Applications for this internship will be accepted until February 29, 2012. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited Graduate program at the time the internship takes place to be eligible. We encourage students who are interested in this opportunity to submit an application as soon as possible. This internship will last for three months over the summer and will offer a monthly stipend of USD 1,250/month. Additionally, please note internships with PATH are contingent upon the Intern providing documented proof of identity and eligibility to participate in a paid or unpaid practical training program in the United States, in accordance with federal immigration law. Please include a cover letter with your application.
PATH Overview
PATH is an international nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. PATH's mission is to improve the health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors.
Program Overview
Our Reproductive Health Global Program encompasses a range of approaches aimed at improving women's and men's health in low-resource settings.
Project background and aims:
Breast cancer incidence is rising steadily in low- and middle-income countries as women live longer and life styles are changing in ways that increase risk factors for breast cancer. As with many other diseases, the burden falls more heavily on poor, marginalized, and rural women due to their unequal access to screening and treatment. The importance of early detection and treatment of breast cancer is well recognized, since the cost and success of treatment is directly related to the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis. Affordable screening, diagnostic and treatment options, and resource-appropriate guidelines offer new opportunities to reach underserved populations with life-saving screening and treatment approaches that are effective and sustainable. Engaging communities in supporting appropriate-aged women in seeking breast cancer screening and following through with early treatment, as well as providing appropriate psychosocial support for women both during treatment and afterwards, has been shown to be critical to treatment success, survivorship, and quality of life.
PATH is collaborating with the Peru National Cancer Institute (INEN), the Regional Cancer Institute (IREN-Norte), and Ministry of Health (MINSA), particularly at the regional level in La Libertad. Together, we are initiating a collaborative project to introduce novel approaches to strengthen feasible, evidence-based strategies to reduce the growing burden of mortality and morbidity due to breast cancer—for women in low-resource areas.
Recognizing the role of mental health in recovery from cancer, and the need to support women to seek and continue treatment after diagnosis, the second phase of this project, a national scale-up of the model, will include new components of post-treatment support for patients—both clinical support at the local level for women who need follow-up care and monitoring, as well as psychosocial support in the community.
Note: This internship includes travel to Peru. The intern or the intern’s sponsoring institution will be responsible for all travel related costs.
Goals and learning objectives for the intern:
The intern will spend the first portion of his/her appointment in Seattle conducting desk research to prepare a literature review of applied psychosocial theory, approaches, and methods for supporting breast cancer survivors, women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and their communities. This review will include literature describing past and current efforts and standard practices in Peru and comparable countries. The intern will use this background to conduct an in-country assessment that will include soliciting the experience, expertise, and opinions of relevant stakeholders regarding the applicability of, and resources for, breast cancer related psychosocial support in Peru.
The intern will gain experience in understanding how public health interventions are developed and applied, in synthesizing information from a variety of sources to inform a program implementation strategy, and in learning about breast cancer care and support in Peru and globally.
The goal is to produce a report describing existing approaches, methods, and resources (within Peru and comparable countries) for providing psychosocial support to breast cancer survivors, women with recent diagnoses, and their communities. The intern also will learn to develop a comprehensive literature review, consult with key local stakeholders, and synthesize information that will ultimately inform the development of a public health intervention strategy; therefore, the report should include an outline of recommendations for potential next steps for developing a psychosocial component to be included in Phase 2 of the project.
Skills to be developed and/or expanded during the internship:
This internship will develop the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources, including literature reviews and interviews, to develop recommendations for program implementation.
Proposed activities:
Prepare a literature review of current psychosocial support and survivor group models and related global recommendations.
- Identify relevant Peruvian groups with skills/experience in provision of counseling/psychosocial/peer support.
- Travel to Peru to meet and interview organizations working in this field.
- Travel to La Libertad (project site) to discuss current experiences and future options for integrating psychosocial support and survivor group models at the regional level.
- Present a report describing applied models of psychosocial support for breast cancer, their gains and limitations, and the perceptions of stakeholders at different levels of the healthcare system regarding the need, efficacy, and best design of psychosocial breast cancer support systems.
Learning outcomes:
These findings will be used by PATH and partners to inform the potential development of a psychosocial support strategy as a component of a national scale-up of breast cancer control and treatment in Peru. Completion of a report summarizing the key literature, describing current resources and support for psychosocial strategies, and recommendations for next steps will be the outcome for learning for this project.
Brief description of required skills and experience:
- In process of pursuing MPH or PhD in public health, social work, psychology, or related discipline.
- Advanced Spanish language skills.
- 1-3 years experience working on women's health issues. Experience addressing women's cancers in low-resource settings desirable.
- Experience related to models of psychosocial support related to cancer or other serious illness highly desirable.
- Previous experience with literature reviews helpful.
- Living/working in Latin America setting; experience in Peru highly desirable.
Graduate-level Internship, Community-based Program for Breast Health
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