LHSI Intern: Research Assistant, patient communication and decision making in women's reproductive health

Program Summary:  

This internship is offered as a part of the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program (LHSI). This program connects 125 IUI undergraduates per year with internships on campus with faculty and staff in a variety of health and science related campus areas/programs. All LHSI internships start in August 2025 and end in May 2026 and are paid $13/hour for up to 10 hours per week. Work-study is accepted but not required. 

Supervisor: Dr. Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds

Department/Office: Medicine; Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics

Overview of the internship site: Interested in learning more about patient communication and decision making in women's reproductive health? Join our team! I am an OB/GYN and health services researcher who studies doctor-patient communication and clinical decision making. I am also the vice president and chief health equity officer at Indiana University Health. My research focuses on health disparities, medical ethics, social justice, and medical professionalism. The goal of my research is to promote shared decision making in high-risk obstetrical settings, particularly among socially and financially disadvantaged populations, as well as to identify ways to ensure equitable levels of care and equal access to care for diverse patients and communities. 

Website for more information: https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/21349/tucker-edmonds-brownsyne

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Conducting literature reviews, assisting with participant recruitment, data collection, medical record chart abstraction, and data analysis.

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in an office setting with dress code business casual

Hours per week: 10, scheduling is flexible within regular work hours

Project-specific qualifications: Must be organized, take initiative, communicate clearly and professionally in the office and clinical settings, work effectively as part of a team, and maintain patient confidentiality.

By the end of the LHSI program, you will:

·        Carefully consider, explore, and articulate your career goals, including an analysis of how you arrived at that path and what steps you need to take next. (Community Contributor, Communicator)

·        Understand your role and strengths on a professional team and analyze who you would like to become as a professional. (Communicator)

·        Gain and strengthen skills relevant to next steps after graduation, such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, analysis/synthesis/evaluation, independence, confronting/challenging failure, problem-solving and perseverance, and constructive criticism. (Problem Solver, Communicator)

·        Convey ideas and knowledge effectively through an ePortfolio and presentation of your internship work. (Problem Solver, Communicator)

·        Set and meet your own additional learning goals identified with your supervisor.

LHSI Qualifications  

·        must be graduating May 2027 or after (usually a current freshman or sophomore in Spring 2025)   

·        Current full-time IUI undergraduate, full time IU Indianapolis or Purdue Indianapolis in 2024-25  

·        minimum overall GPA of 2.0 

·        All majors welcome

To apply:

LHSI accepts at least 75 interns per year. Complete the application for LHSI at lhsi.indianapolis.iu.edu and select 3-4 internship sites on that application. All available sites are listed in Handshake and will start with the position title “LHSI Intern.” You will meet with at least 2 of these if selected for interviews.