CHOP Quality Improvement Internship - Grad and Undergrad

Internship Overview

The Quality Improvement Summer Internship at CHOP is designed to introduce, develop, and improve the skills of a graduate student interested in public health, patient safety, performance/process improvement, or healthcare administration. This internship will provide the intern with a practical experience around the effective delivery of quality healthcare services. This fast-pace internship will focus on participation in various projects across the CHQA and exposure to the work of many teams and offices across the enterprise. Interns may also have the opportunity to meet with senior hospital leaders.

Internship Scope

Duration and Location: 10-12 weeks, Onsite

Interns will be expected to participate onsite to meet with preceptors, observe clinical processes and workflows, attend education sessions, and learn professional etiquette. Interns are responsible for any parking and commuting expenses.

Program Leadership: CHQA and Department of Pediatrics Improvement teams

The intern will join the Enterprise Improvement team, a group dedicated to facilitating use of improvement tools to address clinical quality improvement opportunities.

Learning Modes: Project work, facilitated workshops, observation
Project opportunities will vary and will reflect both the participant’s interests and the needs of the Hospital.

Data Analysis: The team does use data to drive improvement, but the internship is not solely focused on data analysis. Please seek other CHOP opportunities for data centered roles.

Interns are prohibited from advising on or participating in the delivery of medical care. Additionally, interns are required to maintain the confidentiality of patient information at all times.

Project Work

Interns will be exposed to projects focused on a variety of business and operational areas across the organization and may involve domains such as patient safety, operations, process improvement, quality, and strategy in collaboration with their assigned preceptor. 

Graduate Interns – 3 clinical quality improvement projects in dedicated clinical portfolio

Undergraduate – 2 clinical quality improvement projects

Both graduate and undergraduate interns will independently complete a project in alignment with learning quality improvement methodology and using the CHOP improvement framework. All interns are required to give a final presentation on their project work to departmental and/or senior leadership at the end of the internship.  

Time Commitment

Beginning in early June and ending in August, interns are expected to work Monday through Friday, between 30 and 40 hours.

Compensation

This is a paid internship. Students can also utilize this program to acquire credits towards their degree.

Eligibility

Graduate: Graduate level students completing their first year of study are eligible for this internship opportunity

Undergraduate: Students should be entering their senior year of undergraduate studies to be eligible for this internship opportunity

oStudents should be enrolled in a healthcare or nursing related major: Industrial Engineering, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Public Policy, Business with a minor in Healthcare Administration, Nursing, other healthcare related major

Students must be at least 18 years of age and be able to travel to Philadelphia

Application Process

Step 1.) Applicants interested in applying must submit the following materials electronically through REDCap (https://redcap.link/qiintern)

• Current resume
• Personal statement (500 words max), answering:
  o Why are you interested in CHOP, and why this specific quality improvement internship?
  o What do you hope to get out of this internship academically and professionally?
  o What are the top 3 characteristics you would use to describe yourself and how would they benefit you in this internship?
• 1 Professional Reference professor or employer - Our team will invite reference to complete a survey to share feedback on attributes that will help candidate succeed in role

The application will close on January 3rd, 2025 at 5pm

If you have trouble submitting materials, please contact: CHQAinternship@chop.edu

Step 2.) Selected candidates will participate in a 1-2 interviews

Step 3:) Offer extended by week of February 17, 2025

Step 4:) Talent Acquisition Process begins day after offer acceptance. Screenings may include, but not limited to:

• FBI Fingerprint Scan
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance
• Pennsylvania State Background (Criminal) Clearance
• Affiliation agreement or contract (as appropriate)

If you have trouble submitting materials, please contact CHQAinternship@chop edu