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.

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