Immigrant and Refugee Health Internships in California
Each UC Davis Summer Abroad Internship program pairs UC Davis Study Abroad with a partner organization that manages the personalized internship placements; arranges accommodations and excursions; leads onsite orientations and optional social events; and provides 24/7 emergency support. As part of the placement process for Summer Internships, participants will first enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad and then complete a supplemental application for the partner organization associated with their particular Summer Internship program.
Although Study Abroad partners with outside organizations for some aspects of Summer Abroad Internships, the official provider for these programs is UC Davis Study Abroad, and course credit is issued by UC Davis.
Internship Placement Process
After students enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad in the USA—Immigrant and Refugee Health in California Summer Internship program, they will receive instructions for completing a separate application and portal for this program’s partner, Child Family Health International (CFHI). CFHI's process includes a supplemental application. Note that some CFHI programs include placement and activities at multiple internship sites while others place students at one internship for the duration of the program. No interviews are required in the placement process.
Sample Internship Placements
Public Health, relevant cultural/historical site visits and activities, and NGO/school placements and site visits will start on Monday after arrival (orientation sessions take place on Sunday after arrival) and usually take place in the mornings for 4 to 6 hours on Monday through Friday for the remaining four weeks. Some activities will take the full day, and activities will occasionally be scheduled on weekends.
Once per week, students will meet with the Program Coordinators to discuss their experiences. A lecture on a health related topics will also be provided by the Coordinator or arranged with other local experts. Students can use this time to discuss particular issues of interest, review their progress or bring up any concerns they may have.
Program sites include but are not limited to the following activities. Note that due to patient confidentiality laws, interaction with health facilities may consist of site visits, tours, on-site discussion, and/or observational shadowing:
State and NGO funded clinics serving refugees and immigrants
Various clinics providing affordable medical care and health education and affiliate services for immigrants, asylees, refugees, and victims of trafficking. Additional programs offer free and low-cost healthcare services specifically to uninsured individuals.
Day Labor Programs
Offering services and advocacy/organizing support to ensure fair pay and treatment for immigrant workers.
Legal services network & Law Clinics
A network of partnering organizations that represent immigrants, offering free legal assistance and community education to low-income families.
Human Service Agencies, Department of Public Health
Offering public health services, job training, food, cash assistance, protection and safety from abuse, childcare, housing/shelter, health insurance, and other care/support for families and individuals lacking economic security.
Refugee Resettlement Programs
Assisting refugee families to become self-sufficient through services centered around developing life, job, English, and other skills.
University-based policy and research centers
San Francisco based institutions of higher education research, apply, and evaluate solutions to public health challenges. The focus is on strong community partnerships and connecting academic research, health policy, and community interventions.
Street revitalization projects, family-centered NGOs
Endeavoring to revitalize neighborhoods with high concentration of poverty through engagement with youth and families, create reproductive justice, food security, address teen pregnancy, and end sex trafficking. These NGOs offer health education, counseling, and support services for vulnerable populations.
Rape Counseling Center
Offers 24/7 rape crisis response for low-income and primarily LatinX survivors of sexual violence.
Public High School
Serving a small, primarily LatinX town, this high school is a hub for community engagement, with teachers and administrators focused on educational opportunities (especially higher education) for students, and includes a newly-launched school clinic.
Promotoras networks
Promotoras offer primary care as well as key information and insight to LatinX communities in the greater Fresno area. They are trusted community members and often do health promotion work as volunteers. In addition to offering health information, Promotoras offer a crucial support service to inform community members about how to navigate the healthcare system with medical/medicare, no insurance, and other scenarios.
Information About UC Davis’s Partner for the Program
For the Immigrant and Refugee Health in California Internship program, UC Davis Study Abroad partners with CFHI (Child Family Health International), a nonprofit organization that offers health-focused programs, rotations, and internships in 11 countries. CFHI is recognized as a global health ethics leader and partners with over 40 universities to offer quality health education programs rooted in longstanding partnerships with local host communities. CFHI programs offer clinical rotation placements and public health opportunities (depending on the program) to provide students with a professional and holistic perspective of local health needs and resources. The Immigrant and Refugee Health Internships in California is a customized summer internship program designed by CFHI uniquely for UC Davis Study Abroad. Onsite, a team of local CFHI staff will welcome students, lead the welcome orientation, facilitate all program-related activities in health settings, coordinate and lead the group excursions and optional activities, and be on-call 24/7 for emergency support.
Transcript Notation
Students participating in UC Davis Study Abroad Internships are eligible to receive Transcript Notation (TN). Transcript notation documents your academically approved internship on your official UC Davis transcript. By having your experience noted, it provides proof of where and when you participated in an internship. This is especially valuable for international internships that may be difficult for a prospective employer or program to contact.
Transcript Notation is a process you’ll start within the first two weeks of your internship placement through Handshake, the tool UC Davis Career Center uses to connect students and employers.