Clinical Training Programs

Clinical Training Programs

Background

University Health Services (UHS) hosts a wide range of clinical training programs that provide learners with hands-on experience.

UHS clinical training programs provide dual benefits: preparing future health professionals while enhancing patient care. Achievements include workforce pathway development, expanded community partnerships, clinical contributions, and fostering interprofessional collaboration. 

Our clinical training programs are aligned with the University of California Berkeley and University of California health system’s mission of education and training. 

UHS remains a center of excellence for clinical education and delivery of outstanding, equitable, and patient-centered care.

Impacts of Clinical Training Programs

  • Enhanced Patient Care Capacity – Trainees expand appointment availability and service coverage. 

  • Innovation and Best Practices – Through teaching, evidence-based practices are reviewed and implemented. 

  • Reputation and Recruitment/Workforce Pathway Development – By training across disciplines, UHS prepares future health professionals, some of whom have become important members of our health care team.

Current Training Programs

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Doctoral Interns, Postdoctoral Fellows,  Career and Wellness Counseling Interns

A primary goal is to help interns and fellows, consolidate their clinical and consultation skills, and to integrate these into their professional identities. This training experience marks the significant developmental transition of interns and fellows from trainees to well-rounded professionals who are able to function competently and autonomously and who will contribute to the field of psychology or social work and to the welfare of clients and society in general.

Learn more about mental health professional training programs

Social Services 

Post-MSW Fellowship in Clinical Social Work

The post-MSW fellowship is a postgraduate training program committed to providing comprehensive clinical experience and professional development opportunities in the field of college mental health. The program aims to meet the needs of pre-licensed postgraduate clinical social workers who have a Master of Social Work and are working to consolidate clinical skills and professional identity while accruing post-graduate hours on the path to licensure.

Learn more about Post-MSW Fellowship in Clinical Social Work

Psychiatry

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Students, Psychiatric Residents

Intercollegiate Athletics

Sports Medicine Fellows, Athletic Trainer Interns, Athletic trainer undergraduate student volunteers, Acupuncture interns

Medical Assisting 

Medical Assistant Externs

Medical Assistant Students who have completed their classroom-based education and are in their  final phase of their program can complete their clinical hours to qualify for national certification (such as the CMA or RMA) and graduation at UHS. 

Externs typically come from accredited community colleges, technical institutes, or allied health vocational schools. These institutions partner with UHS to provide students with a diverse patient population, offering a unique "campus-health" perspective that differs from standard private practice.To ensure patient safety and high-quality care, externs are supervised by senior staff medical assistants. 

Working at a facility like UHS provides a robust, fast-paced learning environment. Key gains include:

  • Clinical Proficiency: Mastering "rooming" protocols, including accurate vitals, chief complaint documentation.

  • Administrative Integration: Gaining fluency in Electronic Health Records (EHR) and understanding the nuances of patient privacy (HIPAA) in a university setting.

  • Patient Communication: Developing the "soft skills" necessary to communicate effectively with a diverse, often young-adult demographic.

  • Professional Identity: Transitioning from the mindset of a student to a healthcare professional, building the confidence needed to enter the workforce immediately upon completion.

For more information, contact Lucy Del Rio at ldelrio87@berkeley.edu.

Graduate Medical Education

Medical Students, Family Nurse Practitioner Students, Medical Residents, Medical Fellows

Trainees from local medical and nurse practitioner schools, as well as residency and fellowship programs participate in clinical rotations at UHS. Trainees work in primary care, urgent care, sports medicine, specialty care and psychiatry. Trainees come from sponsoring organizations such as UCSF, Samuel Merritt University, and San Mateo County. 

Trainees perform direct patient care and are supervised and mentored by staff physicians and nurse practitioners. Supervising UHS staff model the principles of whole person care and patient centered care. Trainees are taught to consider barriers to access and equity in health care in every patient encounter. Trainees learn about the unique medical care, health systems and population health that is found at a university health center.  

For more information, contact Deborah Simon-Weisberg at d.simonweisberg@berkeley.edu

Physical Therapy 

Doctoral Physical Therapy Students

UHS Physical Therapy Department supports  PT advanced Doctoral Students in their final clinical training rotation prior to graduating. PT students come from the following programs: Samuel Merritt, UCSF/SFSU and USC.  Students train full time for 11 to 16 weeks in the UHS PT department.  

Students are supervised by licensed staff Physical Therapists. Students gain experience in evaluation and treatment skills as well as communication and team based care.

For more information, contact Mary Popylisen at mary_pt@berkeley.edu

Nutrition 

Dietetic interns 

Our UHS nutrition team hosts a 5-week clinical outpatient rotation for students enrolled in UC Berkeley’s Master of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics (MNSD) program. Dietetic interns work closely with our registered dietitians to gain hands-on experience providing one-on-one medical nutrition therapy at  the Tang Center and nutrition outreach on campus. Interns have a rare opportunity to participate in our multidisciplinary Eating Disorder Clinic when appropriate. These experiences help fulfill dietetics program requirements and prepare interns for a career in dietetics.  

For more information, contact Toby Morris at tmorris@berkeley.edu

Optometry 

Optometry Students, Residents and Fellows

How to learn more about opportunities in our clinical training programs

If you are interested in learning more about any of our clinical training programs and opportunities either reach out to the contacts listed above or email telltang@berkeley.edu.