Supervisor Information

Health Science Practicum

What is a practicum?

Boston University’s Sargent College Health Science Program requires that all students complete a practicum experience in their senior year. A practicum is an opportunity for students to apply knowledge gained through coursework and prior experiences in a professional health-focused environment. Suitable practicum environments for Health Science students include a variety of sites: not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, clinics, national associations, research organizations, local health departments, and for-profit firms. The practicum experience requires 120 hours, minimum of 8 weeks, under the supervision a designated site supervisor and under the guidance of the Health Science program’s practicum office.

Supervisor Roles/Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between the Health Science Program and the organization site.
• Act as a mentor whose primary goal is to synthesize the development between academic learning and applied health practice.
• Provide regular feedback to the student.
• Assist the student in developing Learning Objectives and Goals (see below).
• Meet with student to evaluate performance and submit brief evaluations: Midpoint and Final Reviews (see below).

How to advertise your available practicum opportunities to BU Health Science students?

Please complete the  Practicum Placement Request Form to provide the most updated information regarding practicum opportunities for BU Health Science students at your site.

Please contact us at: hsintern@bu.edu or (617) 353-7576 with any questions.

Learning Goals and Objective and Supervisor Evaluation Forms

Learning Contract

We request you discuss the Learning Objectives and Goals with the student within two weeks of start date on-site. Student is required to submit this directly to Clinical Instructor.

Midpoint Review

Please submit the Midpoint Review at the midpoint of the practicum semester. We encourage you to share your feedback directly with students. This provides an opportunity to assess the progress of the student and make adjustments, if necessary.

Final Review of Student

Please submit the Final Evaluation at the end of the semester. We request you submit by the following dates, Fall: December 10; Spring: May 10; Summer: August 9. We also encourage you to share this feedback with the student. This provides the opportunity to review the progress on objectives and goals and assess the overall performance. This is a crucial component of the practicum and professional development of the student.

Contact

Should you have any questions or comments regarding a current or potential Practicum opportunity for our students, please contact the faculty advisor:

Shelley Brown, PhD, MPH
Clinical Associate Professor
shelleyb@bu.edu

Jamie Klufts, MPH
Lecturer
jaklufts@bu.edu

Kelly Pesanelli PT, MS
Senior Lecturer
kpesan@bu.edu