CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
Course Syllabus: HCA 480/580
Internship in Health Care Administration
Spring 2008
Instructor: Janice Frates, Ph.D. Class Number: 9757 (480); 9758 (580)
Office: ETEC 101 Time & Location:M 4-5:30[1], January 28 – May 12, HHS1-201
E-mail: HCA Program: 562/985-5694; fax 985-5886
Phone: 562-985-5394 HCA Administrative Coordinator: Deby McGill;
Office Hours: T and W 3-5 and 6-7 p.m. and by appointment.
Home office: 949-515-0181 (8 am – 10 pm 7 days a week); fax 949-515-0191 any time.
Course Prerequisites: HCA Major; For HCA 480: HCA 341, 353, 402, 410, 416, 465 and HSC 150. For HCA 580: HCA 502, 505, 510, 515, 524, 530, 535, 550; instructor consent.
Additional requirements: You must have an E-mail address and Internet access to BeachBoard to participate in this course.
Course Description: A minimum of 120 hours of structured work experience in a health care organization, under the direct supervision of a preceptor-employee. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units in different semesters. Letter grade only (A-F).
You may arrange your own internship experience or the instructor will help you find a site; a site list is posted on BeachBoard. You will also receive coaching in resume and cover letter preparation, interviewing skills and professional portfolio development.
Course Objectives
1. Provide on-the-job training and exposure to health care management activities
2. Assist the organization to accomplish a defined task or project
3. Produce a report or other material demonstrating the student’s research, analytical and writing abilities.
4. Promote the student’s personal and career development through interaction with the preceptor and members of the organization.
Course Requirements and Procedures
1. Submit assignments through the Assignments section of BeachBoard as either Word, RTF or PDF documents. Please include your last name, the assignment name, and the date in the file name, e.g., “Jones_Resume_1-28-08.” You may also submit hard copies to the HCA Program Office.
2. Submit the student information sheet, with your E-mail address and, if applicable, your preceptor contact information, at or before the first class meeting.
3. Attend a workshop or seek individual assistance (in person or online) from the CSULB Career Development Center (Brotman Hall 250); http://www.careers.csulb.edu/. The Center offers workshops and individual assistance preparing your resume, cover letter(s), interviewing and other helpful topics. Have workshop instructor sign form or send a thank you email to the career counselor who assisted you and cc the instructor.
4. If you don’t have an internship site, review the list of internship sites (periodically updated as new sites are developed); select first and second choices.
5. Submit a resume and two cover letters for your first and second choice of internships by February 11. (If you have arranged your own internship site, no cover letter is necessary; provide preceptor contact information).
6. Schedule a telephone/in-person appointment with the instructor to review your resume and cover letters and discuss potential placement sites by February 11. Instructor will contact placement sites to confirm their willingness to take an intern.
7. Send your resume to the site preceptor(s) with cover letter. Please do not contact the intern preceptor before instructor confirms that s/he can take an intern this term.
8. Notify instructor by E-mail when you have made arrangements to start your internship; include complete preceptor contact information (business card is fine) and your scheduled work hours.
9. Give your preceptor a copy of the statement of objectives and expectations when you start your internship.
10. Verify that the preceptor organization has a signed affiliation agreement with the University. If not, find out from your preceptor to whom the agreement should be sent and advise Deby McGill, HCA Program Administrative Coordinator. Be sure to provide Deby with complete contact information for that person.
11. With your preceptor, prepare your learning agreement and submit it by March 3.
12. Prepare monthly written progress reports signed by your preceptor (1 page; forms provided) and submit them BY THE 10TH OF EACH MONTH. (Suggestion: Keep a brief activity log, noting what you did and with whom you met; use it for your monthly report and future reference/networking activities). Submit monthly reports until you complete 120 hours, then fill out and submit the intern's final report.
13. Have your preceptor complete and sign the performance evaluation form; you and s/he should also discuss it.
14. Give Deby McGill a list of names, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for your preceptor and others in the organization who should receive a Thank You letter from the HCA Program.
