Become a Child Life Specialist
UMC Children’s Hospital Child Life Practicum Program provides students with a quality learning experience designed to introduce medical professionals to the Child Life specialization. We provide students with opportunities to gain experience caring for children and their families.
Become a Child Life Specialist
UMC Children’s offers a Child Life Practicum that introduces students to the profession and prepares them for future internships. Along with shadowing certified child life specialists, students develop the skills to:
- Communicate with patients, families and other health professionals
- Enhance their professional attitude, maturity, judgement and work ethic
- Identify and understand reactions to stress, illness and pain
- Integrate theory and put research into practice
- Recognize the developmental, psychosocial and medical needs of patients and families
- Understand how child life specialists can help families normalize and cope with healthcare experiences
- Value play in a healthcare setting
- Work as part of an interdisciplinary team
Requirements
To be considered, students must:
- Be interested in a career as a child life specialist
- Be able to commit a minimum of 150 hours in one semester
- Be currently enrolled at Texas Tech University or Lubbock Christian University
- Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher
- Have a minimum of two volunteer or work experiences: one within a healthcare setting and one outside of healthcare
- If accepted, be enrolled in the practicum course while completing the practicum
For more information, please see Practicum Requirements & Forms
Application Deadlines
Our Child Life Practicum Program is offered in the fall and spring. To be considered, please submit a complete application packet postmarked by the deadline:
Semester | Application Deadline | Initial Offer Day |
Fall | March 29 | May 7 |
Spring | September 19 | October 10 |
Return the completed application packet to the following address:
UMC Children’s Hospital
Child Life Department
c/o Practicum Program
602 Indiana Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79415
For more information about our practicum program, please contact us at 806.775.8836 or childlife@umchealthsystem.com