SFI Information of the Master’s Degree in Naturopathic Sciences (SNMCN)

The Supervised Work Placement (SWP) is a set of activities that the student must develop individually, as part of the academic program, in public or private institutions. Its aim is that students complement the knowledge they have acquired during their study period with a professional activity and that they can put into practice the competences inherent to the area of knowledge of their study program. The university gives the student two alternatives in order to pass the credits of the SWP:

  1. Recognition/acknowledgment of credits from previous work experience related to the studies.
  2. Doing the supervised work placement in an external institution.

The student has available all the information that may be needed during the internship, based on the following structure:

  1. Specific Information on the Program: detailing the schedule, tasks and responsibilities.
  2. Acknowledgment/Recognition of credits: the procedure to be followed and the requirements for submitting the application form.
  3. Documentation on the internship development: it details the internship stages and includes the documents needed to comply with the development of the SWP.

During the whole process, the student will be able to contact the Internship Department of your University.

1. Specific Information on SNMNCN

1.1. Tasks and competences of the program

The SNMCN’s study plan includes an external internship.

This internship consists of the development of some tasks in an authentic working context, face-to-face and with the supervision of a tutor from the collaborating institution.

The aim of the internship is that the trainee student mainly develops the following competencies:

  • Capacity to integrate in the naturopathic practice the fundamental concepts of this discipline.
  • Resolution capacity before a specific problem in naturopathic health.
  • Capacity to work in the professional and/or scientific field in an autonomous, optimum and efficient way.
  • Capacity to communicate effectively, both spoken and written with patients and health professionals.
  • Capacity to work in collaboration with other professionals to ensure a multidisciplinary treatment.
  • Capacity to adapt the naturopathic treatment to the patient’s capacities and possibilities.
  • Capacity to recognize the essential elements in the naturopathic practice, including the ethical principles, legal responsibilities and therapeutic exercise, by applying the social justice to the professional practice and developing it with regard to people, their habits, beliefs and cultures.

The student will also have to prove to have carried out the following duties:

  • Interaction with patients and different health professionals, in the interdisciplinary management of the patient’s health.
  • Development of the naturopathic methods studied in the Master’s Degree.
  • Recommendation and evaluation of the Naturopathic methods studied in the Master’s Degree, depending on the patient’s profile.

1.2 SNMCN’s SFI characteristics

  • There are two types of SFI:

o Internship 1: when the student chooses between studying an elective module or doing the SFI.

o Internship 2: When the student chooses between developing the Final Project or doing the SFI.

  • The total internshiphours will be:

o Internship 1: 225 hours, of which 150 hours will be face-to-face in the internship’s institution and 75 hours dedicated to the development of the Internship Report.

o Internship 2: 150 hours, of which 100 hours will be face-to-face in the internship’s institution and 50 hours dedicated to the development of the Internship Report.

  • In order to start the Internship 1, it is necessary to have in an advanced state and to have passed the Elective Module of subjects.
  • To start the Internship 2, it is necessary to have in an advanced state and to have passed the 2 Elective Modules.
  • Prior to the start, the student must submit all the documents required, both academic and administrative. It is recommended to start the internship management with sufficient time.
  • For the internship report’s development, the student must take into account the structure shown within the information available in the section 3. “SFI Development”.

IMPORTANTE:
Students that carry out the INTERNSHIP 1 must present the most relevant clinical/practical cases (at least 5) form those treated at the Clinical Center.

Students that carry out the INTERNSHIP 2 must include in their Internship Report the Case Study that has been the most representative or of greatest interest from those treated at the Clinical Center.

SFI Acknowledgement/Recognition

This program considers the possibility to acknowledge/recognize the credits of the SFI, except for the following cases:

  • Students from Puerto Rico enrolled at the International Iberoamerican University from Puerto Rico.
  • If it substitutes the Final Project: INTERNSHIP 2 cannot be acknowledged/recognized.

To carry out this request, it is mandatory to meet some criteria that vary depending on the program. These criteria are related to:

  1. Specific tasks or competences of the pertinent work environment: explained in the section above, “Specific Information”
  2. Minimum working experience in the field: the SNMGS student should prove 18 months of full-time experience in any of the following occupations:
  • Companies, whether they are large, medium or small, public or private, whose working exercise is directly linked to the naturopathic methods studied in the Master’s Degree.
  • Healthcare centers whose working exercise is directly linked to the naturopathic methods studied in the Master’s degree.

