INSTRUCTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT/DIRECT STUDY

OR

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES

SECTION A.  INDEPENDENT AND/OR DIRECTED STUDY INSTRUCTIONS.  A one-credit BI199/299/399/499 experience usually requires the submission of a 12-20 page paper on a topic mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor. 

Format

• The paper should include typical formatting features (e.g., 10 or 12 point font, 1 inch margins top, bottom and sides), double-spaced and appropriate grammar and spelling. 

• You are expected to use contemporary references for your paper that come from reputable journal articles, books and websites. The Internet is an excellent source for journal articles.  Websites from government organizations (e.g., National Institute of Health) and other reputable organizations are acceptable, but personal websites from individuals of dubious background and expertise are not appropriate. You must learn to distinguish good internet resources from authoritative individuals from poor resources.

• There is no minimum or maximum number of references; you simply find the number that you need to write a sufficiently detailed paper.  References should follow the CBE format, a summary of which you can access by clicking HERE.

Grade and Deadlines

• About half-way through the term, you must turn in a general outline of the paper, which will allow the instructor to determine if your topic is appropriate, too broad or too narrow.  Failure to submit an outline at this time will result in the loss of 5% of your final grade for the paper.  Discuss with Dr. Scott the specific deadline date.

• One week before the end of the term, you are encouraged to submit a draft of the paper.   Dr. Scott will review the paper and provide you will feedback within 2 working days. This should not be considered as a "rough" draft, but it should be apparent to Dr. Scott that you have spent sufficient time editing the paper before you submit it for an initial review.

• The final version of the paper is due the first day of Finals Week (fall, winter or spring terms) or the last day of classes (summer term) or at a mutually agreed upon date (this must be confirmed in advance).

SECTION B.  BI389/INTERNSHIP INSTRUCTIONS

Assignment ONE:  You must keep a journal for the entire internship (50% of your grade). You don't need to make daily entries, nor do you need to keep a running list of all your experiences.  The function of the journal is to reflect on what you are experiencing and how it relates to your future career goals.

• In the early weeks of your internship, answer these questions in your journal:
  • Why did you do this internship?  What do you expect/hope to get out of the experience?
• As you progress through your internship, write about some of the more interesting experiences you had on your internship.  Tell a story about the experience.  What made them interesting?  Did this experience make you evaluate or reinforce your career goals?  If you visited multiple locations, describe what made each experience different.
• At the end of your internship, you should address these questions in your journal:
  • Did you get from the internship what you hoped to experience/learn?  Explain.
  • How did your education at Augustana prepare you for this experience?
  • How did this experience relate to your future goals?
  • Do you feel better prepared for your  future career goal as a result of this experience?
  • How has this experience reinforced your desire to enter this career?  If you are having doubts about your career goals, why are you experiencing these doubts?

The deadline for submitting the journal is Monday of Finals Week, by 5:00pm. You may submit it on a disk or as a hard-copy. You will be penalized for submitting the journal after the 5:00pm deadline. The journal must be easily readable by me and grammatically accurate. Typed entries are preferred, but hand-written is acceptable.  Do not mention patients by name, as this is divulging private information.

Assignment TWO:  Write a concise and well-written paper (4-5 pages) about a specific technique or treatment that you observed during your internship.  The purpose of this assignment is to get you into the professional literature of your future career.  Don't make the language too technical, as I may not understand it if it is strongly medical.  Prove to me that you understand the purpose of the technology/treatment and some of the research on its effectiveness or applications. The deadline for submitting the paper is Monday of Finals Week, by 5:00pm. You may submit it on a disk or as a hard-copy. You will be penalized for submitting it after the 5:00pm deadline.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact to me. Have a great time on your internship!