Stream 1 students will commence their first clinical internship in the fall of their second year of study. Upon successful completion, their second clinical internship will commence in the winter semester of their second year.

We cannot guarantee clinical internships. The role of our Clinical Education Coordinator is to oversee and facilitate the selection and matching process for both the fall and winter internships. The selection and matching process involves trying to achieve the best matches considering both student and internship site preferences (the majority of internship partners prefer to interview prospective interns).

Before joining our program, you will be asked to sign a statement of understanding that outlines that interns may have to move within Canada to complete clinical internship requirements. Students are responsible for their own transportation and all associated costs in order to meet this program requirement.

When possible, your Clinical Education Coordinator can connect you with alumni and an internship site contact who may be able to suggest housing options.  Ultimately, securing housing is the responsibility of the intern.

The Clinical Education Coordinator will work with international students to determine if internship opportunities outside of Canada are possible. We have unfortunately, not had any to date. Communication to any potential internship site must be facilitated by the Clinical Education Coordinator. The related procedures including affiliation agreements between McMaster University and internship sites, etc. will need to be investigated.

We prefer that all preceptors and interns do not have a prior relationship so that assessment and evaluation of performance in the clinical education courses is unbiased and free of any conflict of interest.

All clinical preceptors are required to meet the Association of Child Life Professionals requirements for supervision which includes a minimum of 4,000 hours of paid experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (equivalent to 2 years of full time employment).

Students may identify where they have an interest in completing an internship based on the internships being offered (this varies each year). The Clinical Education Coordinator is responsible for all final placement decisions in collaboration with internships sites(following the completion of their internship candidate interviews) and the program’s Students Affairs Committee. She will work with each child life intern to ensure a best fit.

Yes, some sites offer more than one internship opportunity so one or more of our interns may be located at the same site. Internship locations vary year to year, so there is, however, no guarantee.

Clinical skills seminar is a virtual class that takes place weekly via online, live classes for the semester during which clinical internships occur.

Clinical skills seminar allows each child life intern to reflect, process and learn with, from and about one another’s experiences while completing their internship.  As each intern will be placed in a different area of child life practice, the opportunity to share evidence based practices, techniques and case study based scenarios broadens the clinical exposure for all learners and is unique to our clinical skills seminar. There are also opportunities for guest speakers and additional clinical knowledge to be gained as we follow a child life internship curriculum.

The Clinical Education Coordinator is Allison Sohanlal and she can be contacted at sohan@mcmaster.ca.