In such institutions, the student must have performed the tasks and competences described in the section 1.1 Tasks and competences of the Program.

The internship may be acknowledged by professional experience, as long as the job is directly related with the tasks and competences trained in the chosen elective module in the master’s degree and it complies with what is described in this document.

In order to assess the recognition of the credits corresponding to the internship, the student must prove to meet the established criteria. The recognition is possible if the candidate presents a Credit Recognition Application for Working Experience. This document must find attached:

  • Previous Working Experience Certificate, completed by the company or companies in which the student has carried out the professional experience that is susceptible of recognition.
  • Work History.

The criteria described in the specific information of each program can serve as a guide and help to complete such document. The Previous Working Experience Certificate must be completed by the institution and meet the requirements below:

  • Being filled in by computer.
  • Including the requested information.
  • Having the signature of the institution’s manager or, if that is not possible, of the HR Dept manager.
  • Including the stamp of the institution.

Once the certificate has been completed, it must be submitted to the Internship International Department of the University or Universities that certify your program and offer the possibility of acknowledgment. Once the submitted documentation has been reviewed, the student will be notified if the internship acknowledgment process continues or if there has been any mistake or questions that need prior clarification.

When the submitted documentation is complete and correct, it will be analyzed whether the developed competences in the academic program and the ones developed during the work experience are equivalent or not, and therefore, if the acknowledgment of the internship can be granted.

Once this stage has been finished, the Internship International Department will notify the student if the resolution was favorable or not. As well, the final resolution will be reflected in the student’s academic record afterwards.

NOTE: The Universities reserve the right to ask for additional documentation, at any moment of the process, if they deem it necessary to continue the process of the internship acknowledgment.

3. SFI Development

3.1 Internship development context

Each university has internship collaboration agreements with institutions of its country. These institutions are at the student’s disposal. Nevertheless, taking into account that students come from different cities and towns, they are able to contact an institution near to their place of residence and that meets all the criteria needed for the internship. The university in which the student is enrolled and the institution will have to sign a collaboration agreement as well as an annex so that the student is able to develop the internship in an institution that has been authorized by the university.

3.2 Structure and Organization

The external internship is organized into the following stages:

3.2.1 Previous Stage

The student, in case of not being able to benefit from the existing educational collaboration between the university and the institution, will count on the help of the Internship Coordination Department of the university to find an institution.

In order to establish a relationship with potential institutions in which the student is interested, the university facilitates the student a Cover Letter/s, in which there is information on the contents of the internship and its characteristics, as well as what the collaboration implies:

 

Once the student has come to an agreement with an institution for the development of the internship, the student should send to the Internship International Department of the University or Universities that certifies the studies, the application form of the internship institution

NOTE: In order to know what arethe universities that certify your program, consult the PANAL (Academic Record) When the International Internship Department has finished the review of all the documentation and once the approval of the internship institution is granted, the student will be notified in order to proceed with the signature of the collaboration agreement and its corresponding Appendix. If necessary, the collaboration agreement can be signed by the institution and the university. Moreover, depending on the country in which the student is to do the internship and the legislation in force in such territory, the student will have to submit the additional documentation required by the country’s legislation in force. Below, some details on the additional documentation required by some countries are specified:

3.2.1.1 Students enrolled in the European University of the Atlantic
Students enrolled in the European University of the Atlantic
Students doing the internship in Spanish territory Students of official degrees younger than 28 years old The University’s school Insurance protects them, so they will not have to provide any additional documents.
Students of official degrees older than 28 years old They should formalize an accident insurance in order to be able to do the internship. Proof of this insurance will be required by the university before beginning the internship.
Students of any age enrolled in a university’s specific program: They should formalize an accident insurance in order to be able to do the internship. Proof of this insurance will be required by the university before beginning the internship.
Students doing the internship abroad Students of any age and any degree: They should formalize an accident insurance in case the legislation in force in the country in which the student is to do the internship. As well, students should comply with the legislation in force regarding doing an internship in the corresponding country.
3.2.1.2 Students enrolled in the International Iberoamerican University (Puerto Rico)
Students enrolled in the International Iberoamerican University (Puerto Rico)
Students doing the internship in Puerto Rican territory All students
  • 2 Photographs 2×2
  • Negative certificate of criminal records (it can be requested in the police station or through Internet)
  • Certification of Ley 300 (it can be requested in the police station)
  • Affidavit of knowledge of the sexual harassment law
Additional requirements for internships in Healthcare Centers
  • Health certificate
  • HIPAA Certification (must be offered by certified personnel).
  • Vaccines for hepatitis B, chickenpox and influenza
  • Throat culture
Additional requirements for internships in Naturopathy Centers
  • Health certificate
  • HIPAA Certification (must be offered by certified personnel).

