“At CareGuard we care deeply about our public image and would be looking for students participating in the program to be able to work with our videographer to create great documentaries and publication material for the ministry.”
-Anthony Schinelli, 2021 CareGuard Internship Program Representative
The program will consist of a main research project, where interns will be divided into groups of 4-5 and research a given topic of their choosing (see below), and present their findings and results at the end of the program. In addition, a rotational track within the internship will allow students to enjoy exposure to a wide variety of experiences in the healthcare field, including shadowing in an out-patient clinic and operating room (COVID-dependent), as well as work with surgeons directly to implement Dr. Hey’s novel surgery safety checklist, 3Greens, into their practice, and tailor it to their needs. Furthermore, interns will be given several books regarding process thinking and quality improvement to choose from to read and discuss in small groups, and will regularly attend lectures centered on personal leadership and growth run by Dr. Hey. Lectures will often have a small assessment afterwards designed to reinforce the information presented, as well as encourage students to think deeply about the topics discussed.
The internship will be hosted at 3320 Wake Forest Rd suite 450 on the 4th Floor; the building is located next to the Duke-Raleigh Hospital and students will have access to spots in the P1 parking deck. The program will be conducted from late May to mid-July, and will be hosted both in person and virtually. The amount of in person activity will depend on the situation regarding the coronavirus as the start date approaches. Students should expect to spend roughly 20 hours a week on internship related activities and projects.
Below are the list of books and research topics that students will be able to choose from at the start of the internship; please note that both of these lists are subject to change.
Books:
* Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
* Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed
* The Machine that Changed the World by James Womack, Daniel Roos, and Daniel Jones
Research Project Topics:
* The Effect of Shared-Decision Making in Treatment Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction
* This research project will delve into how the use of shared decision making in doctor-patient interactions positively affects the outcome of treatment as well as overall patient satisfaction
* The Connection Between Scoliosis and Other Non-Lethal Body Deformities and Mental Health
* This paper will analyze the link between imbalanced or poor mental health and the presence of scoliosis or other non-lethal body deformities in patients, particularly adolescents.
* Patient Outcomes as a Function of Compliance with Physical Therapy/Bracing Treatment Plan
* This paper will analyze the overall success rate of patients as a function of their compliance with the treatment plan presented to them by their provider, specifically with respect to bracing and physical therapy.
* Prospective Study Regarding Patient Outcomes as a Function of Different Operative Wake Up Times
* This study will analyze the long-term results of patient success and health as a function of the amount of anesthesia administered during their surgery and how soon they woke up post-operation.
* Increasing patient Safety Within the Operating Room Through Pre-operative Lifestyle Changes
* This paper will analyze the level of risk involved with a particular surgery in relation to any lifestyle changes the patient made before surgery to minimize risks during their operation
All students (undergraduate, medical), as well as residents may apply. To apply, visit CareGuard.org/internship-application/. For more information visit CareGuard.org.