15. During the course of the internship, the instructor may visit the internship site to meet with you and your preceptor together or conduct a telephone conference call. The purpose will be to discuss your activities, learning and performance in a meeting/phone call lasting approximately 30 minutes.
16. If you cannot complete the internship during the session for which you have registered, a grade of Incomplete may be assigned if you have done a minimum of 60 hours of work. This will be converted to a letter grade as soon as your 120 hours and accompanying paperwork have been completed. If you cannot complete 60 hours you should drop the course and re-enroll the following semester.
17. Prepare and submit a learning portfolio (guidelines attached) with examples of work you did for your internship (and from your other classes as well). You may wish to include a brief description or introductory cover memo for some work products. Be sure not to include anything from your internship that contains confidential or proprietary information. The purpose of the portfolio is to demonstrate with actual work products your ability to do research, analysis, and solve problems--which you can also use in job interviews.
18. Join a healthcare professional association and, if possible, attend at least one meeting. Submit proof of membership and attendance to instructor. A list of the major healthcare associations can be found on the HCA Program website (www.csulb.edu/hca) under “Career Info.”
19. You are responsible for checking BeachBoard to make sure you receive credit for all materials submitted. Deadline for submission of all course materials is May 16.
Grading: 90 points = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; <60 = F.
Assignment / PointsStudent information sheet (and preceptor contact information, if applicable – due January 28) / 5
Resume and cover letters (due February 11) / 5
CDC workshop or consultation / 10
Learning agreement (due March 3)) / 10
Monthly progress reports (due 10th of each month); document 120 hours total / 10
Professional association membership / 10
Professional association meeting attendance / 10
Learning portfolio / 10
Intern final report / 5
Preceptor Evaluation / 25
Total points that can be earned – deadline for all submissions is May 16 / 100
Withdrawal policy. Per University policy.
Attachments
Student Information Sheet
Undergraduate Internship Objectives & Expectations Statement (give a copy of this to your preceptor)
Internship Learning Agreement
Professional/Learning Portfolio Guidelines
Monthly Progress Report (make additional copies)
Intern Final Report
Report by Preceptor on Intern
Career Development Center Workshop Attendance Certification
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET
HCA 480/580 - INTERNSHIP – SPRING 2008
Name______
Name you prefer to use______
Address______
______
Phone(s):______
Best time/place to reach you:______
Fax:______
E-mail address:______
HCA courses completed:
HCA courses you are taking this semester:
Your learning goals for the internship experience
If you already have an internship site selected, please fill information below:
Preceptor’s name, title, address, phone/fax/E-mail; best time to call/visit
Brief description of the organization and the unit where you will be working
Your work hours and a brief description of what you will be doing
If you do not have an internship site, please complete information on reverse/next page
If you do not have an internship site, please prepare the following information
1. Resume (1 page)--be sure and list specific skills (e.g., bilingual, PC software programs)
2. Statement of internship interests:
a. Activities--what do you want to do?
b. Value--what skills and abilities do you offer?
c. Results
(1) What do you want to learn to do?
(2) What do you want to produce to demonstrate learning?
d. Type of organization, geographic area
e. Time, distance, work/family obligations or other considerations
f. Questions, suggestions, concerns?
California State University Long Beach
Health Care Administration Department
Internship (HCA 480/580) Objectives and Expectations
Objectives
1. Provide on-the-job training and exposure to health care management activities
2. Assist the organization to accomplish a defined task or project
3. Produce a report or other material demonstrating the student’s research, analytical and writing abilities
4. Promote the student’s personal and career development through interaction with the preceptor and members of the organization
Student Time Commitment: A minimum of 120 hours of structured work experience, scheduled by mutual agreement between student and preceptor. Students may begin their internship work before the start of the academic period.
Expectations of Preceptors
1. Develop a learning contract with the student at the beginning of the internship (“Internship Learning Agreement”).
2. Execute an affiliation agreement with the University (standard form for insurance purposes).
3. Orient the student to the organization. When possible, offer students opportunities to attend managerial meetings, conduct short (15-30 minutes) interviews with key executives and staff in essential functional areas, and interact with a variety of people in the organization.