 

Students doing the internship abroad All students They should formalize an accident insurance in case the legislation in force in the country in which the student is to do the internship. As well, students should comply with the legislation in force regarding doing an internship in the corresponding country.

 

3.2.1.3 Students enrolled in the International Iberomerican University (Mexico)
Students enrolled in the International Iberomerican University (Mexico)
Students doing the internship in Puerto Rican territory All students There are no additional requirements. In case they are necessary, the student will be informed by the university or internship institution.
Students doing the internship abroad All students They should formalize an accident insurance in case the legislation in force in the country in which the student is to do the internship. As well, students should comply with the legislation in force regarding doing an internship in the corresponding country.

NOTE: Universities reserve the right to modify the requirements according to the changes in the legislation in force that may occur. Once the Internship Department has registered the required documentation, the student can continue the internship process in the Institution.

3.2.2. Development stage

During this stage, the student must do the internship in the chosen institution. In most programs, the classroom-based hours in the collaborating institution are estimated to be 120 hours and some additional hours dedicated to the development of of the Internship’s Final Report. However, some programs include a different classroom-based number of hours. Review this information regarding your program in the section ‘Specific information on the program’. During this stage, the student makes the internship hours in the collaborating center, therefore complying with the regulations of the University and the Institution, hence, the structure and organization will depend on the area allocated for the development of the internship. The internship must be supervised and the student must have the support of an assigned tutor in the internship institution, who is the same person that should subsequently fill in an evaluation report. The internship schedule must have been previously specified with the institution. The schedule will be established taking into account the characteristics of the internship and the availability of the internship institution. Efforts will be made to ensure that they are compatible with the academic, training, representation and participation activity developed by the student at the University.

3.2.3. Internship evaluation

The final internship report is a document written by the student, which aims to systematize and reflect on the experience lived in the institution. The structure of the document should follow the Final Internship Report Template and must not exceed 25 pages length for all programs, except for the health area programs with case studies, for which the maximum length is 35 pages (longer final internship reports will not be accepted). The number of pages does not include bibliographical references or appendixes.

NOTE: Those final internship reports that include images or videos of minors must be accompanied by the consent of their parents/guardians

Once the classroom-based internship hours have been completed, the student must submit the final internship report within a maximum period of 15 days to the Internship International Department and the following documents duly completed:

Then, the Internship Committee will proceed with the final evaluation basing on the following weighting:

  • The Final Internship Report developed by the student: 70% of the final grade.
  • The Evaluation Report of the Collaborative Institution’s Tutor: 30% of the final grade.

The final grade will be notified to the student through the Template of the university’s tutor report and will be registered in the student’s academic record within a maximum period of one month.

4. SWP’s Frequently Asked Questions

4.1. Where to start with the SWP

It is recommended that students read the specific information to their program, for they will find there the internship characteristics (tasks and responsibilities, hours, etc.) and the Cover Letters that Universities make available for them to ease the search for the internship’s institution.

Many programs consider the acknowledgment/recognition of the internship basing on the professional experience. In this case, in section 1.3 Recognition/Acknowledgment, included in 01. Specific Information on the program, you will find the minimum time required to be able to apply for recognition. And in the section “Recognition/Acknowledgment of the Internship” it is described how to carry out this process and the form which must be filled in by the company/s is included.

In the event that the student opts for the Internship Development, the student must continue reading the corresponding section and, with enough time, start the procedures for the signing of the Internship Agreement and its Appendix (signing is made by the Internship Institution, the University and the Student) to be able to do the internship in the required time.

4.2. What is the university or universities that certify my program?

The place to consult the university/ies or other data on the program is the PANAL.

4.3. If I have questions about the SWP, whom do I contact?

In the FAQ section you will find the most common doubts for many students. If you do not find the answer to your query, remember that any question relating to the Supervised Work Placement or to its management should be consulted with the International Internship Department of the University that certifies your program.

5. Contact

To resolve your doubts, concerns or to carry out the process of the Supervised Work Placement, you may contact through the following form:

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