Value Of Internships Research Articles

“Gatekeepers to the Profession”: Exploring the Experiences of Ontario Dietetic Internship Coordinators

Purpose: Dietetic internship coordinators are key players in selecting internship applicants and in shaping their experiences and professional identities throughout the internship. Coordinators’ experiences of their work have not yet been explored in the dietetic literature. Methods: Four current and four previous internship coordinators each participated in a one-on-one, semi-structured telephone interview. Data was analysed using constant comparative analysis. Results: Coordinators had three to nine years of experience. All stated their commitment and concern towards the dietetic training process. Coordinators noted the value of internship as a learning process and a time for intensive and essential practical training. Overall, participants felt gratified with their work, despite their roles requiring extensive time and resources. Other findings revealed that coordinators felt a sense of responsibility for selecting the “right” interns. Conclusions: A heightened sense of responsibility along with limited time and resources has the potential to lead to burnout for this professional group. Future enhancements and changes to the internship process have potential implications for health human resources among coordinators, but more research is required to examine specific implications of such changes on dietetic training and education in Ontario.

Maximizing Internship Value by Comparing Student Satisfaction and Program Competencies

Internships are opportunities to apply academic learning to practical experiences and integral components of many academic programs. Internships provide many advantages to students by introducing them to the world of work and skills needed for them to succeed in their future careers. Limited research documents the importance of student voices in identifying internships that reinforce learning. A question to consider is: “What are students saying about their internship experience?” This study compared student survey results against course competencies in a health services management program. Students rated their soft skills, communication, teamwork, and professionalism higher than hard skills of data management, analysis, and problem solving. Findings indicate more curricular emphasis should be placed on written communication, data analysis, and problem solving to ensure students have a tool box of skills to offer employers.

Internship in LIS education

The value of internship as a form of experiential learning in library and information science education has been debated for many years in North America. To gain a global perspective, the current research examines whether such an experience is required and for what reasons and whether placements can be done internationally or virtually. Participants include national libraries, associations, and academic library and information science programs from 69 different countries around the world. Results indicate that outside of American Library Association accredited institutions, internship is more often required and that when it is not, participation rates are low. Further, there was much stronger support for international experiences. Despite the increasing use of online tools to deliver library and information science education, there is a decided lack of institutional support for virtual internships. Suggestions for further research are proposed that address the interdisciplinary, intentional, interconnected, and international model for an internship in 21st-century library and information science education.

Stairway to employment? Internships in higher education

This article aims to shed light on the current debate regarding the role of internships in higher education in graduates’ employability. In specific, it analyses empirical data on a large-scale study of Portuguese first-cycle study programmes, in order to explore indicators of the professional value of internships in the employability of higher education graduates. Results demonstrate that study programmes that include internships tend to significantly enhance graduates’ employability, particularly within the universe of polytechnic and public higher education institutions. Besides the instrumental value of internships, the impact of the nature and structure of the internship on the percentage of unemployed graduates are also discussed. Mandatory internships and the inclusion of multiple, shorter internships throughout the degree are negatively associated with unemployment levels. Results indicate work-based learning can be used as a successful strategy to bridge theoretical knowledge and practice and enhance graduate employability. These findings provide important insights for the evaluation and/or the design of internship programmes in higher education.

Internships as Academic Exercise: An Assessment of MPA Curriculum Models

In most of the Master of Public Administration/Affairs (MPA) programs in the United States, an internship or work experience is a key component of the curriculum. A 2014 inventory of MPA curricula indicated that 77% of domestic programs accredited by NASPAA require an internship of pre-service students. This paper assesses the current state of the relationship between the internship and classroom experiences in MPA programs and the use of the internship as an academic exercise. We focus specifically on (a) the value of internships in the MPA curriculum, (b) the timing and function of internships, (c) the diversity of student needs in internship experiences, (d) internship models and the relationship between the internship and the MPA curriculum, and (e) the internship course. We conclude by addressing the growing concerns of intern pay and online MPA programs.

The academic value of internships: Benefits across disciplines and student backgrounds

While student benefits from internship experience have been frequently documented in research, the emphasis has been on internship effects on employment and career indicators. This work is concerned with effects on academic outcomes and focuses on the robustness of such effects across academic disciplines as well as for different achievement levels of students, student gender, and ethnicity. We present findings from a longitudinal sample (n > 15,000) that covers an extensive range of subjects and disciplines for large undergraduate cohorts. Main effects and interactions for student background characteristics were investigated showing stable academic benefits for advantaged and disadvantaged students. Further, using ordinal logistic multi-level modelling, we explored the impact on the probability of attaining a higher degree classification for different student scenarios, thus illustrating the practical significance of these internship effects. Effects are less likely to stem from maturation or self-selection. Findings are therefore discussed against a background of motivational approaches suitable to integrate both direct and indirect paths from internship experience to academic outcomes to career indicators.

