If you are completing an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree with a healthcare concentration, it is likely that you will have to complete an internship as well. The better your internship is, the better your job prospects will be as well. While competition for these types of internships is also incredibly high, there are quite a lot of options out there for you to try. What you should look for, above all, is that you find an internship that is accredited by a healthcare management accrediting body, like the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), or the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Let’s take a look at the best internship opportunities for healthcare MBAs.
1. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) GHATP
These internship opportunities are available at VHA hospitals and clinics across the country. Students from a range of graduate programs are accepted, including MHA (Master of Health Administration), MHSA (Master of Health Systems Administration), MPH (Master of Public Health), MPA (Master of Public Administration), or the MBA. Coursework must include a healthcare administration concentration.
Internship website: VHA GHATP
Important information: Graduate program must be CAHME, CEPH, AUPHA, AACSB, ACBSP, or NASPAA accredited.
2. Abbott Laboratories Internship
Internship opportunities are available in Abbott Park, IL, and in Santa Ana, CA. Some 900 interns are employed by Abbott each year across the world, which means that you have quite a good chance of being accepted. Ten to 12 week internships exist, and these are offered in the summer months, as per the exact requirements of the accepted candidate.
Internship website: Abbott Laboratories Internship
Important information: Abott Laboratories is part of the Fortune 500, and recognized by Scrip and Fortune Magazine.
3. University of Pittsburg Medical Center Summer Internship Program
The University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) offers internships for a variety of subjects.
Internship website: UPMC Summer Internship Program
Important information: Students must require a specific time period internship, and they must want to take part in an internship. UPMC was named as the 10th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
4. University of Minnesota Labovitz School of Business and Economics Internship
This internship opportunity provides students with a chance to gain direct experience of healthcare administration and healthcare management. The program offers ‘Cooperative Education’, which is a form of integrated learning. Originally, it was only available for engineering students, but it quickly became so popular that the school started offering it across other disciplines as well.
Internship website: University of Minnesota Labovitz School of Business and Economics Internship
Important information: The University of Minnesota offers the 2nd Best Graduate Program in Healthcare Management in the country.
5. Albright Stonebridge Group Internship
These internships are available all around the world, and they are open to graduate and undergraduate students alike. They offer spring, summer, and fall internship opportunities, to better meet the needs of individual students.
Internship website: Albright Stonebridge Group Internship
Important information: Albright Stonebridge Group is recognized across the country for being a government, policy, translation, and business leader.
6. American College of Healthcare Executives: Diversity Internship
This internship is offered in Chicago, IL. It was originally started in 1991 in order to encourage a more diverse population into the field of healthcare. Since its inception, it has focused on three main goals:
1. Ensuring interns can have one to one interaction with executive leaders, exposing them to many management issues.
2. Ensuring interns are involved in executing administrative and management tasks.
3. Ensuring interns improve their problem solving and decision making skills.
Internship website: American College of Healthcare Executives: Diversity Internship
7. Administrative Internship Program by the University of North Carolina Health Care
This internship is offered in Chapel Hill, NC. It is designed for students who are completing a graduate degree in healthcare management. It is a unique, in depth program that includes participation in various experiences, and weekly personal management meetings. The internship is focused while being multi-disciplinary at the same time. You can also choose to focus on more specific areas, if that is relevant to your degree program.
Internship website: UNC Health Care’s Administrative Internship Program
Important information: The University of Carolina’s program is ranked 3rd Best Graduate Program in Healthcare Management.
8. UCLA Health Internship
This internship is offered in Los Angeles, CA. During the program, students will gain important management experience, working alongside the Senior Administration team. Interns can shadow other administrators and observe how they work at the senior level.
Internship website: UCLA Health Internship
Important information: This internship is unpaid. Additionally, interns must commit to a nine month program, with at least 15 hours per week attendance. The UCLA Medical Center was ranked 5th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
9. Brigham and Women’s Hospital Student Internship
This is an unpaid internship in Boston, MA. It offers a focus on management, and not on research, which is unusual in internship programs. It is designed specifically for those who don’t yet have the professional experience to actually take on a full time job in this field.
Internship website: Brigham and Women’s Hospital Student Internship
Important information: The Brigham and Women’s Hospital was named 9th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
10. Cleveland Clinic Young Business Leaders Internship
This internship is offered in Cleveland, OH. It is an intensive, nine week program that provides experiential learning opportunities and hands on experiences. Interns work alongside administrative and business leaders to find out what it would mean to actually work for the Cleveland Clinic itself. The program itself has a number of specific goals, including:
1. Ensuring students can gain experiences during the summer that are structured to their personal goals.
2. To increase and support interest in STEMM+ (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine) and to ensure they become the best project managers and leaders in these fields.
3. To ensure students are mentored by respected professionals in the Cleveland Clinic.
4. To give those with minority backgrounds a chance to increase their representation in management roles at the Cleveland Clinic.
