Healthcare Simulation Intern (Summer)

Job Title: Healthcare Simulation Intern

Location: Hybrid-Remote; Tuesday through Thursday in Office in Palo Alto

Duration: roughly 10 weeks, depending on summer schedule

About the Project:

Our team is building an innovative, multi-stakeholder healthcare simulation pipeline that integrates synthetic patient data (via Synthea), discrete event scheduling (using a Discrete Event Simulation engine), and step-wise intercepts to model realistic clinical and administrative workflows. The simulation spans patient lifecycles, incorporates real-world constraints (resource availability, insurance rules, regulatory guidelines), and interoperates with industry standards such as HL7, FHIR, and CCDA. This project serves as a risk-free testing environment to validate new clinical processes, optimize hospital operations, and support evidence-based decision making.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated Healthcare Simulation Intern to contribute to our cutting-edge simulation platform. In this role, you will work closely with software engineers, simulation architects, and healthcare domain experts to build, test, and refine modules that simulate end-to-end patient journeys and stakeholder interactions. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in healthcare IT, discrete event simulation, and interoperability standards while making a direct impact on improving patient safety and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Simulation Development & Integration:

  • Assist in developing and integrating Synthea-based synthetic patient data generation with the discrete event simulation engine.

  • Implement and test step-wise intercepts that allow external logic (e.g., resource scheduling, insurance checks, AI recommendations) to intervene in patient care workflows.

• Module & Workflow Implementation:

  • Collaborate on building modular stakeholder workflows (nurse, doctor, administrative, payer, lab, pharmacy) and submodules (e.g., an Allergy Panel) that reflect real-world processes.

  • Work on conditional transitions, event scheduling, and multi-decade simulation configurations.

• Interoperability & Data Exchange:

  • Assist with integrating and validating healthcare data standards (HL7 v2, FHIR, CCDA) within simulation events.

  • Develop and test FHIR resource creation and export mechanisms using libraries such as HAPI FHIR.

• Testing, Debugging, and Performance Optimization:

  • Contribute to scenario-based testing, regression testing, and performance profiling of simulation modules.

  • Help implement logging, auditing, and monitoring tools to track event flow, resource allocation, and simulation outcomes.

• Documentation & Collaboration:

  • Document your code, simulation flows, configuration settings, and testing results.

  • Collaborate with team members in code reviews, sprint meetings, and technical discussions to improve simulation fidelity and efficiency.

Required Qualifications:

• Education:

  • Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or master’s program in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Health Informatics, or a related field.

• Technical Skills:

  • Proficiency in Java (or a similar object-oriented language); experience with simulation frameworks or discrete event simulation concepts is a plus.

  • Familiarity with healthcare data standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR) or a keen interest in learning about them.

  • Basic understanding of RESTful APIs and data interchange formats such as JSON and XML.

  • Exposure to unit testing, debugging, and performance profiling tools.

• Analytical & Problem-Solving Abilities:

  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through complex, multi-module workflows.

  • Comfort working with detailed technical documentation and rapidly learning new tools and concepts.

• Soft Skills:

  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team.

  • A proactive attitude and eagerness to contribute ideas in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Preferred Qualifications (a plus):

• Experience with healthcare simulation projects, synthetic data generation, or discrete event simulation engines.

• Familiarity with databases (SQL/NoSQL) and concepts of resource scheduling and system performance optimization.

• Interest in healthcare operations, clinical workflow optimization, or regulatory standards (HIPAA, GDPR).

What You’ll Learn:

• Gain practical experience in integrating simulation tools with real-world healthcare standards.

• Develop skills in discrete event simulation and multi-agent architectures.

• Learn how to bridge clinical workflows with administrative and payer processes through advanced simulation techniques.

• Work on a state-of-the-art project with the potential to influence patient safety and hospital operational efficiency.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit their resume, a brief cover letter highlighting relevant coursework or projects, and any code samples or project links that demonstrate their technical skills. Please send your application to [email address] with the subject line “Healthcare Simulation Intern Application – [Your Name].”