Practicum

To emphasize cross-disciplinary applications and real-time problem-solving skills, our program offers an eight-week-long mentored practicum in a professional IMHS-related environment or public health field.

Students are given a folder in the Fall semester with detailed information on the practicum requirements and guidelines. Further guidance is provided at dedicated meetings throughout the academic year to help students prepare for the practicum.

The practicum should contribute to the student’s knowledge of CIM or public health at the clinical, basic science, educational, regulatory and/or public policy levels. 

A practicum is not a job, but an opportunity to learn and use practical real-world skills. It is also a responsibility: Students serve as ambassadors of the IMHS program, and their performance affects opportunities and expectations for future students. Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally at all times during their internship.

Registration

Students register for this course (IMHS 7951) in February-March to start the practicum during the summer session. 

Full-time students are required to successfully complete their two semesters of coursework before starting the practicum. 

Part-time students are advised to consult with the program directors before engaging in any discussions with the practicum site.

Schedule

The mentor and student should agree upon the precise start and end dates of the practicum. The practicum can begin at any time after the end of the Spring semester, which is usually wrapped up by mid-May. Students accepted to medical school with classes starting in July or August must schedule the start of their practicum in mid-May so they will have time to complete the eight-week training course.

Practicum Placements

The practicum has offered diverse experiences and has included a wide range of positions at Georgetown University and other local and national academic institutions, at federal agencies, and in the nonprofit public sector. Over the years, students have worked at international agencies as well as in clinics and laboratories in India, the United Kingdom, China, Germany and Russia, engaging in eye-opening, innovative and cutting-edge projects in the IMHS field.

This is a growing list of some of the institutions and organizations where our students have worked:

• Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAH) – Washington, D.C.
• Bastyr University – Kenmore, WA
• Beth Israel, Dept of Integrative Medicine, Continuum Center for Health and Healing – New York, NY
• Capital Area Food Bank – Washington, D.C.
• Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland – Baltimore, MD
• Center for Science in the Public Interest – Washington, D.C.
• Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN
• Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health – Bethesda, MD
• Clinical Education Ward for Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University – Germany
• Columbia University Center for Comprehensive Wellness – New York, NY
• Duke University – Durham, NC
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Washington, D.C.
• George Washington University Integrative Medicine Center – Washington, D.C. 
• Georgetown University – Washington, D.C.
• Harvard Medical School – Boston, MA
• Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD
• Kaplan  Center for Integrative Medicine – McLean, VA
• Maryland University of Integrative Health – Laurel, MD
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) – Bethesda, MD
• Natural Products Association – Washington, D.C.
• Neurotherapy Center of Washington – Bethesda, MD
• Northwestern Health Sciences University – Bloomington, MN
• Office of Cancer CAM (OCCAM) at NCI, NIH – Bethesda, MD
• Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), NIH – Bethesda, MD
• Osher Center for Integrative Medicine – Boston, MA
• Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) – Washington, D.C.
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – Washington, D.C. 
• Samueli Institute – Alexandria, VA
• Smithsonian Institution – Washington, D.C.
• The Mindfulness Center – Bethesda, MD
• University of California San Diego – San Diego, CA
• University of Connecticut – Storrs, CT
• University of Washington Medical Center – Seattle, WA
• University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA
• Yale University – New Haven, CT