Doctors for America Spring Internship

Doctors for America Internship Program 2013

Internship Overview

The Doctors for America (DFA) Internship Program is an exciting, dynamic, and fast-paced opportunity for anyone interested in having an impact on the national conversation around health care reform to work with an organization at the heart of health care advocacy. As a full-time or part-time DFA intern, you will be a core member of the team located in DC and will work with the Executive Director, other staff, and potentially the board and key volunteer leaders. Our aim is for you to have a rich experience with both breadth and depth of activities – from policy to advocacy to organizing to administration. You will work hard - and in exchange will gain new skills, confidence, and friendships. Compensation in the form of school credit or stipend is available.

Doctors for America Overview

Doctors for America, while based in DC, is a national movement of 16,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states working together to improve the health of the nation and ensure everyone has access to affordable, high-quality health care. The core of our work lies in community organizing - training and coaching physicians and medical students to empower their peers and other community members to stand up for the health care system we need.

Spring of 2013

As a spring intern, you will play a key role in our continued plan to raise national awareness about the importance of health reform and to mobilize providers and patients to stand up together.

The most important upcoming effort to educate and empower our members is our 3^rd Annual National Leadership Conference in April. Doctors and medical students come from all across the country to hear our keynote speakers (last year's included HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius), participate in advocacy skill building workshops, and connect with fellow advocates in the medical profession.

(Interested in Summer of 2013? Let us know!)

Intern Requirements

• Fit with our core values
• Interest in health care and social justice.
• Hard-working. If you are a full-time intern, expect to work some evenings and weekends. But don't worry, we'll keep it to 40 hours a week.
• Willing to pitch in wherever needed.
• Able to take initiative and take direction.
• Strong problem-solving abilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Eager to get feedback to improve performance
• Attention to detail.
• Web skills a plus

What You Will Learn

You will be exposed to a variety of activities, skills, and people through this internship. The specific skills you gain will depend on the particular projects to which you are assigned.

Areas of learning may include:

• Community organizing – fundamentals of how to mobilize others to action
• Organizing events like town hall meetings, calls with experts, and more
• Health policy
• The political process
• Insight into the diverse experiences of physicians and medical students around the country
• Fundraising
• Using social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) for advocacy
• Using media for advocacy, including writing press releases
• Updating a website, including html
• Administrative support functions

Here are some examples of what you might do:

• Help doctors in Chicago organize a town hall meeting with their member of Congress
• Research and create a fact sheet on state premium hikes to help DFA members in a state respond with a petition
• Write a press statement on behalf of DFA leadership in response to a congressional action
• Assign tables to conference attendees
• Make photocopies (yes, we all do it!)
• Schedule meetings for the DFA board and staff
• Call physician leaders to get updates on their activities
• Reach out to partner organizations to collaborate on an activity
• Make a video about a particular aspect of health reform

If you have any questions, please email intern@drsforamerica.org