Internships

Biology Internship Program - BIO 380
1-2 Hours of Credit

Both January Term and regular semester internships provide an opportunity for students to learn about potential career choices. All internships involve a direct association with an institution or professional individual and are distinct from independent study. Internships are generally work oriented and observational rather than academically oriented. Students cannot be compensated for their internship experience (or be employed part-time at the same place). One-two credits are awarded; evaluation is Cr/No Cr.

One major goal of this experience is to allow students a firsthand look at the professions they would like to enter. Indeed, this does weed out a few who had a false picture of the particular profession or of themselves; however, we find that most students who intern are motivated to work even harder to prepare themselves for the challenge their chosen profession presents.

A second goal in this program is educational. We feel that valuable learning derives from the volunteer service and observational experience made possible through this program. During the internship, we ask the students to i) keep a logbook of their observational experiences ii) write several reflective essays, and iii) write a short referenced paper using professional journals appropriate to the type of internship in which they are participating. We also request that the student's Off-Campus Supervisor fill out a very short evaluation of the student at the end of the program. These materials provide the means by which we evaluate the educational merits of the internship.

January Term internships (2 credits) are expected to be full time involvement for a minimum of three weeks during January. The January internship experience will fulfill the JII (Study Away) general education requirement. During the regular semester, at least 40 interning hours are required for one credit, in a minimum of one 3-hour block of time per week during the semester (3 hrs/week of actual observation, travel time to and from site is not included). Note: Bio 380 credits do not apply towards the biology major. Summer Internships will be negotiated individually, but in general, a shorter period of full-time observation (e.g., 2 weeks) is recommended over a longer period of observational "blocks." The students are expected to abide by all the codes and ethics of the partivcular profession they are observing and to conduct themselves as mature individuals. Supervisors have discretion to implement policies appropriate to their place of employment and profession.

Prerequisites: 12 credit hours in biology (including Bio 151 and 152) at Luther and approval of the Biology Department.

Specific requirements for this course include:

writing a daily log of observational activities
a weekly (or monthly if semester-long internship) reflective essay on the best/worst aspects of the profession you are in and what strengths/weaknesses you bring.
a short paper (3-5 pages) appropriate to the type of internship in which you are participating, which involves some research in the profession's literature and/or journals.
an evaluation of your participation by your immediate Off-Campus Supervisor(s) during the internship experience.

In general, students planning an internship are expected to take the initiative for making direct arrangements with off-campus professionals and/or institutions. Students seeking currently available internship opportunities should visit "Career Connection" on the Luther Career Center's website (http://career.luther.edu). To log in, click on "Students" and use your complete Luther e-mail address as the username and your Luther ID number for the password. Initial contact with the internship site is best accomplished by a brief, introductory email or letter, stating who you are and how you learned about the internship site. Offer to contact the site within a week's time to see if an internship experience is possible. Detailed arrangements should emerge in follow-up contacts. Students should contact the internship site; minimize the professional's time in the process.

There are exceptions to this student initiated process:

I. Health Care Internships: The department selects students to participate in the following programs that allow students to shadow medical doctors:

Gundersen Clinic, La Crosse, WI (4 students – housing is arranged for the Gundersen site)
Decorah Medical Clinic (Gundersen), Decorah, IA (1-3 students) ·
Winneshiek Medical Center, (Mayo), Decorah, IA (2-3 students) ·
Family Care Clinic, Decorah, IA (1 student)

Apply for the above internships through the Biology Department only. (Application Deadline – NOVEMBER 1^st)

II. Research Internships: The department selects students to participate during January term in undergraduate research at the University of Arizona-Tucson; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, and the University of Utah-Salt Lake City also have winter term opportunities. A new January Term research internship program is also being initiated with the University of Iowa Biosciences Program – there will likely be positions for January Term 2010. See Dr. Enos if interested in any of these programs.

III. Research Internships (Mayo Clinic) There is an independent selection process for doing undergraduate research at Mayo Graduate School, Rochester, MN. Request applications from Dr. Enos. The application deadline for January Interim internships at Mayo Clinic in Rochester is October 15. If you are accepted, you must still complete an Internship Registration Form for Luther College.

Internship application forms are available in SHL 231 (Lynn’s office). Due dates for internship applications through the Biology Department are as follows: SEPTEMBER 1 for fall internships

October 15 if applying to Mayo Graduate School
November 1 if applying for “departmental” internships
December 1 for January internships other than “departmental” internships
February 1for spring semester internships
May 1 for summer internships

Completed forms should be returned to the Biology Department. Following department evaluation, the Biology Internship Coordinator (Enos-Berlage) will notify students on the status of their application. Approved internship applications will then be forwarded to the Career Center, which will then forward them to the Registrar.

For further information or questions, contact

Jodi Enos-Berlage, Faculty Internship Adviser
Department of Biology
Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, IA 52101
Phone: (563) 387-1556
Email: enosbejo@luther.edu

Mark Peltz, Internship Coordinator
Career Center
Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, IA 52101
Phone: (563) 387-1472