Student Intern, Psychiatry Research

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: Per Diem

At Boston Medical Center (BMC), our diverse staff works together for one goal to provide exceptional and equitable care to improve the health of the people of Boston. Our bold vision to transform health care is powered by our respect for our patients and our commitment to ensure everyone who comes through our doors has a positive experience.

You'll find a supportive work environment at BMC, with rich opportunities throughout your career for training, development, and growth and where you'll have the tools you need to take charge of your own practice environment.

Under the general supervision of the department director or manager, provides analytical and administrative assistance to department staff. Responsible for participating in project meetings as necessary, data collection & analysis, and other duties as necessary to support the successful completion of project / initiative work.

Duties may vary based on the department's need but may include projects such as updating content on the website, updating and maintaining databases and links, and providing general support to the department. Must learn and understand the basic principles and methods used in the department, always following established protocols.

Job Responsibilities:

• Assist with patient and provider recruitment for qualitative data collection
• Participate in qualitative data collection including focus groups, specifically note taking, and transcription
• Conduct literature reviews
• Analysis of qualitative data using NVivo, including coding, creation of themes and a codebook
• Assist in manuscript writing and presentation development

Job Requirements:

• Recent college graduate or student enrolled in a related graduate or undergraduate degree program, preferably beyond a second semester junior
• Familiarity with NVivo and qualitative analysis method and deliverables
• Interest in maternal health and/or mental health
• Experience conducting focus groups (classwork or internship experience included) and conducting literature reviews
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to work independently and part of a team
• Preferred: Fluency in Spanish or Haitian Creole preferred but not required

About the Department:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn't dictate health.

The Reproductive Mental Health Program aims to reduce barriers to mental health treatment for OBGYN patients at Boston Medical Center. The clinical arm (the OBGYN Integrated Behavioral Health Program) embedded within the OBGYN department at BMC, provides reproductive mental health services for perinatal patients and GYN patients with reproductive mental health concerns. By providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive, specialty behavioral health services integrated into OBGYN care, the program aims to increase access to care and improve mental health outcomes during the vulnerable perinatal period and other significant reproductive life transitions.

Project: With support from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the program aims to evaluate perinatal mental health screening practices and referral to culturally sensitive, trauma-informed mental health services embedded in the OBGYN department. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience higher rates of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and often face multiple barriers to care. As perinatal behavioral screening is a gateway to mental health treatment, we are interested in evaluating screening and behavioral health referral practices through a mixed methods study design. We will analyze behavioral health screening rates, referral patterns, engagement metrics, and identify potential disparities in screening and referral. To complement these findings, we will conduct focus groups with perinatal care providers and multilingual patients to understand barriers and facilitators to effective screening, referral, and behavioral health engagement. Insights from these discussions will inform a standardized screening and engagement protocol, incorporating workflow adaptations, validated multilingual screening tools, education for providers and staff, and new care pathways.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans