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Internships

The Mallory-Wilson Center provides Miami University pre-healthcare students with significant, in-depth, firsthand experience by offering internships known as preceptorships. Students work for one week with a practicing physician, most of whom are Miami alums. The Mallory-Wilson Center typically places 25-30 students in preceptorships each year.

Preceptorships include but are not limited to:

  • observation in treatment of patients
  • observation of office functions and management
  • observation of support staff functions
  • observation of diagnostic procedures and use of equipment
  • an expectation that the student may be shadowing the physician for 12 or more hours per day

Preceptorship opportunities are not limited to areas near Miami University. Participating physicians are located throughout the United States. Typically, placement occurs during winter or spring break, or during the 1st or 2nd week following the end of the academic year.

Application, Requirements, and Obligations

To Apply

Deadlines for preceptorships typically fall 8 weeks before each academic break. To apply:

  1. Submit a completed Preceptorship Application Form.
  2. Successfully complete Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) training through Miami University.
  3. Attend a preceptorship training session offered through the Mallory-Wilson Center.

For more information about these preceptorships, please contact:

Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education
Miami University, 106 Pearson Hall
Oxford, OH 45056
(513) 529-3737
mallorywilsoncenter@MiamiOH.edu

Requirements

Academic Requirements

The student must have attended Miami University for at least one academic year. Participants must have achieved at least a 3.20 overall GPA and have completed at least one year of physical science and biological science requirements with at least a 3.0 GPA in the physical and biological sciences area.

Other Requirements

The student is expected to have a strong desire and intention of entering the healthcare profession; prior participation in extracurricular activities and some healthcare experiences are expected.

Student Obligations and Responsibilities

Students Must:

  • Submit results of a recent blood test, if the preceptorship requires it.
  • Maintain confidentially of patients and the physician's practice.
  • Adhere to the arranged schedule; do not disrupt the physician's schedule or routine.
  • Maintain a professional demeanor at all times.
  • Only actively participate when invited by the physician to do so.
  • Ask questions when appropriate.
  • Maintain a daily written log of activities, due within 30 days of completing the preceptorship (PSN 106).
  • Submit a completed Preceptorship Student Evaluation Form within 30 days of completing the preceptorship (PSN 106).
  • If possible, bring back 2 to 3 digital photos of you with the physician that can be used for publicity. Please send photos to the Mallory-Wilson Center (mallorywilsoncenter@MiamiOH.edu).

Expenses

The student is responsible for all of the expenses associated with the preceptorship, including travel, housing, and meals. As a participant, the student should not assume that the physician will provide housing or assist in making housing arrangements. If the physician offers to do so, this will be pre-arranged.

Termination of Preceptorship

The physician may terminate a preceptorship experience in progress for any appropriate reason, including unprofessional behavior on the part of the student or a sudden, unanticipated change in the physician's schedule which precludes completion of the preceptorship.

Scholarships and Awards

Study Abroad and Away

Pre-health students face additional challenges in fitting a study abroad or study away experience into their degree program. With the need to complete a year of General Chemistry, a year of Organic Chemistry, and a semester of Biochemistry before taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) at the end of the junior year, options are reduced. When coupled with the need for job shadowing and other healthcare experiences that can be important in applications for admission to professional healthcare schools, students must sometimes make choices. Note: With the current COVID-19 pandemic, travel abroad to India is not advised.

One option that some have discovered is to combine a study abroad or study away experience in the context of healthcare experience or preceptorship. Global Initiatives - Education Abroad/Away is a great resource for researching and finding a program that can suit their needs.  They offer a variety of programs, including both credit and non-credit programs, faculty-led programs, exchange programs, programs during the academic year or winter/summer programs, and more.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a Costa Rica Medical Immersion opportunity during Winter term in which students can complete their foreign language requirement in Spanish while obtaining an international healthcare experience.

Currently, the Mallory-Wilson Center is working with St. John's Medical College in Bangalore, India, to offer the Preceptorship in India program for pre-healthcare students at Miami University. It provides significant, in-depth, first-hand healthcare experience. During the 3-week preceptorship, students spend time in rural, urban and hospital settings as they shadow physicians and medical students.  

In addition, this program can be used by Global Health minors to satisfy the off-campus experience component of GHS 401: Global Health Experience. 

For more information on this program, contact Dr. Carlin.

Our Living Learning Community

Student Organizations

Miami University has a wide array of student pre-health clubs and organizations in which pre-professional students in healthcare-related fields participate. While these clubs and organizations are independent, they also collaborate to develop and bring special programming to our student pre-health community.

Among the clubs and organizations are:

  • Miami M.E.D. (Medical Education Development)
  • AMSA (American Medical Student Association)
  • MEDLIFE (Medicine, Education and Development to Low Income Families Everywhere)
  • Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity
  • Delta Epsilon Mu Pre-health Fraternity
  • MAPS (Minority Association for Pre-Med Students)
  • SWIM (Society of Women in Medicine)
  • Global Medical Brigades
  • Friends of Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)
  • Pre-Dentistry Club
  • Pre-Optometry Club
  • Pre-Physical/Occupational Therapy Club (Pre-PT/OT)
  • Pre-Physician Assistant Club (Pre-PA)
  • Pre-Veterinary Club
  • Anatomy and Physiology Club
  • Miami Medical Scribing Club
  • Pharmacy Club

 

Explore the richness of student interests at the Hub, our clearinghouse for all student club activities on campus.

The Hub

Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education

106 Pearson Hall
Oxford, OH 45056