The specialization of healthcare management is integral and critical for the entire field. The health administration usually deals with such matters as the management of the healthcare system, hospitals, and other medical institutions. Graduates of this specialization often build careers as the health department officials, financial managers, administrators, and sometimes as practical physician managers. This profession is quite popular among graduates, as every hospital or medical center requires a competent manager. However, the very direction of such study is also in demand among modern students. In order to help students become experts and specialists in the field of healthcare management, universities and hospitals create internship programs.
Discussing the benefits of such programs as administrator-in-training, it becomes possible to highlight several main aspects. First, internship programs created on the basis of hospitals and medical centers allow students to learn more about their future profession. Training provides undergraduate and graduate students with necessary experience, knowledge, and practice. In such programs, future professionals learn to take responsibility for their decisions in the workplace and to plan their duties (Dos Santos, 2019). Certainly, studying at the university gives students all the necessary theoretical knowledge, which also has a positive impact on their future careers. Moreover, many undergraduate programs offer hands-on classes where students can solve various cases and apply their knowledge to them. Thus, the study makes an immense contribution to the development of future experts and specialists in the field of healthcare management. However, professional internships allow undergraduates to understand more comprehensively what exactly they will do after graduation. They also provide the necessary field practice for anyone who wants to build a career in this field.
Moreover, undergraduate students often find it difficult to make a decision about their future careers. Students of the final year of the bachelor’s degree must decide on the place of future work in order to continue their professional activities. Internship programs help undergraduates find the industry they need or the most interesting career prospect. It often happens that a student entering an internship program has not yet decided which path of professional activity to follow. The internship helps hesitant students make a choice and select the right career (Leijser & Spek, 2021). Moreover, such programs allow bachelors to make new acquaintances in the professional environment. Thanks to this, students can earn letters of recommendation that will help them in further employment. In addition, such internships can be helpful not only for students but also for employers themselves. Some studies show that due to the expansion of internship programs, hospitals and medical centers have acquired a large staff (Little et al., 2021). By gaining practical knowledge and choosing a future career, students help healthcare system gain new aspiring and professional employees in management.
In conclusion, it is possible to highlight the most significant benefits of internship programs for healthcare managers. Working in hospitals, undergraduate students gain the necessary practical knowledge and skills. By adding this knowledge to the theory obtained at the university, it becomes possible to get an expert in the field of healthcare administration. Furthermore, internships allow students to more accurately determine which area of health management is suitable for them. Finally, by acquiring new acquaintances and communicating with specialists and experts in this field, graduates get the opportunity to establish themselves in the future workplace.
References
Dos Santos, L. M. (2019). Rural public health workforce training and development: The performance of an undergraduate internship programme in a rural hospital and healthcare centre.International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(7), 1259, 1-24. Web.
Leijser, J., & Spek, B. (2021). Level of clinical reasoning in intermediate nursing students explained by education year and days of internships per healthcare branches: A cross–sectional study.Nurse Education Today, 96, 104641, 1-6. Web.
Little, N. R. G., Welsh, P., & Sholar, A. (2021). Research full report: Developing future public health leaders trained in long-term care administration. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(2), E79.