The Health Policy and Management Program’s required field experience course provides senior level students with an on-site experience within an organization or agency in the health sector. Placements in the field are arranged with and supervised by a member of the HPM faculty. On site supervision is provided by a preceptor within the host organization. During the course of their field placement, students will have many opportunities to learn from practitioners and to practice their professional skills in real world settings. In the field, students will be expected to apply concepts and skills from their previous coursework to practical problems in their organization. The field experience offers students a unique opportunity to "test drive" a career. A successful internship will provide students with letters of reference, networking opportunities, and first hand experience in the "real world" prior to graduation.
Students obtain a field placement through a process of mutual selection (see current placement opportunities on the college’s Angel web site). Students prepare a resume and a cover letter that summarizes their qualifications, skills, and interests and contact organizations; the program has an ongoing relationship with more than 30 placement sites in the greater Providence area. Students may choose internships in a number of public and private sector settings, including health policy, hospital administration, long term care, managed care, and public health. Once students have selected a site, they must develop a learning agreement that specifies the objectives, activities, supervision, and daily responsibilities for the internship. This form is required by the College and must be signed in order for you to receive credit in the course. All students must complete 120 hours of work at your field experience site to earn credit for HPM 460.
On several occasions during the semester, all of the students enrolled in the field experience will gather as a group to compare notes on their placements. During these sessions, students will report on the organizational practices, culture, and problems they encounter in their placements. Each session will have a topical theme and one or more assigned readings. The assigned readings will form the basis for our discussion; students will be expected to link each week's topic to their own experiences in the field.
Students write several short analytical papers during the semester that build upon the topical seminar meetings; papers link the theories with the daily life of the placement organization, using examples from your work environment to illustrate (or contradict) arguments made by assigned readings. Students must also keep a journal during their field experience.