Child Life Specialist and patients smiling while coloring at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Learn from World-Renowned Experts

Scottish Rite for Children offers hands-on experience through our practicums, workshops and internships. Learn more about our various programs designed for students with an interest in these areas below:

  • Child Life Practicum 
  • Child Life Workshop
  • Summer Nurse Extern Program
  • Therapeutic Recreation Internship
  • Movement Science Lab Internship
  • Sports Medicine Research Internship
  • Orthopedic Clinical Summer Internship

Student Programming & Internships/Externships

For those interested in becoming a Certified Child Life Specialist, a practicum is an observational experience open to those individuals preparing for a Child Life internship. A practicum provides the student an opportunity to become familiar with Child Life services and children’s reactions to hospitalization. These observation experiences and assignments encourage the development of communication skills with individuals and groups. It also provides a supportive environment to integrate theory with clinical practice and enhance the student’s experience with planning and implementing therapeutic activities. This practicum program will consist of two rotations completed at both the Dallas and Frisco campuses.

Our practicum program will be accepting applicants for Spring 2024.

Please mail the complete application packet to the address below OR email the complete application packet to childlifepracticum@tsrh.org

Requirements

  • Common SACLP application
  • Required courses:
    • Play
    • Child Development
    • Child Life Course
      • The SACLP requires two out of three courses be completed and one course may be in progress and must be in good standing.
  • Resume or CV
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Two reference forms, signed, sealed, and mailed or sent via email to childlifepracticum@tsrh.org.
    •  One reference form must be from someone who observed you with direct interaction with children.
    • Reference forms must be directly sent from the reference and must include applicants first and last name in the subject line of the email.
  • 100 hours of volunteer or work with children (Working with kids in healthcare setting recommended)
  • Sophomore year or higher

Mailing Address

Child Life Department
2222 Welborn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219

Deadlines

Spring

  • Applications due: September 19
  • Interviews: October 
  • Applicant notifications: By fourth Tuesday in October
  • Applicant acceptance: Within 24 hours of receiving offer

Fall

  • Applications due: March 29
  • Interviews: April-May 
  • Applicant notifications: By third Tuesday in May
  • Applicant acceptance: Within 24 hours of receiving offer
We do not offer a summer practicum placement. 

Please email childlifepracticum@tsrh.org for additional questions.

To learn more about the field of Child Life and how to become a certified Child Life Specialist, please visit www.childlife.org.

Scottish Rite for Children offers a therapeutic recreation internship to students studying therapeutic recreation and/or taking classes to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). The internship is a 14-week nonpaid program to help prepare students for an entry-level position in therapeutic recreation. Interns work 40 hours per week and have the opportunity to work with inpatients and outpatients, as well as assist with community outreach programs. Our internship builds on what is learned in the classroom to prepare the student for success in whatever setting they choose to practice therapeutic recreation.

Our internship prepares students for the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification exam, which each student must pass to become a CTRS.

Interns must complete the application form, once submitted, we will contact you if we would like to proceed with scheduling an interview. For more information, please contact the Therapeutic Recreation Department at 214-559-5179 or email therapeutic.recreation@tsrh.org.


Next available therapeutic recreation internship: Summer 2024.
Deadline for applications: March 10, 2024

Scottish Rite for Children offers internship opportunities to students studying kinesiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology and biomedical engineering in the Movement Science Labs on the Dallas and Frisco campus.
 
Summer internships consist of an eight to 10-week unpaid program, and have a minimum requirement of 20 hours a week (preference is given to those able to work 40 hours per week). The goal of the internship is to provide students with an opportunity to observe motion analysis in a clinical setting. Each student is assigned a project based on their educational background and experience. Our summer curriculum series also includes weekly didactic lecture and assignments emphasizing clinical research design and practices, as well as, basic biomechanics and motion analysis.
 
Semester internships are also available in both the Fall and Spring. Requirements and internship details vary based on the student and lab availability.

Students interested in an internship must complete the student interest application. To be considered, students must submit a resume with their application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, however please note the following deadlines:

Summer Application Deadline: March 15
Fall Application Deadline: July 1
Spring Application Deadline: November 15

If you have questions about internship opportunities in the Movement Science Lab, please contact
gaitlab@tsrh.org.
 

Scottish Rite for Children offers internship opportunities to students interested in studying sports medicine, orthopedics and clinical research at the Frisco campus, which could include sports injuries, concussions and fractures.

The sports medicine research internship program consists of a minimum eight-week curriculum. It is unpaid and requires a commitment of 10-20 hours per week. The goal of the internship is to provide students with a solid foundation in clinical research methodology. Each student is assigned a research topic, based on their educational background and experience, to develop over the course of the curriculum with the help of didactic lectures and focused assignments.

The internship also includes observation in clinics, operating rooms, the movement science lab and career development discussions (pre-med, pre-Ph.D., pre-P.T., etc.). Internships outside of the summer program are available, but vary based on availability.

This internship is designed for incoming and established undergraduate students. Interested students must complete the application AND attach a resume. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered:

Summer 2024 Application Deadline: March 31, 2024

If you have questions about internship opportunities in sports medicine, please contact sportsresearch@tsrh.org.

Scottish Rite for Children's orthopedic internship is a two-week program offered in the summer to highly qualified rising college freshman, sophomores, juniors and/or seniors graduating in the Spring. The purpose of the internship is to provide opportunities for students to shadow in the clinical environments. Interns will be welcomed and encouraged to observe our team in all of the clinical areas in the outpatient and operation room setting. You are welcome to attend any conferences or educational forums that are open to residents, doctors and Scottish Rite staff. Applicants should have a special interest in orthopedics.

For the clinical portion of the internship, you will see a variety of orthopedic patients and diagnoses, including but not limited to, scoliosis, limb length discrepancies, hip dysplasia and clubfoot. In addition, you will be exposed to the spectrum of pediatric orthopedics and will observe side by side with our doctors and advanced practice providers as they determine best treatment options for each patient. For the leadership portion of the internship, you will receive assigned reading and participate in two mini leadership workshops with the administrative leadership of the Orthopedics department. Through collaboration with our leaders, you will discuss topics such as traits of high performing leaders, incorporating your personal values into leadership, inspiring vision and managing leadership challenges in health care.

Requirements:
  • Must be a full-time, rising college freshman, sophomore, junior or senior graduating in the Spring. 
  • Currently enrolled full-time in a four-year accredited college or university at the time of application.
  • A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
  • Considering a career in medicine or health care (preferably Orthopedics).
  • Available for the full two weeks and a commitment of a minimum of 30 hours per each work week. 
The internship is unpaid. We do, however, pay for all of the meals, drinks and snacks that our interns purchase while working on campus. You are not required to live in Dallas, but it is recommended. Parking is available at no cost and the campus is accessible by public transportation.


Applications for the 2023 Orthopedic Clinical Summer Internship have now closed. Applications for the 2024 Orthopedic Clinical Summer Internship will open in February 2024. Please check back for more information!

If you have any questions about the orthopedics internship, please email orthopedic.summerinternship@tsrh.org

The Scottish Rite for Children Summer Nurse Extern Program offers a paid opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a pediatric setting while learning performance expectations of an entry-level staff nurse. Externs get the chance to attend educational seminars, in-services and join patients at one of Scottish Rite's specialized summer camps. Continued work opportunities in PRN Nurse Tech positions are also available. The program requires a 12 week commitment (May 13 - August 2). 
 
 
Application Process

Application submissions will be accepted through February 9. Interviews will be held the week of Febuary 26. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited school of nursing and Returning as a Senior Nursing Student in the Fall of 2024, graduating with a nursing degree in December 2024 or May 2025, 3.25 GPA in nursing core courses and one clinical rotation by program start date. Pediatric rotation completion preferred. All applicants must be able to fully commit to the 12-week program.

To apply, submit an online application and include the following information with your application:
  • Your resume
  • Official academic transcripts (Must include nursing core courses)
  • A photocopy of your current American Health Provider BLS Card (exp date)
  • A list of objectives you hope to fulfill through the program
  • Nurse Externship Application Checklist

For more information about the program and the rotation, view our flyer. For questions, please contact Shonna Norman at 214-559-7590 or email nurse.extern@tsrh.org