College of Health Sciences and Professions students don’t have many paid internship opportunities — if any
Although many students in Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions can be seen carrying clipboards and clad in scrubs in various health centers around campus, they are not paid for their work.
The college itself does not require internships, but a few of the programs within require a certain number of volunteer or paid work hours or an internship, Randall Leite, dean of the college, said.
“We do not have many formal internships,” he said. “We do have many programs with extensive clinical requirements. These clinical courses typically are taken for academic credit.”
Health Sciences and Professions students are encouraged to join a professional health organization such as Sigma Theta Tau or the Student Social Work Association, or to volunteer at clinics on campus.
Several programs at the school, such as audiology, social work and athletic training, require many hours spent in a clinical rotation — hours spent working on the job, Jeffrey DiGiovanni, the college’s clinical officer, said. Clinical hours serve in place of an internship.
Emma Fish, a junior studying athletic training, said unpaid internships provide valuable experience one cannot get in the classroom.
“You don’t need money to benefit from the experience,” she said. “As long as you’re not scrubbing toilets and doing things that aren’t helping you towards your future career, then it’s the path you need to take.”
But Brooke Kapple, a junior studying athletic training, said the value of an unpaid internship depends on how well respected the organization or outlet is. Kapple said she is currently working an unpaid internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
“They’re doing me a favor by letting me work with them,” she said.
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