There are many good reasons to consider developing an internship program. Below are some of the reasons why organizations currently work with us to host interns:

• Provide a pivotal educational opportunity to students in their community.

For most of our students, their required internship is their first opportunity to work in their future profession. A high percentage of our student population are the first in their family to attend college. This means they may not have had the same opportunities other students have to observe role models working in a professional setting. Post-graduation, many of our students note their internships as being one of the most vital aspects of their educational experience.

• Create a diverse talent pipeline set on working locally.

In addition to being a great educational opportunity for a student, an internship can function as an applied interview and can give you the chance to test the fit of an individual with your organization. As most students will complete their internship in the final semester of their senior year, the internship can easily transition to full-time employment, though this is not an expectation.

Furthermore, if your organization is interested in investing in local talent the Health Services Management program can be a great fit. Over the last five years, 90-100% of our graduates have chosen to stay and work in Indiana. Additionally, our student population is far more diverse than similar programs in the area and more diverse than the general IU Ft. Wayne student population.

• Interns can bring a fresh perspective to your organization and provide current employees with supervision and professional development growth.

Many organizations see hosting interns as beneficial to their own employees. Not only do interns provide fresh perspectives but providing staff members opportunities to supervise and mentor interns can be a wonderful investment in the professional development of your staff.

Does your organization have a wish list of projects that you would like to accomplish but not had the time or manpower? Does a specific department or project need additional support? Hosting an intern might be a solution as it supports the needs of the organization while also providing valuable professional experience to a student.

Think about tasks and projects that can be accomplished with some level of independence following initial training. If nothing specific comes to mind, consider a rotating internship program in which the intern would be able to spend a week or more in several departments assisting with projects and sitting in on meetings. (We would just ask that a single supervisor be identified as the primary point of contact for the intern.)

Most internships take place over one semester. Interns are expected to work a minimum of 120 hours during their internship. However, many internship sites wish for students to commit to more hours per week to make the experience more meaningful for both parties. At a minimum, an intern would need to work at least 8 hours per week during a fall or spring semester or 11 hours per week during the summer term.

Fall semester: Late-August through mid-December

Spring semester: Mid-January through early-May

Summer semester: Mid-May through

*Suggested start and end dates will be provided for each specific semester.

Most students graduate in fall (December) and spring (May), which means internships over the spring and fall semesters will have more candidates to choose from and the ability to hire graduating seniors.

If your organization is unsure how to structure an internship, we would be happy to assist in that development process. Generally, the following elements are included in an internship description:

• Intern Title

Examples: Administrative Intern; HR Intern; Quality Improvement Intern; Marketing Intern

• Department/Unit (if specific)

Examples: Human Resources; Revenue Cycle; Marketing; Facilities

• Internship Format

Options: In-Person, Hybrid, 100% Remote/Virtual

• Paid or Unpaid

If paid, provide the hourly rate or stipend rate

• Learning Objectives – What will an intern learn in this internship?

Example: Intern(s) will develop professional communication skills through the development of project deliverables and interactions with a variety of healthcare professionals.

• Time Commitment

Examples: One day per week (Fridays from 8am-5pm); 20 hours per week

• Description of Internship

Provide an overview of what you will expect the intern to work on while in the internship. Example:Provides project support directly or through appropriate delegation project support to the Vice President, Clinical and Revenue Cycle Services. Conducts quantitative analysis to identify themes in large data sets. Researches and offers feedback on improvement efforts and customer satisfaction. Provides general project support for all members of the leadership staff as needed. Interacts with various health center employees and has indirect contact with patients.

• Required Skills (if specific)

Example: Ideal interns will have experience working with data sets and feel confident in Microsoft Excel.

Interns can be paid or unpaid. As in all hiring, there is competition for good interns. Typically, internships that offer some form of payment (e.g., hourly pay or stipend) attract the strongest candidates. Additionally, if developing a diverse employee pipeline is a priority for your organization, it is important to remember that many students from diverse backgrounds are financially unable to accept unpaid internship opportunities. The current average hourly rate for an intern in our program is $13-15 per hour.

If your organization is leaning toward establishing an unpaid internship, do take a few minutes to review the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA Fact Sheet #71) to ensure your internship would meet the “test for unpaid interns.”

• Onboard your intern(s), clearly identifying expectations and organization policies
• Provide your intern(s) with a space from which they can work during their time with you (if format is hybrid or in-person)
• Provide guidance and supervision throughout the internship experience
• Prepare tasks or projects for the intern(s) to complete during their internship(s), and provide feedback on their efforts
• Expand your intern’s professional network by introducing them to colleagues
• Meet regularly (on a schedule of your choosing) with your intern(s) to provide feedback
• Notify the university contact if any problems arise
• Provide some electronic feedback on your intern’s performance at the mid-point of the internship
• Complete an electronic evaluation of your intern’s performance at the end of the internship in which you will verify they have completed a minimum number of hours in the internship
• Meet with the intern(s) in an exit interview to provide feedback to them on areas of strength and areas for future growth

The Health Services Management program works to assist in the recruitment process. To recruit an intern, begin by submitting your internship description to bshsm@iu.edu. We will work with you to ensure your opportunity is shared with eligible students. We will share resume books of potential candidates with you and allow you to coordinate internship interviews with the candidates of interest to you.

Please reach out. We would be happy to answer any specific questions or to work with you on the development of an internship program at your organization. Please contact the Health Services Management program at bshsm@iu.edu.