5 Things an Internship Director Wishes That Music Therapy Students Knew Before Starting Internship

I spent some time with some music therapy students just recently, and it started me thinking about the challenges that our academicians face on a daily basis of teaching all the things students need to know about being a music therapist. All of this deep thinking led me to pondering what I expect students to be able to do when they walk into my internship. I am not making any claims about what other Internship Directors expect, but this is my thought process and hope for my interns...

1. Functional Music Skills - this is the biggie. I want my interns to be able to play their guitars in the keys of C,D,E,A, and G. I want them to be able to play in the keys of e, d, and a minor. I want them to already know a couple of different strums and fingerpicking patterns. I want them to know how to play many different chord progressions on both the guitar and the keyboard. Period. Now, all of those skills will be strengthened during their internship, but interns need to have the basic skills as part of their repertoire before they start their internship.
2. A General Overview of Music Therapy Techniques with Different Populations - I do NOT expect that incoming interns will know lots about music therapy treatment for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and psychiatric concerns, but I DO expect that they will have some general information about human development, characteristics of exceptionality, and the ability to find out information about specific diagnoses using a variety of materials and sources. I don't want to be the one to teach an intern about using Google Scholar to find materials. I don't have the time.
3. The Beginning of Critical Thought - Ooh, boy. This one is a biggie! Incoming interns need to have a foundation in problem solving. Problem solving goes into all aspects of clinical interaction and responsibilities. I want a student who can think about where to start looking for answers to the questions that he or she has about a client or about music therapy or about anything else. Students need to be encouraged to figure out answers to difficult questions, led into figuring out the solution, not just told what to do. This is a developmental skill that can be further developed during the internship, but it is really nice when the intern has already started the process and doesn't have to be taught every step of the way...
4. Training in Professional Interactions and Expectations - In this era of informal interaction via social media, I have found that prospective interns often feel that informality is the way to interact with professionals, especially in the initial contact. This is not appropriate. In fact, when I get a "Dear Mary" email, I ignore it. It is not professional and does not deserve a response from me.
5. Some of the Things That Await Them During Internship - I wish we did a better job of letting music therapy students know what was going to happen in their internships - typical responses, things to know, etc. It amazes me when students are surprised that most of the music therapy internships out there do not have stipends. Interns need to know that they will be exhausted, very busy, and challenged more than they expect, and that most (if not all) interns feel the same exact way!

I know there are more that other Internship Directors would add to the list, but this is a good start. How can we do this? How can we ensure that all music therapy students have the foundational skills that we think they need when they start their internships? Is there a way we can standardize these topics in music therapy education? Is there a need to do so? Do others see this as well? I wonder. There are times when I think I am the only one who sees these as issues, but then there are times when I know that I am not alone.

Prospective interns out there, be professional, ask questions, learn as much as you can about as much as you can before anything else. Take advantage of resources, mentors, and professionals. Ask the questions that make you curious and keep asking until you get an answer.