Health Services Research Internship | NYU Langone Health

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Section on Tobacco, Alcohol & Drug Use Education Health Services Research Internship

Health Services Research Internship

The Program on Applied Health Services Research and Smoking Cessation Intervention (PASSION) internship, based in the Section on Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Use, is open to current or recent undergraduate and master’s students. Our internship helps prepare you to pursue an MD or a graduate degree in a health field and provides a glimpse inside the workings of a healthcare system.

As an intern, you assist with research and help on projects that provide preventive care in underserved, urban populations treated at NYU Langone locations and participating institutions. The internship helps you gain research skills, an expanded knowledge of public health and health services research, and an increased awareness of the needs, challenges, and career opportunities in this field. Applications to the program are open and accepted on a rolling basis.

Training Experiences

Interns in the program are exposed to the clinical and health services research process through structured, hands-on training and by assisting with data collection and analysis. You learn about specific components of research, such as basic methodology, grants, manuscripts, and institutional review boards. You participate in an ongoing research project in an area such as tobacco cessation and health services research.

During your internship, you can expect to work on study recruitment tasks such as enrolling participants from outpatient clinics and inpatient wards, obtaining informed consent from participants, and conducting in-person baseline surveys and telephone follow-up surveys. You may also perform data collection and other research tasks including collecting in-person saliva samples and administering carbon monoxide breath tests, drawing blood (phlebotomy training will be provided), performing data entry and assisting with data management, conducting retrospective chart review using electronic health records, and reviewing scientific literature for papers and grant applications.

Interns are expected to present an article in a monthly journal club, attend research seminars featuring departmental and visiting faculty, and shadow a primary care doctor in clinic. If interested, you may also learn basic statistics and SAS software.

We expect interns to be on site 15 hours per week, including for a weekly team meeting, and to comply with all program and institutional policies. To successfully complete the program, you should adequately fulfill assigned research duties and develop and demonstrate research, public health, and professional competencies. The internship is unpaid, but you may be able to seek course credit.

Eligibility and Application

The health services research internship is open to candidates who are currently enrolled in or have a recent degree from an undergraduate program in an area such as premedical studies, public health, or psychology. Prospective applicants must also have experience working in Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel.

We select candidates who have demonstrated self-motivation, leadership, resilience, and commitment. Successful interns have strong interpersonal and communication skills, outstanding judgment, initiative, and attention to detail.

To apply, please email Irina Melnic, MPH, senior program manager, at irina.melnic@nyulangone.org, with “PASSION Application” in the subject line. Include the following items in the email as PDF or DOC files:

  • your CV
  • a cover letter describing your interests and relevant experience, your future career goals, and how your past experiences would make you a good fit for this program
  • an academic writing sample
  • approximate days and times you are available over the next few months for the internship

Our Team

The internship faculty are Scott E. Sherman, MD, MPH, professor in the Departments of Population Health, Medicine, and Psychiatry; and Erin Rogers, DrPH, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Population Health.