Child Life Training Programs

Rotations Are On

The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted our student program. All rotations are currently moving forward as planned and outlined below. We accept internship candidates year-round (winter/spring, summer and fall).

For Prospective Applicants

Our small program's staffing is limited. So please review all internship and practicum information and requirements in their entirety before reaching out for questions or clarification.

UC San Diego Health's Child Life Program provides educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in the field of child life.

Our program is small, so child life interns and practicum students are quickly integrated as valuable members of the support team.

Candidates must be creative, dependable and able to function both independently and as a team. There have been countless innovations and developments in the Child Life Program at UC San Diego Health that are the direct result of the hard work and creativity of our students.

For questions about the process of becoming a certified child life specialist, please review the following information:

Child Life Internship

Our Child Life Internship program is a 16-week, 600-hour minimum clinical internship under the direct supervision of a certified child life specialist. Intern experiences include time in the burn unit, trauma unit, burn outpatient clinics and palliative care services.

Child life interns at UC San Diego Health learn to provide distraction and accompaniment during procedures or dressing changes, preparation for surgery and other procedures, assistance with schoolwork, school reintegration, grief and bereavement support, and facilitation of therapeutic, medical and diversional play for patients ages 21 years and younger.

Additionally, interns have the opportunity to serve the children of adult patients who are facing end-of-life or life-altering diagnoses. They also learn to apply child life practices directly with adult patients with the following conditions/needs:

  • Developmental delays
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Mental health concerns
  • Neurocognitive disorders
  • Other appropriate conditions

Interns are also provided the opportunity to be involved in seasonal community outreach and education programming, burn-survivor field trips and support groups and in providing support and education to young family members of our pediatric and adult patients.

UC San Diego Health follows the ACLP Child Life weekly curriculum modules with the addition of other assignments, which include but are not limited to weekly journals, a case study and a final project as assigned.

Here’s information about internship application criteria.

Internship Prerequisites

Affiliation: You must be affiliated with one of the following universities at the graduate level to apply for an internship with UC San Diego Health:

  • Loma Linda University
  • Azusa Pacific University
  • Eastern Washington University

Note: Child life interns are required to complete a substantial project by the end of the internship term, so we can't consider students who plan to be enrolled in thesis during their clinical time.

Vaccination: Per UC San Diego Health policy, all students must be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19.

Practicum: Although a practicum is not required by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), we require students to have completed a minimum 120-hour practicum before the start of the internship due to the nature of UC San Diego Health's internship experience.

Submitting your Application

Complete the Internship Readiness Common Application found on the ACLP website.

  • You must create an account to complete the application.
  • Select the "Internship Readiness Common Application" tile and complete all prompted steps that appear on the dashboard.
  • Once the application is complete, you should download the completed application as a ZIP file.

In addition to the common app, please include an essay with a minimum of 500 words addressing all of the following areas:

  • What do you think might be your biggest challenges in working with burn care, trauma care and palliative care populations?

Helpful Links

Email Your Application

Please email your completed Internship Readiness Common Application ZIP file and UCSD Health Essay to UCSDChildLife@health.ucsd.edu.

The heading should say "Child Life Internship Application" and be followed by your last name.

  • Example: Child Life Internship Application Smith

Applications received incomplete or received after the deadline will not be reviewed.

Other important information:

  • There are two rounds of interviews. If you’re chosen for the second round of interviews, one academic letter of recommendation will be required.
  • Due to the large number of applications received, we are unable to provide individual notifications or feedback to applicants who aren’t chosen for interviews/internship.
  • Please note the ACLP internship verification form is signed when all hours have been completed and all required competencies have been observed.

Child Life Practicum

Our Child Life Practicum program is a 120-hour clinical experience spanning eight weeks. Although dates vary, the practicum start dates generally align with the standard internship timeline set by ACLP.

The program gives students the chance to experience the child life profession and gain insight into the unique, individual needs of children and their families in the hospital setting by observing a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) in settings such as the burn unit, trauma unit, burn outpatient clinics and palliative care services.

Responsibilities include shadowing and assisting CCLS and interns in distraction and accompaniment during procedures or dressing changes, preparation for surgery and other procedures, schoolwork assistance, school reintegration, and facilitation of therapeutic, medical and diversional play for patients 21 years of age and younger.

Practicum students also have the opportunity to observe child life interventions applied to the children of adult patients who are facing end-of-life or life-altering diagnoses and directly with adult patients with the following conditions/needs:

  • Developmental delays
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Mental health concerns
  • Neurocognitive disorders
  • Other appropriate conditions

Additional responsibilities include various office tasks such as toy sanitization and organization, preparation for holiday events, participation in seasonal community outreach and education programming, and the completion of weekly assignments are also required.

Helpful Links

Guidelines for Accepting Practicum Candidates

  • UC San Diego Health accepts practicum applications from those who at least have a bachelor's degree (either completed or in progress) and who meet additional requirements.
  • Applicants do not need to be enrolled in or affiliated with any educational program at the time of applying.
  • We continue to accept practicum students each round (winter/spring, summer and fall).
  • For questions, please email practicum coordinator Sabrina Suarez, MS, CCLS.

Child Life Practicum Application Process

Child Life Practicum application deadlines mirror the Child Life Internship application deadlines set by the Association of Child Life Professionals. You must submit the internship application and all supporting documents by email.

Email Your Application

Please email your completed application package to UCSDChildLife@health.ucsd.edu. 

How to Contact Us

Child Life Internships

Child Life Practicum

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