Summer Internship: University of Iowa Physicians Group (UIP)

By: Ian Rowland

Interning with University of Iowa Physicians (UIP) has been a fantastic experience, and I encourage any aspiring healthcare professional to seek a similar experience. The UIP internship has a duration of 10 weeks, it pays a monthly stipend, and it is based mainly in Iowa City and Coralville. UIP takes on 2-3 interns every summer, all of who are current MHA students at Iowa.

 

When searching for internships, I wanted a position that would be project-based, would require me to practice skills taught during the first year of the MHA program, and would teach me about the functioning of a large healthcare organization. Interning with UIP has not fallen short on any of my expectations. Weekly intern roundings at the UIHC have exposed me to many different departments within the hospital, while my projects helped me understand strategic and financial factors that affect UIP. Most of my work has been with UI Health Ventures (UIHV), which is an organization that UIP and UIHC oversee. Every week I meet with my preceptor, Beth Jaggers, who is also an adjunct professor for the MHA program, the UIP fellow, and the executive director of UIHV.

 

The rest of my week consists of status calls, preparing plans for many of my projects, research, and other tasks. I have had several projects, each of which has differed in scope and length. I have helped draft business plans for UIHV transition between IT systems and for the expansion of UIHV’s Sleep Solutions store. I also took the lead on UIHV’s annual 401(k) audit, and I am the project manager for the implementation of a new payroll/human resources system. Through these projects, I became more familiar with finance, strategy, and the functioning of a physician’s group. Unexpectedly, I also became much more familiar with human resources, which I find to be extremely valuable.

 

COVID-19 has impacted my work in a few ways. Much of my work was completed at the Health Care Support Services Building in Coralville, although I was given the option to work from home much of the time. Meetings were almost always done virtually. One of my largest projects, which involved the opening of a durable medical equipment (DME) store within UIHC, was also put on hold.

 

I, along with the other UIP interns, was given the opportunity to stay with UIP as a Graduate Assistant until our graduation. During the school year, I will continue to help develop UIP and UIHV’s business plans, and I will likely address the DME store project in the new year. I feel very fortunate to have been picked for this position, and I am excited to see where it takes me over the next year. Go Hawks!