The Role of Work Experience in the Future Employability of Higher Education Graduates

AbstractMany new graduates are finding it difficult to obtain graduate‐level work and impossible to break into the sectors they were aiming at. In order to address this, higher education institutions are examining the methods they use to enhance student employability and deploying various measures to grow and strengthen this activity, with an increasing focus on providing work experience. One popular way of doing this is via internships (placements). This paper examines the context in which work experience has come to the fore as an approach to enhancing employability by interrogating recent research and policy related to this agenda. Employability is presented as an on‐going debate that cannot be viewed as a finite entity but must move and develop with the market, society and the global situation. In addition the paper closely examines a graduate internship programme in a university in North East England. Comparing and contrasting findings from this scheme, with other examples of experiential learning through work experience, provides some evidence to suggest the value of internships and furthermore supports some formative ideas about how internships might be developed to best serve those taking part in them: interns; employers and universities.

The importance of internal medicine internship for young doctors' training

Introduction: Internal Medicine is a “broad base” specialty where students are confronted with various clinical problems, often complex, essential for training in clinical reasoning and the acquisition of medical professional competence. The educational value of training in this specialty in early internship has never been objectively evaluated. The script concordance test (SCT) assesses the ability of doctors to prioritize assumptions in clinical situations with a degree of uncertainty. With no single correct answer, the result is expressed in “agreement” with the responses of a panel of experts. We present a pilot study evaluating by SCT, the educational value of internship in internal medicine at the beginning of the third cycle. Methods: We present a prospective multicenter controlled study from six departments of internal medicine in France. The SCTs were created and calibrated on medical students, young doctors and experts. The calibrated series of tests was then used to evaluate young doctors making their first internship in internal medicine at the beginning and the end of their first semester. The control group is represented by different interns that arrive in internal medicine after the first 6 months of training in another specialty. Results: A series of 60 versatile questions of general and internal medicine was created and then validated by a panel of 18 internal medicine experts (E) with more than 10 years of experience. Our study population (SP1) consists of 18 interns at the beginning of the semester. 14 completed the test at the end of the semester (SP2). The control group consists of 14 interns at the beginning of the second semester (CP). We note a progression of our study population at the end of the study (SP2) M = 48.1 SD= 3.9 range [41.4; 55.04] as compared to the beginning of the rotation (SP1) M = 45.96 SD= 4.7 range [36.4; 56.3]. The experts (E) were at 53.3 SD4 [44; 60]. Nonparametric statistic using the Friedman test confirms the significant difference between the beginning and the end of the internal medicine rotation as compared to the expert's results: SP1 mean rank 1.92, SP2 mean rank 2.5, E mean rank 3.67, χ2 = 14.7 p = 0.02.The control population of interns having completed a medical rotation other than internal medicine (CP) had results similar to those preceding the internal medicine rotation M = 45.46 SD = 3.8 range [35.5; 48.5]. Conclusion: The Internal Medicine rotation seems to improve the clinical reasoning training capacity of young doctors. SCT is able to evaluate its role in the formation of young doctors, but a larger study may be necessary for validation of our results.

Education and Service: Definitions Are the Easy Part

Education and Service: Definitions Are the Easy Part

Internship as a mechanism for professional preparation of sport management personnel: an empirical study of students’ perceptions

The labour market in South Africa (SA) has been characterized by very high and increasing rates of unemployment and an acute shortage of skilled workers. Consequently, finding competent people who will fit in with an organisation’s culture, vision and strategic goals has been challenging. As a result, the recruitment drives of many organisations currently focus heavily on attracting skills as well as experience. One of the ways in which the skills shortage and lack of experience could be addressed would be by including an internship in the curricula of different programmes offered at Higher Education Institutions. The current study seeks to articulate from a student’s perspective the value of internship in the professional preparation of sport management personnel and attempts to contribute to research in education by providing empirical evidence on the usefulness of internships and make recommendations thereon. A 47-item questionnaire was administered to 300 interns at three universities which offered sport management programmes with internship as a compulsory component. Analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS – version 17). Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on the data. A final model consisting of seven factors which accounted for 77.80% of the overall variance in the scale item scores was produced. The factors were professional development (five items), personal development (five items), marketability (thee items), adaptability (thee items), relevance (thee items), opportunity for growth (two items) and networking (two items). The study found internships to be a valuable component in the sport management curriculum. Emanating from the findings several recommendations were made.Key words: Internship; Labour; Professional development; Personal development; Marketability; Relevance.

