Internships in Social Work

  1. Internships for Graduate Students

    By completing an internship at St. Jude, you will be able to develop your professional skills and grow as a social worker. The Social Work team will provide guidance and support as you work with patients and families coping with life-threatening diseases such as cancer, HIV, and blood disorders.

    We hope you will consider St. Jude for your internship.

    During your internship, you will have the opportunity to:

    • Understand the role of a medical social worker and learn how to provide counseling to help patients and families cope with diagnosis and treatment.
    • Participate in interdisciplinary care teams, including psychosocial and medical rounds
    • Learn to apply evidence-based practice skills
    • Acquire knowledge of medical terminology and procedures
    • Foster professional relationships with patients and staff
    • Develop comprehensive psychosocial assessment skills
    • Palliative and end-of-life care
    • Opportunities to observe or engage in palliative and end-of-life care
    • Understand the late effects of treatment by working with survivors of cancer
    • Provide clinical services to diverse patient populations, including international families and patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
    • Provide transitional counseling to patients moving from active treatment to completion of treatment and from pediatric care to adult care

    As a St. Jude social work intern, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in several major medical service areas at St. Jude, including Leukemia/Lymphoma, Bone Marrow Transplant, Solid Tumor, Neuro-Oncology, Hematology, HIV, Cancer Survivorship and Transition.

    Internships are limited to second-year or advanced-standing students in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). If you are a student inquiring about clinical social work as a profession, you can learn more under Frequently Asked Questions.

    Social Work Internship Requirements

    • Applicants must be currently enrolled in either a Master of Social Work (MSW) or Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
    • A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for placement at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
    • Graduate level interns must be in the second year or have advanced-standing status.
    • Internships are only available Monday through Friday during daytime business hours.
    • Internship hours will be agreed upon based on the requirements of the academic program prior to the beginning of the placement.
    • St. Jude will require a contract with your university if you are selected for a placement.
    • International students are welcome to apply. Please be aware of the additional time needed to complete appropriate documentation. Fluency in English is required.

     

  2. Internships for Undergraduate Students

    The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) internship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital focuses on teaching students fundamental/generalist social work skills while working with acute and chronically ill children, families and young adults in a hospital setting. This opportunity will help you develop professional skills in a structured and supported educational environment.

    During your internship, you will have the opportunity to:

    • Understand the role of a medical social worker and learn how to provide counseling to help patients and families cope with diagnosis and treatment.
    • Participate in interdisciplinary care teams, including psychosocial and medical rounds
    • Learn to apply evidence-based practice skills
    • Acquire knowledge of medical terminology and procedures
    • Foster professional relationships with patients and staff
    • Develop comprehensive psychosocial assessment skills
    • Palliative and end-of-life care
    • Opportunities to observe or engage in palliative and end-of-life care
    • Understand the late effects of treatment by working with survivors of cancer
    • Provide clinical services to diverse patient populations, including international families and patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
    • Provide transitional counseling to patients moving from active treatment to completion of treatment and from pediatric care to adult care

    As a St. Jude social work intern, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in several major medical service areas at St. Jude, including Leukemia/Lymphoma, Bone Marrow Transplant, Solid Tumor, Neuro-Oncology, Hematology, HIV, Cancer Survivorship and Transition.

    Social Work Internship Requirements

    • Applicants should be enrolled in a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
    • Internships are available for a traditional Fall/Spring Semester placement or a Fall Block/Accelerated Placement. Spring and Summer placements are not available.
    • Internships are only available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    • Internship hours will be agreed upon based on the requirements of the BSW program prior to the beginning of the placement.
    • Your school must have a contractual relation with St. Jude. Contact your university to confirm your school has a contractual agreement with St. Jude before applying. If your program does not have an agreement with St. Jude,  your field coordinator should email swtraining@stjude.org to begin the process of initiating this agreement.
    • Students with high academic achievement will have priority.
    • International students are welcome to apply. Please be aware of the additional time needed to complete appropriate documentation. Fluency in English is required.
    • Resumes and cover letters are accepted from January 1 to March 15 annually. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible within the application period. Please, send cover letters and resumes to swtraining@stjude.org.
    • Due to the high volume of applications, only a limited number of students will be selected for placement interviews.
    • Interviews will be held on-site or virtually in early April
    • Students selected for internships will then be notified directly or via their field coordinators.
    • St. Jude Academic Programs staff will send electronic notifications regarding steps required before placement can begin. Steps will include providing proof of vaccinations, health care and liability insurance, and an official transcript. A background check, drug screening and other screenings as needed will also be part of the acceptance process. 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Due to the high volume of inquiries from students requesting interviews for class assignments, we are not able to provide individual responses. The following frequently asked questions may help educate students about medical social work.

  1. Our social workers find it rewarding to build rapport and develop long-term working relationships with patients and their families and caregivers during treatment. It is empowering to help a family realize the resilience they have in coping with their child’s illness. Helping families navigate treatment as they develop and strengthen their coping skills gives us fulfillment.

  2. As in any medical setting, the possibility of losing a patient to illness is realistic and challenging due to the relationships we build over the course of a patient’s treatment. Additional challenges include dealing with chronically ill children, counseling families with unique family dynamics, handling custody issues, and finding the balance between daily meeting patient needs when an unexpected patient crisis occurs.

  3. No two days are alike in the life of a medical social worker at St. Jude, and flexibility is a must when it comes to the day-to-day schedule. Expect the unexpected. A day may consist of completing a psychosocial assessment, providing support to a patient and family, writing letters, completing financial applications, making wish referrals, attending multidisciplinary meetings to discuss patients and their needs (medical and psychosocial), and completing required documentation.

  4. A standard workday is eight hours, Monday through Friday. There are times when an emergency will require a social worker to stay late. Also, a rotating on-call social worker is available outside of normal business hours, and a weekend social worker is available during regular business hours during the weekend.

  5. Each St. Jude social worker must have Master of Social Work degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and a license. Social Worker I requires an LMSW and Social Worker II requires an LCSW.

  6. If you are thinking of pursuing a career in medical social work, seek out quality learning and volunteer opportunities in the medical field or fields such as mental health and hospice. The skills learned in these professions are applicable to our day-to-day routine. These opportunities will expose you to the numerous aspects of being a medical social worker.

    It is important to have a working knowledge of family systems and varying cultural and socioeconomic circumstances. Being a medical social worker can be a challenging occupation, and it is important to start practicing good self-care while still in school to foster longevity in this profession. 

  7. St. Jude Social Work does not offer shadowing or volunteer opportunities. For hospital volunteering activities, contact Volunteer Services. 

  8. Yes, Social Work offers a limited number of second-year or advanced standing master’s level internships each year. We also offer one senior-year bachelor’s level internship each year. Social work internships focus on helping families cope with the diagnosis of a pediatric life-threatening disease and navigate the hospital system. Interns also prepare treatment plans, work with interdisciplinary care teams, and foster relationships with cancer survivors and the bereaved.

    St. Jude does not offer first-year master’s level social work internships.

 
 

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