For purposes of internship insurance, an ‘intern’ is a student who is working in a facility (e.g. local business, hospital, clinic, school, etc.) as part of their academic program. An internship may also be referred to as a ‘clinical’, ‘practicum’, or ‘field experience’. No matter what the experience is called, the defining element is that a EWU student is:

1) enrolled in an EWU academic program that includes the ‘internship’ as part of the requirements to complete the program, and,

2) present in a working environment where they observe and/or participate in activities.

Professional Liability insurance coverage protects students against most claims that may arise pertaining to a student’s participation in an internship.

Whether an internship is medical or non-medical is based on the academic major of the student and the actual location of the internship.
Any student who furnishes professional and/or mental or physical health-related professional services required as part of an enrolled curriculum, practicum, student teaching experience or internship (e.g. Dental Hygiene, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Sports Medicine, etc.) or any student who’s internship takes place in a facility that may expose the student to patients and/or patient records, is categorized as a medical intern for insurance purposes. All other interns are categorized as professional interns.

No. A student’s personal medical insurance is their primary medical coverage. Students with paid internships are typically covered by the employer's worker's compensation insurance. Students on unpaid internships (i.e. volunteers) may also be covered by worker’s compensation if the host business/organization has opted to provide such coverage. For students participating in unpaid internships, the University has purchased insurance that provides some coverage for medical expenses resulting from a covered accident as defined under the policy terms.