Abstract
Internships can provide students with work experience that assists them in transitioning from academic settings to career settings. They allow students to apply their knowledge and skills in a professional, supervised environment. This study aimed to examine the perceptions of clinical laboratory sciences (CLS) students at Taif University participating in a clinical laboratory internship and internship supervisors about students' readiness for the internship period, as well as their satisfaction with the internship. The study also explored students' and supervisors' ideas for improvements. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. Two self-structured questionnaires using close- and openended questions related to the objectives of the study were developed. A total of 52 Taif CLS internship students and 4 clinical internship supervisors completed the survey. The study showed that, while students believed that they were not adequately prepared, supervisors believed that they were. Both groups of participants indicated that internship students are prepared with certain skills for the workplace. They also agreed that students are prepared adequately with knowledge, but that their practical skills were insufficient. Inadequacy of practical skills was primarily linked to lack of clinical practice prior to the internship. Although students and internship supervisors were mostly satisfied with the experience, two common challenges that face Taif CLS students were indicated by their supervisors: low self-confidence and inability to interact professionally with employees. This study may form a basis for other studies aimed at enhancing internships and may serve as a pilot study for other institutions that share a similar program.