SPARCC Internship Update

Thank you for your interest in the SPARCC internship! The application period is currently CLOSED. Please refer to the application cycles below which have all the important dates posted about when application cycles open. If you have any questions about the information below, please feel free to contact Neel (neel@sparcctucson.com).

Internship Resources

We love students here at SPARCC and we want you to learn as much as possible during your time with us. Our internship experiences are more hands on than the typical doctor’s office. As such, we have high expectations for our students.

At SPARCC, we do not have shadowing experiences because we feel that hands-on experience in the clinic is more important. Our internship positions offer the opportunity to work directly with the doctor, patients, and staff to get an idea of what it’s like to work in a medical office. Undergraduate or gap-year students interested in interning have the opportunity to apply to either the Spring, Fall, and Summer internships. Time commitments for each internship will be listed below along with other pertinent information regarding application cycles. We offer two types of internships, both include patient interaction.

Types of Internships

 

Clinical Internship

Clinical interns work in a sports medicine clinic and work directly with patients to facilitate active rehab, balance testing, and vision testing. Clinical interns work primarily with concussion patients.

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with the concussion rehabilitation process
  • Get direct patient contact experience
  • Learn from medical professionals
  • Unique, hands-on opportunity
  • Participate in case studies to build upon your knowledge
  • Time commitment: one full-day (6-8 hours) per week during the summer internship and a half day (4 hours) per week for either the Fall or Spring internship.

Rehabilitation Internship 

Rehabilitation interns will work in the sports medicine clinic directly with the athletic trainer.  The patients that will be seen for rehabilitation appointments will be experiencing some severity of the following conditions: musculoskeletal deficit, concussion, persistent post-concussive syndrome (PPCS), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The rehabilitation programs will focus on improving the following, respective to the patient’s condition: muscular endurance and strength, mobility, neuromuscular control, vestibular, visual, and cervical deficits.

The goal of this internship is to provide an immersive experience within the rehabilitation setting.  This position will start as observational, with the intention to transition into providing hands-on assistance for patient care.

Prospective dates for summer 2023 internship:  June 5 – August 4

Time commitment: About 4-12 hours/week

Research Internship

**In order to pursue research with SPARCC, you must first complete a full semester of the clinical internship.

Research interns will complete a clinical research internship that culminates in a poster or abstract. Research opportunities are available year-round. Interns that have already completed a clinical internship are welcome to apply and use their newly gained clinical insight to guide any potential research projects. Potential applicants can direct their questions to Amal (Amal@sparcctucson.com), Joseph (Joseph@sparcctucson.com), and Neel (neel@sparcctucson.com).

Responsibilities:

  • Complete a clinical research project that culminates in a poster or abstract
    • Ability to suggest potential research topics/ideas (Requires approval prior to starting)
    • Collaborate with providers, techs, medical students, and interns on research that is already in progress
    • Gain experience working with patients
      • Learn from medical professionals
      • Unique, hands-on opportunity
  • Most of your research time can be done at home or wherever you are comfortable
  • Time commitment: 4-5 hours/week for a full 4-month period

Internship Expectations

If you are selected for the internship, you will receive a detailed packet that outlines our expectations. Below is a brief overview of what is expected.

During your internship experience, you are expected to do the following:

  • Commit to one half-day clinic per week for a full Fall or Spring semester or full-day for the Summer semester
  • Arrive on time and stay the entire time for your assigned clinic shift
  • Act professionally! At SPARCC we treat our patients like family, and we expect our students to do the same.
    • Dress professionally
    • Absolutely no cell phone use will be tolerated.
    • No other unprofessional behavior including discrimination or bigotry will be tolerated.
  • Come ready to learn every day. We strive to create a hands-on internship experience for our students, but you’ll only get out of it as much as you put in.

Clinical and Rehab Internship Applications!

The application period is currently CLOSED for summer 2023 rehabilitation and clinical internships! Please scroll down to see when the clinical internship cycle opens and closes.  Please complete an application, per your area of interest.  If interested in both, complete an application for both.

 

Summer Clinical Internship Application CLOSED: https://forms.gle/tsuDdtqGuS4hV23h7

Summer Rehabilitation Internship Application CLOSED: Summer Rehabilitation Internship Application

Fall/Spring Clinical Internship Application CLOSED: https://forms.gle/HCEtN8GmZjGPKSD88

 

 

Summer 2023

Clinical and Research: May 15 – August 18

Rehabilitation: June 5 – August 4

Application period opens: March 27th, 2023
Deadline to apply: April 28th, 2023
Application Review and Interviews: May 1st, 2023 – May 12th, 2023
Proficiency Day: August 21st, 2023 from 8:00a-12:00p at Sparcc Clinic

Fall 2023

Clinical, Research, and Rehabilitation: August 21 – December 15

Application period opens: July 3rd, 2023
Deadline to apply: July 21st, 2023
Application Review and Interviews: July 24th, 2023  – August 4th, 2023
Orientation: August 21st, 2023 from 8:00a-9:00a at Sparcc Clinic
Proficiency Day: August 26th, 2023 from 8:00a-12:00p at Sparcc Clinic

Spring 2024: Dates are being finalized…stay tuned

*Participation in these internships can qualify for college credit for science-oriented bachelor’s degrees. We can offer between 1-3 units depending on the number of hours spent per week. If you are interested in getting credit for this internship, please approve the internship with your academic advisor prior to participation.

*SPARCC is no longer offering High School internships or shadowing positions. If you are interested in shadowing for one day or completing your senior project with SPARCC, please contact Dr. Minor (drjon@sparcctucson.com) to determine whether there is any availability.

Required Readings & Other Resources

Please read the Active Rehab Protocol and Neurocognitive Assessment blog posts prior to your first day.

It would greatly benefit you to familiarize yourself with the Patient Handouts page and all of the attachments. Our most common cases are concussion/TBI followed by pediatric overuse injuries, pediatric fractures, and a variety of other musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries.

We have several readings that are designed for resident and medical student rotations. They are not required for undergrad and high school students. However, they are great resources to get you introduced to the types of cases we typically see. These readings are available under “Required Readings” and “Suggested Resources” on the Resident & Medical Student Resources page.

Returning Clinical Interns Application for Summer 2023 and Fall 2023

THE LINK IS OPEN! Returning interns who would like to continue being clinical interns for the Fall semester of 2023, please use the link below to fill out the application.

https://forms.gle/728JHJCHpBRXjFRN9

Deadline: April 28th, 2023

Final decision: May 12th, 2023

**Please be aware that not all interns will be selected to continue, due to the competitiveness of the internship.