Internships, Volunteering and Other Student Placements
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Internships, Volunteering and Other Student Placements

Please note: We appreciate your interest in volunteering and training at the Institute, but our placement opportunities are limited.  Please be advised that we cannot accommodate all who apply. We are happy to receive your application, but recommend that you consider other opportunities as well.

The Institute for Family Health is committed to fostering the development of future health professionals by creating engaging opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing healthcare careers. Those placed at the Institute have the chance to get an in-depth look at how community health centers function and to learn about future healthcare careers. Applicants can be placed in various departments, including in health centers, community outreach, or program development, depending on their experience and interests.

The Institute for Family Health also serves as the regional office for the New York Metropolitan Region of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC). AHEC makes sure that young people from underrepresented groups have opportunities to learn about the health professions, and obtain education and training to pursue careers in healthcare. AHEC has three offices in the New York Metropolitan Region: Bronx Westchester AHEC; Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island AHEC; and Manhattan-Staten Island AHEC. In the Mid-Hudson Valley, AHEC’s local office is the Catskill Hudson AHEC.

Internships and Clinical Placements

***Please note: student and volunteer placements at the Institute are very limited, and therefore, very competitive. Unfortunately, we are only able to place approximately 1 out of every 10 applicants who contact us. Applicants who follow the instructions listed below have the highest chance of being approved for a placement at the Institute for Family Health.***

Prior to beginning an internship or placement for credit or as part of a clinical training program, it is required that a Clinical Placement Agreement is established between your school and the Institute for Family Health. Please check with your advisor or department head to see if our agreement is already in place. If not, ask them to begin reviewing our agreement immediately, as some schools can take several months to process them.You can contact the Placements Coordinator at placements@institute.org or (212) 633-0800 ext. 1365 if you have questions regarding the agreement.

Individuals seeking exposure to or involvement in a community health setting are eligible to apply to be volunteers or non-credit bearing interns. These types of positions are provided entirely on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on what projects are available. Priority will be given to students who can commit at least six weeks with the Institute. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate placements for high school students. There are no volunteer opportunities involving direct patient care or medical procedures (for example, phlebotomy or taking vitals). The Institute does not offer full time internships or volunteer opportunities. Most placements are for 5 to 15 hours per week.

Our placements are divided into three terms:

  • Fall Semester (August 15th-December 31st)
  • Spring Term (January 1st-May 30th)
  • Summer Term (June 1st-Aug 30th)

Our placements are also divided into three tracks:

  • Clinical: This includes BSN/RN Students, Medical Assistant Students, Nurse Practitioner Students, and Physician’s Assistant Students who are seeking clinical rotations at the Institute. An agreement must be in place between the school and the Institute.
  • Graduate: This includes MPH students, Public Administration Students, and international medical students looking for research opportunities or more advanced internships. Students could be placed with staff requesting assistance with IRB approved research or complex continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects.
  • Undergraduate: This includes college students or those interested in gaining general experience in healthcare. Projects could include patient outreach or patient advocate positions.

Internships and Clinical Placements Application Process:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis for each term. Available placements are determined six weeks in advance, before the start of each term.

Those interested in pursuing a student placement or internship at the Institute for Family Health should complete the Intern and Volunteer Application and send it along with a copy of their current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) to placements@institute.org.

Accepted applicants will be notified via email from the placements coordinator. However, final approval to begin the placement is contingent upon successful completion of all necessary paperwork, including a health certification. All completed paperwork must be submitted at least 14 days before the student’s anticipated start date.

Other Placements

Behavioral Health Students

The Institute for Family Health is accepting master’s in social work (MSW) students for internship placements. If you are a student that is interested in an internship with us, please contact the student placement coordinator at your school.

If you are an academic program interested in learning more about our social work student placements, please contact us at placements@institute.org.

At this time, we are not accepting new applications for MHC students.

Dietetic Interns

A dietetic internship has been established for students currently enrolled in didactic programs to work with registered dietitians across our Bronx and Manhattan locations. Dietetic Interns collaborate with our nutrition professionals to counsel patients in individual and group settings, participate in nutrition projects, and observe first-hand the roles registered dietitians play in promoting lifestyle change. For more information, please contact Jaime Schehr at jschehr@institute.org.

Shadowing Opportunities
It is our pleasure to provide shadowing opportunities for students or graduates interested in getting a glimpse of primary care and community health in a federally qualified health center. However, these placements are in high demand. As such, they are also competitive, and we encourage students to consider other avenues as well until their shadowing placement is secured. Those interested in a shadowing opportunity at the Institute for Family Health should complete the Institute’s Shadowing Application and email it to placements@institute.org along with a resume or CV.

Please note:

  • We are only able to offer shadowing opportunities of 8 hours or less.
  • We are only able to offer shadowing opportunities Monday-Friday (no weekends).
  • Shadowing opportunities must be planned at least one month in advance. We are not able to accommodate last minute requests.
  • A completed health certification form is required before the shadowing opportunity can occur.