Aerial view of the CHLA Anderson Pavilion Building.

Pediatric Injury Prevention Scholars Program

The Pediatric Injury Prevention Scholars Program (PIPS) is a unique and exciting internship within the Trauma Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. It provides program planning, research, and evaluation, professional development, and community outreach experiences to students interested in public health, nursing, medicine, healthcare administration, and health sciences. Student interns will have the opportunity to work with preceptors and with other clinicians, administrators, researchers, and students involved with the program.

In addition to providing the highest quality care to trauma patients in the hospital, the CHLA Trauma Program aims to reduce the pediatric injury burden in Los Angeles County through education, outreach, training, and research. Service lines with Trauma include: Acute Care, Injury Prevention, Research and Evaluation, and Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Group of interns from the Pediatric Injury Prevention Scholars Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Internship Opportunities

We will select students for internship placement in one of the following areas:

Injury Prevention

Interns will engage in many different community projects, health fairs and will help educate children and their families on a variety of injury prevention topics, such as, child passenger safety, pedestrian safety, drowning prevention, distracted driving, earthquake and disaster preparedness and sports/concussion prevention.

Potential projects interns may work on:

  • Implementing and evaluating a child passenger/pedestrian safety grant
  • Creation of a health education module based on community needs assessment
  • Development of health education materials for children and families
  • Development and analysis of evaluation measures for existing program activities and patient-based projects

Requirements:

  • Some night and weekend events required at offsite locations
  • Must pass CPST course
  • Lifting (up to 40 lbs)

Research and Evaluation

Interns will conduct literature searches, assist with study design, develop data collection tools, analyze data using statistical software, prepare manuscripts and assist in IRB study submissions. The areas of focus are acute trauma care, injury prevention and disaster preparedness.

Potential projects interns may work on:

  • Review articles focusing on pediatric trauma
  • Analysis of hospital disaster drill data
  • Study design and observational data collection for pediatric trauma related research projects
  • Evaluation of an educational disaster simulation tool
  • Grant Writing

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management

Interns will have the opportunity to work on projects related to emergency management, including planning and response activities and research and publication on emergency management effectiveness.

Potential projects interns may work on:

  • Program evaluation
  • Plan development and updates
  • Healthcare recovery–assessment and plan development

Program Schedule

  • Program Dates: June 16, 2025 - August 23, 2025
  • Duration: 10 weeks 
  • Schedule: 40 hours per week
  • At this time there is no housing or stipend support provided 

Internship Program Deadlines 2025

  • Application Deadline: March 7, 2025
  • Interview Invitations: March 17, 2025 - March 31, 2025
  • Acceptance Awards: April 14, 2025 - April 21, 2025

See our brochure

Who can apply?

Any current college student or recent graduate with a public health or other health related major.

How To Apply

Please email your completed application packet to: PIPS@chla.usc.edu

Application packet should include:

  • Application
  • Cover letter
  • Current resume
  • Writing Sample (if applying to the Research and Evaluation Track)