Handbook

The Pharmaceutical Medicine Internship course (6 UOC) will provide a small number of students with the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the Medical Department of a Pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, the TGA, OGTR or Department of Health, a related organisation (such as a contract organisation) or the Phase I clinical trials centre at UNSW/POWH, through a workplace internship.  The internship will be available to students in the Master in Pharmaceutical Medicine program.  There are a small number of students progressing through these programs who do not have experience working within a pharmaceutical company and this internship will provide them with valuable work experience to enable them to compete for positions within the industry.

The Program Authority will determine, with the student and relevant organisation, a suitable internship placement and the proposed scope and focus of workplace activities with which the student can meaningfully engage and contribute to, for the duration of their internship. The activities and focus of the internship placement will be relevant to the organisation and student and can be either project or normal operations-based.

The internship course draws on an evidence informed approach from recent higher education research in practice based education (Higgs 2012), inquiry based learning (Savery 2006) and negotiated work based learning (Costley & Lester 2009).  Collectively this research suggests imbuing courses with a strong ethos of reflexivity and practitioner inquiry.  In particular it suggests that the following features provide a robust basis for fostering high level practitioner capacities from engagement in work placements:

• Negotiated work-based learning agreements involving the university, workplace organisation and student, focusing on agreed workplace activities and production of a workplace relevant product/report

• Full-time immersion in the workplace to support practitioner development and understanding of organisational context, realities and operational rhythms and challenges

During the placement, students will have two supervisors (one academic, one workplace based) and will be required to undertake 160 hours in the workplace (approximately 20 hours/week over 8 weeks. The way the course is structured provides time for Schon's reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action,  both essential elements for the integration of knowledge, skills and experience. It also matches the requirements of internships of other disciplines with practice based courses.

Under the guidance of the workplace supervisor, students will have the opportunity to work independently and as part of a team to complete the tasks set. Students will be assessed on their negotiated internship agreement and a written report. A list of generic capabilities/activities available to students during placements will inform the negotiated internship agreement. A portion of their submitted report will also include a reflective piece on the implications for future professional practice drawing upon the internship experience and relevant themes from within the student’s Master's Program.

Prior to commencing on the placement, students will be required to meet with the Program Authority to discuss their placement including timing, responsibilities, OHS and risk management etc. The student will also be required to complete  relevant paperwork prior to commencemnt i.e. risk assessment forms, confidentiality agreements, etc.