‘Fill in the Gaps’.

This summer, the School of Public Health is piloting a new Practicum Scholar Award to support students embarking on unpaid internships at nonprofits, NGOs, and governmental and public health agencies dedicated to improving the health of domestic and global populations.

Practicum Scholars are awarded up to $2,000 through a competitive selection process. Students are eligible if they are currently enrolled with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Practica must be a minimum of 240 hours, with a preference for longer engagements.

Lisa Metropolis Toby, assistant dean of career engagement, took a break from the selection process to discuss the pilot program.

Why has SPH created an award specifically for unpaid practicums?

Unpaid practicums are just as valuable for providing real-world experiences that enable students to become more marketable and “work ready,” but many students may simply not be able to afford this option, and therefore bypass these excellent career enhancing opportunities. 

We advise students to complete practicums in organizations that will further their career goals. We tell students, “fill in the gaps.” If they have a gap in their experience or in their learning that they need to fill, the practicum is one of the best places to do it. This is particularly strategic for less experienced MPH students, especially those matriculating straight from undergraduate programs, which is a growing trend among schools of public health.

The dilemma to accept paid versus unpaid internships is challenging, and not being able to conduct these strategic practicums due to financial constraints can be detrimental.

What proportion of practicums are unpaid?

According to the SPH Annual Employer & Practicum Supervisor Survey results, 47 percent of employers offered paid practicums in 2016, and 56 percent of employers offered paid practicums in 2017.

From a national standpoint, the National Association of Colleges and Employers class of 2017 survey found that 57 percent of internships conducted by students were paid. Of this figure, 80 percent of paid internships were in the private sector.

While interest in the private sector has increased for SPH students, 75 percent of our MPH graduates secured jobs in either nonprofits—hospitals make up about one-third—or government in 2017.

What is most exciting to you about this pilot program?

SPH is incredibly generous with merit and other awards to help students finance their tuition. As you can imagine, we are thrilled to now also pilot this new Practicum Scholars funding mechanism.

There’s also been an incredible buzz from students, and the applications have poured in. We’ve gotten 65 applications for this pilot round, and now the Practicum Committee members have the challenge of selecting award recipients from a compelling pool of candidates who want to do amazing things.

What kinds of practicums are award applicants proposing?

They’ve all been so compelling: cutting-edge genetics research looking at perinatal outcomes; tackling the opioid crisis by helping to create new policies for hospitals to treat patients; addressing female genital mutilation (FGM) in major cities in the US; working with senior medical officers at the UN to standardize operating procedures; using analytics to develop innovative mental health services and resources for a nonprofit start-up organization; exploring how technology can help caregivers understand options and resources when taking care of older love ones. The list goes on.

I’m very excited that SPH has created this award to support students. Hopefully we’ll get to support even more amazing practicums next year!

—Michelle Samuels