
Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Internship Program
About the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Internship Program
The Division of Healthcare Engineering (DHE), housed within the Department of Radiation Oncology in the School of Medicine, offers internship opportunities that immerse students in real-world healthcare innovation, clinical operations, and data-driven research.
Developed in collaboration with the Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP), this Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Internship (PSQI) provides students with practical experience supporting high-impact projects across UNC Health—alongside clinicians, engineers, researchers, and data scientists.
What You’ll Do
Interns contribute to active projects across four strategic pillars:
- Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
- Analyze incident reports and participate in safety event reviews
- Identify patterns in process failures or near misses
- Contribute to initiatives focused on improving patient safety and care delivery quality
- Data Science and Decision Support
- Prepare and analyze clinical or operational datasets
- Build dashboards, reports, and data workflows
- Contribute to artificial intelligence and machine learning applications
- Operations and Well-being
- Investigate clinical workflows to uncover inefficiencies
- Investigate system factors contributing to burnout
- Support the implementation of improvement efforts
- Research and Innovation
- Assist with data collection and analysis
- Assist with manuscript development
- Assist with dissemination of findings at conferences
Program Details
This program is designed for students in the Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP), especially those pursuing:
- Clinical and public health informatics
- Health systems engineering and quality improvement
- Data science and healthcare analytics
- Clinical research or health technology careers
Students are expected to commit to at least two consecutive internship periods (e.g., spring + summer, summer+ fall, fall + spring) to allow for deeper engagement with project teams and greater continuity in learning.
Must be a current CHIP student (MPS BMHI or PhD) or an incoming student who has officially accepted an offer to the CHIP program. Students must have completed or be enrolled in Systems Analysis (CHIP 720 (preferred) OR INLS 582) to apply for the internship. Students will be expected to also complete Quality Improvement and Lean Six-Sigma (CHIP 690-314) during the internship period.
Students may apply even if they are not seeking internship course credit. Applications from recent graduates of the CHIP program may also be considered for DHE project opportunities.
Applications are reviewed by CHIP program administrators, who conduct initial screenings. Finalists are referred to DHE for interviews and potential project placement.
Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis—early applications are strongly encouraged. Add your hidden blocks here
| Semester | Application Review Begins | Interviews Begin | Internship Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | Closed | — | May 18, 2026 |
| Fall 2026 | May 2026 | May and June 2026 | August 17, 2026 |
| Spring 2027 | September 2026 | October 2026 | January 6, 2027 |
Format
On-site or hybrid, depending on the project. Please note: Internship placements, schedules, and available positions may vary slightly each semester based on project needs and mentor availability.
Academic Credit
Students pursuing practicum credit through CHIP must complete a minimum of 300 hours. This structure is designed to meet that requirement over two consecutive terms (e.g., spring + summer, summer+ fall, fall + spring). Students are responsible for coordinating with CHIP program administrators to ensure all academic credit requirements are met, including an internship program proposal, hour tracking, and course registration.
Students may apply even if they are not seeking internship course credit.
Hours and Pay
In general, students will work up to10 hours per week during fall and/or spring semesters. Students will work up to 20 hours per week during the summer term. Students will be hired as Graduate Research Assistants (GRA’s) and receive a monthly stipend. Tuition and student health insurance (GSHIP) is not included. Unpaid opportunities may also be available for additional project support.
Submit your application including a brief statement of interest and resume below. Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Program Leadership

Jenny Kaselak, MEd
Associate Director of the Carolina Health Informatics Program
School of Information & Library Science

Lukasz Mazur, PhD
Professor, Joint appointment between School of Medicine (SOM), Radiation Oncology and School of Library and Information Science (SILS)
Director of the Division of Healthcare Engineering