A macro perspective of non-clinical student internship programs.

Internships are advantageous to both health care organizations and students. Intern employers benefit in many ways such as completing meaningful backlogged projects, savings on benefits, using internships as a recruiting tool, and becoming a partner in the educational process. There are drawbacks to internships such as increased managerial time to supervise interns and monitor projects, contingent workforce issues with which to deal, and assignment of routine tasks only. Indicators for administration of meaningful internship programs as well as evaluation concerns are discussed. This article addresses college and university internships excluding applied health care clinical rotations.