WELCOME TO THE PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE!
Allied Health and Health Information Management students in the College of Health Professions must complete these steps to achieve enrollment in a practicum course. Students in the Mental Health Counseling program in the College of Arts and Science must follow the internship process found here. Practicums (also called externships) are designed to provide students with practical work experience. Practicums can also open networking opportunities and often allow making important contacts within the healthcare system. This process pertains to the following courses and experience hours:
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| Health Information Technology (HINT297c) | 80 hour minimum on site |
| Health Services Administration (HSAD495) | 120 hour minimum on site |
| Medical Assisting (MEDA290) | 180 hour minimum on site |
| Health and Human Services Case Management (HHCM 495) | 120 hour minimum on site |
| Cancer Tumor Registry (CATR299) | Estimated 160 site hours (dependent on competency completion) |
| Semester Intending to Complete Practicum | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Winter | August 15th |
| Spring/Summer | December 15th |
| Fall | April 15th |
Practicum Checklist Link
Practicum Process
Task 1:
Contact your Academic Advisor to verify the semester of academic eligibility for your Practicum course and get added to the waitlist for that semester. You remain on the Waitlist (at ZERO credits) until the position you are selected for makes it through the approval process.
Task 2:
Complete PREP 101 - the self-paced Practicum Seminar in Blackboard. Shortly after you are waitlisted for your practicum, you will receive an email with instructions to complete PREP 101. Need direction? Contact your Practicum Career Coach
Task 3:
Meeting with your Program Director to discuss practicum expectations and guidelines. This practicum is very important to learning outcomes and career potential. This is a great time to ask any questions you have related to the experience or the course overall. Schedule an appointment with your Program Director.
Task 4:
Complete your Verified Credentials. Similar to when you completed HLTH101, you will need to make sure you have completed your immunizations and background checks for sites to consider you. These also must be completed before the deadlines. Questions or issues with Verified Credentials: Email Ethan.Tanis@davenport.edu
Task 5:
Meeting with your Career Coach and upload your résumé to your Handshake account - it needs to be in "Reviewed" status for you to find success in sending it to employers. If you get a "Changes Suggested" response, use the feedback provided and/or contact your Career Coach immediately for 1:1 assistance. Your résumé will be more competitive when updated with current industry expectations, and that could positively affect your ability to obtain interviews.
Task 6:
Request an Experience- Students only gain access to this feature in Handshake after completing the Post-Seminar Survey at the end of PREP 101. Navigate to the "Experiences" tab in Handshake and Request an Experience. Check and update your progress within your Handshake Experience at any time. You can contact your Career Coach by leaving messages in the comments section of your experience
It is the student's responsibility to find a practicum relating to their major. It is more important than ever to use all methods available to connect to employers. There are several options to help:
Option 1:
Career Coaches partner with Employers to post select pre-vetted postings in Handshake. Watch your email for applications for these roles and next steps. These positions are promising because it usually means the employer is expecting to only choose from a small candidate pool of only DU Students.
Option 2:
Search Handshake for open "internship" positions employers post that are directly related to your program of study. View the job search section of the career guide
Though your Career Coach has access to many additional contacts than the public contact information students can see, there are often recruiters and employer contacts visible. Feel free to message them directly and ask if they might be willing to host you for your practicum. It is helpful to include the semester dates, number of hours required, and the duties students are expected to complete (Program Guidelines link).
Option 3:
Attend DU Career Fairs & other Career Services events virtually or in person to meet with various employers and ask them about potential practicums. Look at the events relevant to your degree from Employers and other schools too.
Once you obtain and select an offer from a site please notify your Practicum Career Coach ASAP. The Practicum Career Coach should be provided with all pertinent preceptor information including:
- Preceptor's name & title
- Organization
- Site address
- Direct phone line
If you are provided onboarding instructions and information, please forward that to your Practicum Career Coach. Some organizations have additional requirements that need to be completed before final approval.
Once the Practicum Career Coach has all this information and can verify that all paperwork is in order, the Practicum Coach will send notification to the Academic Advisor to move the student from the waitlist to registered.
Once this is complete, the student will receive an email from Handshake notifying them that the "Experience has been FULLY APPROVED." Congrats!