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"I'm particularly impressed with the fresh, unique ideas and solutions, professionalism and compassion for the community the Interns demonstrate. Our program continues to grow and provide increasing services due to the cooperation of our two teams."
BTG Community Preceptor |
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About the Community Health Internship Program
(BTG CHIP)
Overview
BTG CHIP is a paid community-based summer internship program that helps
students gain a broader understanding of the factors that affect health in
underserved and economically disadvantaged communities. The internship offers students in the health and social services fields an opportunity
for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students are matched with approximately
100 nonprofit community partners in Philadelphia, Erie, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania,
and in New Jersey. Student teams collaborate with community site personnel,
community members and faculty to design projects based on community-defined
needs and on the students’ professional disciplines and interests.
2012 Program Dates |
| Philadelphia
Consortium |
June 18 – August 3, 2012 |
Erie
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine |
June 4 – July 20, 2012 |
Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh |
June 4 – July 27, 2012 |
| Lehigh Valley |
June 18 – August 3, 2012 |
New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey |
June 11 – July 27, 2012 |
Recent Program Stats
- In 2011, 239 student interns provided service at 104 community sites in Philadelphia, Erie, Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and in New Jersey.
- Student interns represented 11 health and social service disciplines, including medicine, dental medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physician assistant, podiatry, public health, social work, creative arts in therapy and physical therapy.
Program Basics
- Students are recruited and interviewed for BTG CHIP during the winter
and are notified of acceptance during the spring.
- Whenever possible BTG students are placed at community sites in interdisciplinary teams.
- The matching of student interns with community sites is based on the
site’s needs and the student’s professional discipline and
interest.
- Student interns perform a wide range of tasks for a diverse set of populations.
This enables participating community organizations to provide additional
services that support health education and healthy behaviors in the context
of each organization’s mission.
- Student interns are matched with a community preceptor and an academic
preceptor. The community preceptor serves as a site mentor for the
interns and as an advocate for the community. The academic preceptor serves
as a resource and provides support for the student experience.
- In addition to the community site activities, student interns spend one
day each week in curricular sessions where community members, health and
social service professionals, and program faculty help them build skills
and develop a deeper understanding of key issues regarding vulnerable populations.
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| BTG 20th Anniversary Tribute |
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"BTG ... has reinforced the idea that no one professional discipline will meet the needs of a client. It takes seeing ... through many lenses in order to create an appropriate, well-balanced intervention."
BTG Student Intern |
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| What BTG Means to Us |
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