4. Provide an organization chart (if available) and access to job descriptions for positions in the department in which the student is working.
5. Assign the student one or more specific projects to carry out during the internship, with a visible work “product” (most commonly a report or analysis) that is of value to the organization. The student may also perform tasks that contribute to an understanding of how the organization works and assist the preceptor or other staff in operational/staffing duties (e.g., serving as recorder, preparing the agenda and materials for a work group or meeting). The student's primary assignment(s) should be administrative/analytical as opposed to clerical/data entry.
6. Maintain regular contact with the student during the internship period (at least 15-30 minutes weekly), with additional time to answer questions as needed. Designate an alternate contact to answer student's questions in your absence.
7. Sign student’s periodic progress reports.
8. Meet once (at student work site or preceptor's office), or confer by phone, with the student and faculty advisor.
9. Complete a brief written evaluation of the student’s performance ("Preceptor Evaluation of Intern").
10. Review the evaluation with the student within one week of the student completing the internship hours.
Faculty Advisor Role
1. Be available for consultation with students or preceptors regarding internship activities and to assist in problem resolution upon request.
2. Assist students to meet, and preferably exceed, preceptor expectations for performance and hard work, and to comport themselves as health care professionals in the host organization.
3. Work with preceptors to identify additional internship learning activities or other mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration between the HCA program and the organization.
HCA 480/580 INTERNSHIP PROJECT
MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT
Name:______
Internship Site______
Report for Month of______
1. Hours worked this month:______
2. Activities in which you observed or participated
3. Progress on internship project(s)
4. Questions or comments
Preceptor's Verification of Hours Worked:______
California State University Long Beach
Health Care Administration Program
INTERNSHIP LEARNING AGREEMENT
Student Name: ______
Preceptor Name, Title: ______
Organization/Department: ______
Mailing Address: ______
Phone: ______Fax: ______E-mail: ______
List project(s) to be performed (as agreed to by Preceptor):
List other duties and responsibilities:
This statement of responsibilities is acceptable to us (signatures required):
______
Student Preceptor
______
Date Date
RETURN TO: Dr. Janice Frates;
Health Care Administration Program
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach CA 90840
Fax (562) 985-5886
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES
Description and Purpose
A professional learning portfolio is a collection of materials that represent your learning and accomplishments both educationally and professionally. It is a visual tool to demonstrate to a prospective employer your ability to obtain and analyze information, solve problems, and write clearly. It should contain pieces of your best work, as well as documents that indicate any outstanding contribution you may have made to a group or organization.
Key Elements
1. Table of contents
2. Current resume
3. Statement of your experience to date and your career goals (1 page maximum). Briefly discuss the major elements that have influenced your life so far, and where you hope to be in the next 5-10 years. Note the month and date it was written; it should be revised at least every six months, and be no more than 90 days old when you are looking for a job.
4. Copies of your best academic work products (preferably graded), with a brief description of what skills or competencies these products demonstrate. General areas include:
a. Communication (presentation) or writing skills
b. Problem-solving or analytical ability
c. Use of specific computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SPSS, Access, etc.)
d. Research or data collection
5. Copies of work products from your internship and your internship preceptor's evaluation.
6. Copies of work products from jobs you have held that further support your career goal; you may want to include a brief explanation of how what you learned from these assignments strengthens your experience.
7. Transcripts and degrees
8. Certificates, awards, letters of commendation
9. List of references with complete contact information (name, title, organization, phone and email address).
Presentation Format
All elements in your portfolio should be of presentation quality, typewritten and neatly organized. For the 21st Century, your portfolio should be in electronic format – either on a CD, a single PDF document (do NOT send multiple files!), or placed on your personal website. If the latter, have business cards available with your website to give to potential employers! You may also want to have a well organized binder to show prospective employers.