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Trauma Externship Program

Trauma care is a vital part of a community's emergency care system. Along with state-of-the-art technology and a sophisticated emergency response system, quality trauma care depends on talented people in a variety of health care occupations that make a commitment to this demanding field.

The Inova Regional Trauma Center and Inova Fairfax Hospital offer an inside look at trauma care through this trauma externship program. The target audience for the program is promising pre-professional students considering careers in medicine, nursing, allied health professions and health care management. The goal is for the extern to develop an in-depth appreciation for the personal and professional rewards of a career in trauma care.

Trauma Care at Inova Fairfax Hospital
Inova Fairfax Hospital is an 833-bed tertiary-care medical center. The Inova Regional Trauma Center at Inova Fairfax Hospital is a Level 1 trauma center designated by the State of Virginia and re-verified by the American College of Surgeons.

As an operating unit of the not-for-profit Inova Health System, the Inova Regional Trauma Center works closely with Fairfax County Police and Fire and Rescue to provide the best in trauma care.

More than 4,000 adult and pediatric trauma patients are treated at the Inova Regional Trauma Center annually. Half of these patients suffer injuries classified as major trauma.

The Trauma Externship
The intensive, three-week, full-time trauma externship offers pre-professional students a comprehensive introduction to the rewarding world of trauma medicine.  The program emphasizes the coordinated, systematic way in which a regional trauma system provides optimal trauma care to the community.  This program is an uncompensated opportunity for college students to participate in an observational educational experience.

Externs work closely with a multidisciplinary trauma services team, including trauma surgeons, trauma nurses, social workers, physical therapists, and other allied health care providers. Externs also participate in a "ride along" experience with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. The extern experience includes required modules for pre-hospital assessment and transport, trauma bay resuscitation, definitive surgical care and discharge planning.

Externs learn about the trauma surgeon's responsibilities as leader of the trauma team through time spent with a mentor. Externs are present during the surgeon's rounds, office time, direction of surgical residents and surgical procedures, experiencing the variety of roles assumed by the trauma surgeon.

Because the externship is a full-time commitment, externs have the opportunity to experience the continuity and flow of trauma care by observing rounds, attending trauma resuscitation codes and observing surgeries. Externs develop an appreciation for the challenges of trauma work, as well as the skill and dedication trauma professionals bring to their jobs.

Applying for the Program
Two three-week sessions will be offered, one in May and one in August.

To apply for the externship program at Inova Regional Trauma Center, please submit the following:
1) a one-page resume of your educational experience
2) a cover letter describing your interest in trauma care as a career goal
3) a copy of your transcript
4) a letter of recommendation

Please include any relevant volunteer or practical experience and indicate whether you are interested in the May or August session.

Please send applications by March 15 to:
Inova Regional Trauma Center
3300 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA 22042-3300
Attn: Jeannie Fauntleroy
Phone: 703-776-6376
Fax: 703-776-3242