CALA News & Views | Issue 52 | Workforce

By Anna Quyen Do Nguyen, MSG, OTD

USC 's internship program offers students invaluable hands-on experience in the field of aging services. Internship placements span a wide range of settings, including senior living communities, healthcare organizations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and technology companies focused on aging services.

Both undergraduate and graduate students can participate in 12- or 15-week internships that combine academic learning with practical application. Depending on their specific program requirements, undergraduate students complete 60 to 120 hours of fieldwork while masters-level graduate students have a 240-hour requirement through an in-person, virtual or hybrid experience. At their internship sites, student interns work under the guidance of preceptors, who are experienced staff members tasked with providing guidance and leadership to these emerging gerontology professionals. Although student interns may rotate through various departments and shadow colleagues, preceptors provide feedback and insights into the profession during weekly interactions, totaling a minimum of 30 minutes for undergraduates and 60 minutes for graduate students. To provide a mutually beneficial experience and focus efforts, learning agreements created at the beginning of the semester contain internship goals that align the student intern's professional goals, opportunities available at the internship site, and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) gerontology competencies. Throughout the internship experience, student interns and preceptors/sites receive ongoing support from the director of internship training and career services advisor, who helps match students with appropriate sites, ensures quality experiences through regular check-ins and mid-semester review meetings and supports growth through reflection and evaluation. This structured approach has led to numerous success stories, with students receiving job offers from their internship sites upon graduation. The internship program's strong network of community partners ensures that student interns gain exposure to cutting-edge developments in gerontology while building professional networks that often lead to career opportunities. CALA members with an interest in exploring this opportunity should contact me at (213) 821-5577 or annaquyen.nguyen@usc.edu. g Anna Quyen Do Nguyen, MSG, OTD, is director of internship training at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Anna works to facilitate meaningful connections between gerontology students and aging service organizations by coordinating internship placements for undergraduate and graduate students aspiring to work with and serve older adults.

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