Field Experience & Independent Study: Health Policy and Management
Field Experience Policies and Procedures
HPM Coordinator: Professor Beth Kilbreth
HPM Field Experience Contract Form
I. Requirement
A two-credit field experience is required of all students as a condition of graduation. Substitution of an independent study for the field experience is permissible for students with substantial professional experience in health services management, policy analysis, or policy development. However, all students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to broaden their experience by meeting this requirement. The student must register for 2 credit hours under the course number designated for HPM field experience (currently, HPM 696).
II. Choosing the site for the field experience.
The field experience will play a major role in furthering the careers of HPM students. Therefore, final choice of the site should be deferred until the student has had some discussion with his or her adviser regarding career plans. Students whose career plans are uncertain should at least be able to limit the options as part of these discussions. It is the student's responsibility to schedule a meeting with the adviser when 24 or more credit hours have been completed. It is the adviser's responsibility to monitor each advisee's progress, and suggest when it seems appropriate to begin discussions of the appropriate site.
Students do not have to obtain the placement through the Muskie School . Many students locate excellent opportunities for field experiences with organizations that they have a direct interest in, or from other personal or professional sources. The Muskie School has assisted in the placement of graduate students in a variety of organizations; public, private and non-profit, with local, state and national organizations. Most positions are paid at around $9-12 per hour, but there are significant opportunities for which the lack of pay is offset by the valuable experience gained.
Information regarding field experience opportunities is made available to students through a variety of methods. Informational flyers are sometimes placed in student mailboxes and posted on student bulletin boards. Additional information is available through the Office of Student Affairs, from faculty advisers, and the Muskie School student listserv. Examples of organizations where HPM students have been placed include Blue Cross Blue Shield, Maine Bureau of Health, Maine Bureau of Medical Services, Maine Health, Martin's Point Health Care, Mercy Hospital, Office of the Governor, Office of Congressman Tom Allen, and Portland Public Health.
Generally and in order to increase a student’s exposure to different organizations, students cannot do an internship in an organization that is employing the student. However, if they can qualify to be exempt from the field experience requirement (see below), an independent study (2 credits) can be based on a project conducted at the student's place of employment.
III. Hours
While the typical field experience entails about 120 hours of work over the course of an academic semester, students can be flexible in arranging work hours and location with their employers. For example, a field experience can be completed by working full time for a month during the summer.
IV. Supervision
Once a field experience placement has been obtained, the student must complete a contract form, available through the Office of Student Affairs, or from his or her adviser. The student must identify both a faculty supervisor and a site supervisor as part of this contract. The student must arrange a meeting between the faculty supervisor and the work site supervisor before starting work, or during the first week of the placement. Whenever possible, these meetings should be face-to-face. However, a telephone conference is an acceptable substitute. Similarly, the student should arrange another meeting with the faculty and work site supervisors once during the placement, and once when the placement is completed. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss progress, appropriateness of tasks, changes in assignments, etc.
V. Products
Upon completion of the field experience, the student must submit a written product. This “deliverable” can take the form of a formal report describing the work experience. For students whose placement involves a specific project, a copy of the project or report may be submitted as evidence of their experience. A grade of pass/fail is submitted upon completion of the field experience.
