HSTP Practicum Placements

The placement can be with a government organization, NGO, company, or community group that does health, policy, or research work. Examples of possible placement sites can be Health Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada National Institute of the Blind, St. Mary’s Home, Hospital Research Institutes, and Ottawa Community Housing. The work done on the placement must be of an academic nature and advance student skill sets; this includes research, intellectual skills development, knowledge translation training, advocacy training and so on.

Students may or may not be paid for the work they do on the placement. The required documentation will vary depending on payment status (students who will not be paid are required to complete the “unpaid placements letter to placement employers” and “unpaid placements student declaration of understanding and agreement” forms).

HLTH 5801 practicum placement is a half-credit course which is supervised by someone on site at the host organization and overseen by the HSTP Coordinator.

Students must co-develop a develop a learning contract aligned with their own interests through which they are able to explore some of the practical implications of what they have learned and are learning. A placement in HSTP offers a unique opportunity for both students and host organizations

Students should start looking for a host organization for the placement as early as possible. Students may begin their practicum placement starting in third semester of the program. If a placement occurs at a site where the student already works or volunteers, there must be clear delineation between past work and the proposed deliverable of the placement. Any potential conflicts of interest (such as working with a family member or an organization they already have affiliations with) must be declared and addressed with the HSTP Coordinator prior to initiation of placement.

Students should consult with the HSTP Coordinator before starting to look for a host organization. The most important thing at this point is to confirm that the type of placement being sought is appropriate and to clarify the expectations of the course and the requirements for the student. Students will need to research organizations that do the kind of work that they are interested in exploring for the practicum placement. The student will need to contact the organizations to determine if they are willing to take a practicum student.

This is an optional course, so the onus is solely on the student to make it happen. Student is responsible for seeking the practicum opportunity and receiving approvals.

Students are responsible for adding their agreed upon learning objectives to the provided course syllabus. The student will be responsible for discussing the project deliverable with the host organization supervisor the tasks that they will be doing in their placement.

Placement Description: basic information describing the placement, including location, placement supervisor and the purpose and goals of the placement as an academic learning experience
Learning Objectives: a list of the knowledge and skills that will be acquired or developed through the placement and clear deliverables for the placement. The syllabus must be approved by the placement supervisor and the faculty supervisor

Once the student has completed the course syllabus, learning contact and any other necessary paperwork from the site organization, the student must send all documents to the HSTP Coordinator (Dr. Francine Darroch) for approval. Upon approval, the documents will be emailed to the Graduate and Departmental Administrator (Claire MacArthur) who will process an override request so that the student can register for HLTH 5801 through Carleton Central. Registration must be completed no later than 2 business days prior to the last day of registration for the given term (https://carleton.ca/registrar/registration/dates-and-deadlines/).

Students must ensure that they register for HLTH 5801 during the term in which they plan to complete their practicum placement. For example: students who plan to complete their placement hours during the months of July and August will need to register for the full summer term (May to August).

If your site requires evidence that you are a full time student, you can request proof of enrollment via Carleton Central: under Online Applications >> Request Transcript/Certificate of Enrolment/Verification of Student Status

The faculty supervisor assigns a standard letter grade based on feedback from the site supervisor and completion of the final report.

This practicum supports students in gaining relevant and practical experience through applying course learning at approved organizations. Students must complete a minimum of 100 hours and a maximum of 150 hours to complete the practicum as well as meeting expectations of the placement supervisor.

A supervisor should be experienced in the area of supervision and be available to mentor the student over the duration of the practicum – including weekly check-ins with the student.

Site supervisors should be able to mentor students; assist in preparing the learning contract (reviewing/revising what the student has drafted) and agreeing upon a field-based project deliverable at the start of the practicum term; provide a brief interim and final evaluation of the student; contacting HSTP Coordinator to discuss any issues.

Students are expected to produce an agreed upon field-based project deliverable(s) for the organization. The student is evaluated based on the interim and final evaluation reports and their
final report submitted to the HSTP coordinator.

Students are responsible for arranging the placement themselves with guidance from the HSTP Coordinator. Students must prepare a learning contract, and complete a field-based project deliverable and final report. If a placement occurs at a site where the student already works or volunteers, there must be clear delineation between past work and the proposed deliverable of the placement. Any potential conflicts of interest (such as working with a family member or an organization they already have affiliations with) must be disclosed and addressed with the HSTP Coordinator prior to initiation of placement

Organizations can send their requests to host an HSTP student to the Graduate Administrator and the details of the practicum placement will be shared with our eligible graduate cohort.

Students may or may not be paid for the work they do on the placement. The required documentation will vary depending on payment status.