The Johns Hopkins Pharmacy Summer Internship Program combines hands-on experience in an assigned pharmacy practice area with structured educational activities, professional development, mentorship, and exposure to diverse pharmacy career pathways.

Throughout the summer, interns work alongside pharmacists, pharmacy residents, pharmacy technicians, and other health care professionals while contributing to meaningful departmental initiatives. The program is designed to complement academic coursework, broaden students' understanding of health-system pharmacy, and prepare them for advanced pharmacy training and future professional opportunities.

Assigned Pharmacy Practice Experience

Each intern is assigned to a primary pharmacy practice area for the duration of the summer, where they work closely with pharmacy preceptors, departmental leaders, and other health care professionals. Assignments provide opportunities to gain practical experience, contribute to meaningful projects, and develop a deeper understanding of pharmacy practice within a large academic health system.

Internship opportunities span a broad range of clinical, operational, administrative, and specialized pharmacy services across The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins Care at Home.

Depending on annual availability, practice areas may include:

• Inpatient and Clinical Pharmacy Services: Adult medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, oncology, pediatrics, antimicrobial stewardship, and other specialized clinical services.

• Ambulatory, Community, and Specialty Pharmacy: Outpatient pharmacy operations, specialty pharmacy services, medication therapy management, patient care services, and transitions of care.

• Pharmacy Operations and Technology: Medication distribution systems, pharmacy automation, medication-use technologies, workflow optimization, and operational improvement initiatives.

• Pharmacy Leadership and Administration: Departmental operations, strategic planning, financial management, quality improvement, and health-system pharmacy initiatives.

• Specialized Pharmacy Services: Investigational drug services, formulary management, medication-use policy, opioid stewardship, home infusion, and other specialized areas.

• Pharmacy Education and Training: Pharmacy student and resident education, professional development programming, continuing education, and educational program coordination.

Interns participate in daily activities, meetings, and projects relevant to their assigned practice area. Responsibilities and learning opportunities vary by assignment and may include clinical service development, medication safety initiatives, research, data analysis, quality improvement, or pharmacy operations.

While the majority of the internship is spent in the assigned practice area, approximately 25% of the program is dedicated to structured educational activities, pharmacist shadowing, and exposure to other areas of pharmacy practice.

Specific practice area assignments and available positions vary annually based on departmental needs and preceptor availability.

 

 Structured Educational and Professional Development Activities

In addition to their assigned pharmacy practice experiences, interns participate in a structured series of educational and professional development sessions throughout the summer. These interactive sessions are led by pharmacists, pharmacy leaders, residents, and other professionals across the Johns Hopkins Health System.

Programming is designed to expand interns' understanding of pharmacy career pathways, strengthen essential professional skills, and prepare students for advanced pharmacy training and future leadership opportunities.

Interns also have opportunities to engage directly with pharmacy leaders across the Johns Hopkins Health System, gaining insight into leadership roles, organizational decision-making, and career development.

Topics may include:

• Leadership and Professional Development: Leadership principles, organizational culture, teamwork, interpersonal communication, and personality assessments.

• Residency and Career Preparation: Exploring postgraduate training opportunities, developing a competitive curriculum vitae, writing letters of intent, and strengthening interviewing skills.

• Pharmacy Career Exploration: Interactive discussions and panel sessions with clinical pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and pharmacy leaders representing diverse practice areas and career pathways.

• Research and Scholarly Activities: Introduction to pharmacy research, opportunities for scholarly involvement, and the role of pharmacists in advancing patient care and pharmacy practice.

• Professional Engagement and Networking: Involvement in professional pharmacy organizations, volunteerism, relationship building, and networking with pharmacy professionals.

These sessions encourage active participation, discussion, and interaction with professionals at various stages of their careers, providing valuable perspectives on professional growth and opportunities within the pharmacy profession.

Additional Educational Opportunities

With preceptor approval, interns may also attend departmental continuing education programs, pharmacy topic discussions, journal clubs, Pharmacy Grand Rounds, and other educational or interdisciplinary activities. These experiences provide additional exposure to contemporary clinical practice, emerging therapies, and health-system pharmacy initiatives.

Pharmacist Shadowing Experiences

An important component of the internship is the opportunity to explore pharmacy practice beyond an intern's primary assignment.

Each intern participates in three scheduled pharmacist shadowing experiences based on their areas of interest and the availability of participating pharmacists. These experiences typically last two to four hours and provide firsthand exposure to the responsibilities of pharmacists in different practice settings.

Potential shadowing areas may include emergency medicine, critical care, infectious diseases, oncology, pediatrics, ambulatory care, transplant, investigational drugs, and other specialized pharmacy services.

Shadowing experiences allow interns to explore career interests, interact with pharmacists in different specialties, and gain a broader appreciation for the diverse roles pharmacists fulfill within the health system.

 

 

Project-Based Learning

Each intern works with an assigned preceptor and/or pharmacist advisor to participate in projects that support departmental priorities and advance pharmacy practice.

Projects vary by assigned practice area and may focus on medication safety, quality improvement, patient care, pharmacy operations, workflow optimization, research, or the development and evaluation of pharmacy services.

Through these experiences, interns develop skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, data collection and analysis, project management, and professional communication.

Some projects may provide opportunities for future presentation at professional meetings or publication, depending on the nature of the work and project outcomes.

Final Project Presentation and Abstract

At the conclusion of the internship, each intern is required to deliver a formal presentation highlighting one or more projects completed during the summer.

Presentations are delivered to fellow interns and members of the Department of Pharmacy, providing an opportunity to strengthen public speaking skills, communicate project findings, and receive constructive feedback.

Interns also prepare a written abstract summarizing their project, including its purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions. Project abstracts are compiled into a summary highlighting the contributions of the summer internship cohort.

These culminating activities provide valuable experience in scholarly communication and the presentation of pharmacy-related initiatives.

Mentorship, Feedback, and Professional Growth

Throughout the internship, preceptors provide guidance, mentorship, and feedback to support each intern's learning and professional development.

Interns are encouraged to take initiative, ask questions, explore professional interests, and engage actively in their assigned responsibilities and educational experiences.

At the conclusion of the program, interns and preceptors complete evaluations and review progress toward individual learning and professional development goals.

Networking and Professional Connections

The Summer Internship Program brings together student pharmacists from colleges and schools of pharmacy across the country, creating opportunities to build professional relationships and learn from peers with diverse educational backgrounds and experiences.

Through shared educational activities, group discussions, pharmacist shadowing, and project presentations, interns interact with fellow students, pharmacy residents, practicing pharmacists, and departmental leaders.

These experiences foster collaboration, professional networking, and connections that may extend beyond the summer internship.

The combination of practical experience, structured education, mentorship, and professional engagement helps prepare student pharmacists for advanced pharmacy training and future careers in health-system pharmacy.