Internship website: Cleveland Clinic Young Business Leaders Internship
Important information: The Cleveland Clinic was ranked 4th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
11. The Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship
This internship is offered in Cleveland, OH, during the summer months. The internship program was first offered in 1999 and has been popular ever since. Opportunities exist for undergraduate and graduate students alike. The program has a number of clear objectives, which are:
1. Ensuring students learn more about the nonprofit community in Greater Cleveland.
2. Ensuring students can take part in work experience that is relevant to their career.
3. Ensuring that local organizations are able to complete short term projects that benefit the community.
4. Improving interest in nonprofit and public sector opportunities.
5. Ensuring students learn about the endeavors of public sector organizations.
Internship website: Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship
Important information: The Case Medical Center, which offers the program, was ranked 18th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
12. NYU Langone Medical Center’s Columbia Mailman School of Public Health Internship
This internship is offered in New York, NY. Various internships are offered, including in areas such as research, information technology, management, and direct patient care. Internships are designed to meet the individual goals of the student. Some opportunities are paid, others are for credit. The program has a number of specific entry requirements, including:
• Having college credit eligibility
• Having an approved, established internship partnership program
• Taking part on a set amount of hours as set by the program
• Having excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Being PC literate
Internship website: NYU Langone Medical Center’s Columbia Mailman School of Public Health Internship
Important information: The program is offered by the NYU Lagone Medical Center, which was ranked 14th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
13. Deloitte Healthcare Management Internship
This internship is offered in locations across the country. Students can work in various services, dealing with real clients, as part of the Life Sciences and Health Care practice. They look at areas ranging from determining how certain healthcare reform is to how to maximize biotechnological innovations. Students apply their newly gained knowledge to the area in which they are placed, which can be medical device firms, biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, health plans companies, academic medical organizations, or health systems.
Internship website: Deloitte Healthcare Management Internship
Important information: The program is offered by Deloitte Consulting LLC, which is recognized by Working Mother, Fortune 100, and Consulting Magazine.
14. Duke University – Fuqua School of Business Internships
This internship is offered in Durham, NC. It is offered specifically for those who are studying towards the MBA HSM (health sector management). The program is the largest of its kind in the country. Students can take part in a ‘sumternship’ (during summer months) and ‘winternship’ (during winter months).
Internship website: Duke University – Fuqua School of Business Internships
Important information: It is offered by Duke University, which was ranked 14th Best Business School in the country.
15. Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital Internship
This internship is offered in Bloomington, IN. Two options are available, one being the opportunity to shadow someone else, the other being a full internship. When shadowing, students have a chance to observe for no more than 25 hours. The internship is a chance to actually take part in the actual work, getting the experience that they need. Students need to work towards fulfilling the requirements of the educational program if they are to be considered for an internship.
Internship website: Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital Internship
Important information: The Indiana University Hospital was ranked 16th Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
16. Infosys Internship
This internship is offered at locations all over the world. It runs all year long so that students from across the globe can fit it into their schedule. The internship is known as the ‘InStep’ project, which lasts between eight and 12 weeks. Only a select number of universities are able to put students forward to this program. Students are able to also attend a location in India, getting to know the world’s fastest growing economy through Infosys’ Global Delivery Model. Students also receive an individual mentor, paid return airfare, a monthly stipend, medical insurance, and accommodation.
Internship website: Infosys Internship
Important information: Infosys has been recognized as the fastest growing 100 companies in 2009 by Fortune Magazine, as the Best Companies for Leaders by Hay Group and Bloomberg Business Week, and Most Admired Indian Company by the Wall Street Journal Asia 200.
17. Summer Internship – Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
This internship is offered in Baltimore, MD. The university is world renowned, aiming to keep people all over the planet safe from injury and illness through research and the proper application of knowledge and expertise. They offer a summer internship in which interns are mentored by some of the greatest authorities in the world. These are research initiatives in areas, such as women’s health, preventing AIDS, treating mental disorders, and more. The internship takes place in community settings, offices, clinics, health departments, and/or laboratories.
Internship website: Summer Internship – Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
18. Massachusetts General Hospital Administrative Internship
This program is offered in Boston, MA. It is designed for those who want to become hospital leaders. The program runs across the summer, and only very few people are accepted to it. Those who are selected become involved in hands on management and leadership experiences. A department of the Massachusetts General Hospital that is relevant to the educational goals of the student is chosen, where they will work throughout the summer.
Internship website: Massachusetts General Hospital Administrative Internship
Important information: This program is offered by the Massachusetts General Hospital, which was ranked 2nd Best Honor Roll Hospital in 2014.
19. McKinsey and Company Internship
This internship is offered all over the world. It is perfect for those interested in a career in management consulting. The program is usually eight to 12 weeks in length during the summer months, although they can also be offered as shorter programs, in other months. During the program, the intern becomes a full team member and will work on a client engagement. If completely properly, the intern may be offered a permanent job.
Internship website: McKinsey and Company Internship
20. Internship Residency Program – Medical Group Management Association and American College of Medical Practice Executives
This internship is offered all over the country and has been created by two organizations, both determined to ensure students can gain high quality, real experiences. Students are given the experience that they simply cannot gain by sitting in a classroom. The program follows the curriculum of the graduate degree that the student follows, providing exposure to decision making and organizational experience.
Internship website: Internship Residency Program – Medical Group Management Association and American College of Medical Practice Executives
21. The Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Graduate Administrative Internship
This internship is offered in Chicago, IL. The program, which aims to attract tomorrow’s leaders and strategic thinkers, is eight weeks in length and takes part during the summer. Students must be enrolled in an MBA, MPH, or MHA program in order to be accepted.
Internship website: Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Graduate Administrative Internship
Important information: The Northwestern Memorial Hospital is ranked in the top 10 best hospitals in the country for various specialty medicine areas. It was ranked 6th Best Hospital in 2014.
Resources and References:
- Top 25 MBA in Healthcare Internship Opportunities – List of top internship opportunities studies of MBA in healthcare. (MBA Healthcare Management)
- Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) – Accrediting body for MBA in healthcare management programs. (CAHME.org)
- Council on Education for Public Health – Accrediting body for schools of public health. (CEPH.org)