What Do Hospitality Students Find Important About Internships?

The study reported herein aimed to determine the importance and value of internships in the hospitality industry to students so that academic institutions, receiving organizations, and the students themselves can better prepare for placements in the future. Content analysis was applied to the placement reports submitted by 279 students at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management in the author's home institution. Based on a simple counting of placement attributes mentioned by the students, the analysis yielded nine themes. How the findings can be used to enhance student satisfaction with internships and how the enhanced internship experiences can help solve career problems are discussed.

Effects of business internships on job marketability: the employers' perspective

PurposeThis paper seeks to report the results of an empirical investigation of the relationship between internship participation and student employment marketability. The study aims to identify the value that employers attribute to internships as a qualification for employment and as a factor in determining compensation.Design/methodology/approachThe study presents the results of a survey of 185 employers of 392 interns enrolled in an AACSB‐accredited business college in a Northeastern US university. The survey examined the perceived value of the internship experience, the effect of intern performance on internship value perceptions, and the relationship between internship participation and employer selection and compensation decisions.FindingsThe survey results indicate significantly more full‐time opportunities for undergraduates with internship experience, corroborating earlier published empirical research. Additionally, while even average‐performing interns were significantly more likely to receive full‐time job offers than non‐interns, high‐performing interns were more likely to receive higher starting salaries. Finally, the study shows that high intern performance results in enhanced employer‐perceived value of the internship program.Originality/valueField internships are endorsed by business schools as an effective way to gain practical experience and enhance employment marketability. However, few studies have provided empirical evidence linking internship participation to success in postgraduation employment. The study confirms the value of an internship in job marketability. In addition, the study provides an estimate of the perceived value of internship experience in employee compensation. Finally, the paper affirms the internship as a component of experiential learning that can enhance the employability development opportunities offered by institutions of higher learning.

Student Perceptions Of The Value Of Internships In Business Education

Internships are an increasingly popular element of higher education in business and provide many potential benefits to students. An internship experience can help students make the connection between their academic studies and the world of business. They can also create valuable connections and networking opportunities to improve the employment and career prospects for students. This study analyzes the internships of 114 undergraduate and graduate students to determine what factors account for the most valuable internship experience. The results show a strong statistical correlation between the perceived value of the internship and the student’s demographic profile, the structure of the internship, and the connection to the students’ career plans. These findings provide a basis for designing successful internship programs in business education.

The value of internships and placements

The value of internships and placements

Critique of the Transitional Year Internship and Its Relationship to Radiology Residency

The purpose of the study is to determine if transitional year program (TYP) requirements foster realization of standards of excellence and clinical relevance for future radiologists and to explore demographic and economic factors pertinent to TYPs. A list of accredited TYPs were obtained from the American Medical Association's Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Directory 2006-2007. Specialty distribution of TYP graduates was examined from statistics provided by the ACGME, and data from the 2007 Main Residency Match was analyzed. Data derived from a concurrent survey of the perception of the value of internship sent to all current radiology residents and fellows was assessed. The institutional costs of employing TYP interns versus physician assistants were also calculated. Forty-one of the 125 TYPs lack residencies in internal medicine (IM), general surgery (GS), or both, and approximately two-third of these lack full medical school affiliation. The interns who will graduate from these 41 programs account for 103 of the 1,128 radiology residents in their post-graduate year 2. Despite the longest elective time offered in TYPs compared to conventional preliminary programs, current radiology trainees who had participated in preliminary IM or GS internships were more satisfied compared to trainees completing TYPs. The requirements of the transitional internship and compliance with them need to be carefully assessed to determine their efficacy. Despite the strong economic impetus for hiring TYP interns, the availability of open slots in existing preliminary programs in IM and GS, coupled with radiology residents' greater level of satisfaction with traditional over transitional internships, makes the existence of TYPs less compelling.

The Value of Internships in a NCACE Accredited Coaching Education Program

The Value of Internships in a NCACE Accredited Coaching Education Program

The Internship: Bridge Between Marketplace and Liberal Arts Education in the Catholic Tradition

Internships can be distinctive pedagogical opportunities within a Catholic liberal arts education. The applied marketplace experience provided by an internship, properly understood, is consistent with the Catholic understanding of education. The value of internships for Catholic higher education can be illustrated by focusing on communication and rhetorical studies. This essay consists of a selected review of literature situating internships within liberal arts education, followed by the articulation of a Thomistic framework for rhetorical education.

