills, and acts as their mentor. Over the course of the internship, students complete a self-directed project that provides value to the institution. Through participation in meetings and work sessions, students are exposed to a variety of people and sub-units both within their assigned organization and in the surrounding community.
The UM SEP has partnered with a variety of health care and public health agencies in Southeast Michigan to provide students with meaningful summer internships. Below is a list of organizations, classified by their function in the health system, at which SEP students have been placed in recent summers.
- Hospitals/Health Systems
- Insurance Companies
- Health Associations
- Community Health Centers
The following descriptions provide examples of the types and variety of projects UM SEP interns complete.
Henry Ford Health System (HFHS)
- Streamlined the prior-authorization process at three HFHS sites
- Worked with the Chief Security Officer to coordinate and present at the Active Shooter Training sessions
- Performed a LEAN analysis of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program
- Collected data through observation and patient interviews
- Generated actual and future state flow charts for the bone marrow candidates' experiences
- Facilitated an all-day workshop with physicians, pharmacists, administrators, lab techs, and nurses
Trinity Health
- Performed a Community Health Needs Assessment
- Analyzed data from interviews to identify areas for improvement
- Contacted leaders of different community health need programs to establish best practices
- Conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the newly implemented concierge service
- Created and instituted an employee wellness/fitness program that culminated with a 5k run
- Interviewed executives to gain a well rounded understanding of the healthcare system
Community Health and Social Services Center (CHASS)
- Administered client satisfaction surveys in English and Spanish and provided recommendations for improvement
- Improved the La Vida Program, a support group for victims of intimate partner abuse, through enhancing the program's structure and evaluation process
- Educated staff about Relative Value Units (RVU) and the triple aim through a formal presentation
- Attended board meetings, shadowed physicians, and interacted with patient
Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT)
- Determined the rates of mammogram use after the New Preventative Service Task Force initiatives
- Analyzed procedural cost variation across Michigan
- Reviewed risk stratification tools regarding re-admissions