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The Office of Public Health Practice & Training

FAQs

FAQs for Interns
FAQs for Preceptors

FAQs for Interns

What is PHASE?

PHASE is a non-paid, for-credit placement program sponsored in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH), the Bloomberg School and the Mid-Atlantic Public Health Training Center (MAPHTC). PHASE offers opportunities for Bloomberg School public health graduate students to apply academic knowledge and theory in real-world professional practice settings. The primary goal of PHASE is to enrich Bloomberg School academic degree programs with hands-on public health practice experience. Additionally, by working directly on-site, students develop a better appreciation of how the organization functions on a daily basis and gain insight into the public health decision-making process. 

Who is PHASE Appropriate For?

PHASE is open to all students enrolled in graduate degree programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

What are Prerequisites/Registration Requirements of PHASE?

All PHASE students are required to register for PHASE Internship Course class 550.851.01 for at least two consecutive terms for at least two credits per term.

There are two rounds of PHASE internships available. The first round of PHASE commences in the 2nd academic term (last week of October) the second round of PHASE begins in the 3rd academic term (last week of January). Students participating in either round of PHASE must commit to a minimum of 2 terms.

All students must have completed Principles of Epidemiology (340.601) OR Epidemiologic Methods I (340.751) by the start of their PHASE internship.

All PHASE students are expected to abide by the Bloomberg School Academic Ethics Code. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the Academic Ethics Module and review these guidelines, particularly the definitions of academic dishonesty, and to be sure they understand the actions and potential consequences when in violation of the code. Additionally, the students are expected to abide by DHMH policies. The Preceptor will review these policies with the student.

PHASE Requirements

What is the Selection Process for PHASE Interns?

Students are required to submit an online PHASE application.

Round 1 applications deadline for the 2012-2013 academic year were closed in September 2012.

Round 2 applications deadline for the 2012-2013 academic year were closed in November 2012.

The next round of PHASE internships will be open in Fall 2013. 

Are There Any Other Details I Should Know Before Applying?

FAQs for Preceptors

What Kind of Projects Qualify as PHASE Internships?

PHASE Internships should be developed based on a public health practice need. The main objective is to expose Bloomberg School graduate students to various aspects of public health practice in a public health practice setting. Projects should focus less on academic research and data ‘crunching’ and more about the impact(s) of the project on public health policy. To see the types of projects PHASE Interns have participated in, please click here.

How Long Should a PHASE Internship Last?

There are two rounds of PHASE Internships, and internships will cover either two or three academic terms. Bloomberg School students have a January Intersession and break which runs from December 22, 2012 – January 21, 2013. If you require your intern to work through the Intersession, please indicate that on the Internship Application.

For the First Round of PHASE Internships, the optional durations are:

For the Second Round of PHASE Internships, the optional duration is:

How Much Time Should I Expect My PHASE Intern to Devote to the Internship?

PHASE Interns are expected to spend a minimum of 6-8 hours per week, ON-SITE, towards their internship. This is an expected average, and from week-to-week, the time spent on-site should be negotiated with the student. Most interns are full-time students, and therefore will have relatively demanding academic schedules. 

How Many Interns Can I Precept?

It is recommended that each preceptor only be responsible for ONE intern. If your project requires more than one intern, please consider revising the project description so that it can be submitted as separate and distinct projects with separate supervisors/preceptors.

Which Agencies Can Participate in PHASE?

Due to the rigor of Bloomberg School graduate programs, and therefore, the limited amount of time students can spend traveling, PHASE internships are limited to organizations within a 30-minute travel distance (by car) from Baltimore city to the public health agencies.

The following agencies are eligible:

If you are interested in having a Bloomberg School graduate student as an intern, but are not one of the agencies in the above list, please contact Jennifer Le at jle@jhsph.edu who will be able to assist you in project development and placement.

Who Selects My PHASE Intern?

The PHASE Course Directors and the Program Manager serve as the PHASE Admission Committee and review the applications submitted by students. From this list, they select no more than 10 interested and qualified students and ask the Preceptor to select and interview student(s).  The preceptor is given about 2 weeks to complete the interviews. These interviews can be in person or over the phone, and do not need to be more than 15 minutes in length. The preceptor then informs the PHASE Program Manager of the student(s) they wish to host. A couple of weeks later, preceptors and students are informed of placements.

Please note that it is of the utmost importance that prospective preceptors provide as much detail in their internship description. If there are specific skills and qualifications you would like your intern to possess, please provide this information when you submit an internship.

Who Can I Contact for More Information?

Ms. Dipti D. Shah, MPH
PHASE Course Co-Director
dipti.shah@maryland.gov

Beth A. Resnick, MPH
PHASE Course Co-Director
bresnick@jhsph.edu

Jennifer X.T. Le, MPH
Practicum Navigator
jle@jhsph.edu