The value of internship in graduate medical education: survey of emergency medicine residents and program directors.

To assess the opinions of emergency medicine (EM) residents and program directors about the value of completing a nonrequired 1-year internship before entering an EM residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). An eight-question, self-administered online survey was e-mailed to EM residents who had completed a nonrequired internship before entering ACGME-accredited residency programs. A separate, six-question survey was e-mailed to program directors of ACGME-accredited programs that do not require an internship who had ever had a resident who had completed a nonrequired internship. Forty-six (27 [59%] osteopathic, 19 [41%] allopathic) of 113 residents and 40 of 124 program directors responded to the survey questions. Less than 4% of residents completed a separate nonrequired 1-year internship. The most common reason for completing a nonrequired internship was to obtain licensure by the American Osteopathic Association (19 [41%]). Most residents believed that they were more proficient with history-taking and physical examinations (38 [83%]) and procedures (34 [74%]) during the first year of residency than their colleagues who did not complete an internship, but this percentage decreased over time. The program directors had similar opinions. Most osteopathic residents who completed the internship for osteopathic licensure would not have done so if it were not required. Most (39 of 40) program directors would not recommend taking a nonrequired internship. Completing a 1-year internship before entering an EM residency program may better prepare physicians for their first year of residency in terms of basic clinical competancy, but further study is needed in this area.

The Library Internship and Expo as a Pathway to Diversity: A Case Study

College and university libraries need to develop undergraduate internships to encourage low-income and ethnic-minority students to enter the library profession. Such internships can be run on limited budgets. This article presents a case-study model for an internship program and its related promotional efforts currently in place at California State University, Bakersfield. The article discusses the need for greater ethnic diversity in libraries and the value of internships as a tool to confront minority underrepresentation in the library profession. Introduction Colleges and universities can confront the issue of lack of diversity in the library profession by providing library internships to students from minority or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These internship programs, if kept small, can be run on limited budgets and can have profound effects. Librarians at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) developed an internship program designed to equip students with skills and experience they can carry forward into library and information science graduate programs and the professional workforce. The program will broaden Hispanic and other ethnic minority representation in libraries. CSUB's program is part of the minority recruitment continuum within the profession. It focuses its efforts on individuals, rather than groups of students, and its small scale allows for an intensive undergraduate introduction to library science and in-depth mentoring. Meanwhile, across the profession, there are numerous examples of minority recruitment programs that are opening doors and providing opportunities. For example, the American Library Association funded its Spectrum Initiative in 1997, providing scholarships to minority students who pursue degrees in library science.1 Efforts such as the Diversity Internship in Libraries Program, sponsored by the University of Massachusetts-Boston, Simmons College Libraries, and the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science, expose high-school students to the profession through internships. On a larger scale, the Mellon Foundation's two $500,000 grants to the Mellon Librarian Recruitment Program for undergraduate students at Atlanta University, Mount Holyoke, Oberlin, Occidental, Swarthmore, and Wellesley include internships, library science career awareness, and scholarships.2 The University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science actively recruits minority students into its Knowledge River program and provides them with an extensive support network, financial assistance, and culturally sensitive educational opportunities.3 CSUB does not offer a degree in library science, which makes its internship program somewhat unusual. While there are numerous internships available to library science students, library science internship programs for undergraduates and graduate students in other disciplines are rare. The CSUB program locates students with the potential for and interest in becoming librarians before they enter a library or information studies graduate program. The goal is to teach these selected students about the library profession by offering them both academic training and experiential learning before library science graduate school. The internship provides basic academic study in librarianship followed by supervised training and experience, preparation for graduate school, constructive evaluations, and mentoring that can lead to completion of a graduate degree. The internship program was one of several CSUB projects funded under the U.S. Department of Education's Title V grant for Hispanic-serving institutions. The paid and competitive internship, which requires a commitment often to twenty hours per week and can last up to one year, is divided into four components: training and study, professional development and mentoring, assigned professional projects, and evaluation. The Need for Internships The need for greater ethnic and social diversity in libraries is well-documented. …

Measuring the Success of Internships in an Archives Education Program

An assessment of the value of internships in an archives education program is examined through questionnaires administered to graduates and currently enrolled archives students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College. The survey supports anecdotal evidence of the vital part played by internships in the professional education of archivists and identifies those aspects of particular significance to the intern. These include the primary role of the intern supervisor, the importance of the project, the need to create a product, the importance of support at the internship institution, and the guidance of the educational program.