AHEC Interdisciplinary Community Health Scholars are health professions students interested in working with rural and medically underserved populations. They use the training and skill sets of their respective disciplines to create unique, comprehensive solutions to health disparities impacting local communities.

Fourteen ICHS participants will spend eight weeks of their summer working part time in teams to develop and implement projects that have a direct impact on the health status of medically underserved communities.  ICHS participants work primarily with medically underserved populations and the community partners who care for them.

During Summer 2011, AHEC Interdisciplinary Community Health Scholar teams will work either at Gulfcoast North AHEC in Land O' Lakes (serving Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties) or Gulfcoast South AHEC in Sarasota (serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Sarasota and Manatee counties). Students may apply to only one program.

Eligibility

Health professions students from a variety of primary care and allied health disciplines are invited to apply:

·         Medical students during the summer between their first and second year of medical school.

·         Physical therapy doctoral students.

·         Graduate nurse practitioner students in the areas of adult, family, pediatrics, or psychiatric/mental health.

·         Upper level undergraduate and graduate public health and/or social work students.

·         Upper level undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

·         First and second year pharmacy students.

·         Dental assisting and dental hygiene students.

·         Respiratory therapy students.

·         PTA/OTA students.

·         Select undergraduate pre-health professional students.

·         Other allied health professional students.

Program Components

Students will work together in interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement community-based tobacco projects in rural or urban underserved communities. The time commitment is 8 hours per day, three days per week for 8 weeks.

Project Placement Locations

Gulfcoast North AHEC (serving Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties): ICHS participants will work in Land O’Lakes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between June 06 – July 28, 2011.

Gulfcoast South AHEC (serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Sarasota and Manatee counties): ICHS participants will work in Sarasota Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between May 31 -- July 21, 2011.

Students may apply to only one ICHS program.

Program Goals

·         To expose students to health disparities and underserved communities

·         To create opportunities for students to participate as members of interdisciplinary health care teams

·         To increase individual and community awareness regarding the devastating effects of tobacco

·         To provide students with opportunities to create and disseminate tobacco prevention programs, messages and materials to underserved communities and to the professionals who care for them

As part of the program, students will attend an orientation and additional seminars throughout the 8-week experience. Attendance at all seminars is mandatory. Projects will be conducted by interdisciplinary teams of four students.

At the completion of the experience, teams will present results of their community projects, both verbally and in writing, to AHEC leadership, community partners and fellow classmates.

As the primary focus area of the AHEC ICHS Program is tobacco, applicants must complete the AHEC Tobacco Training and Cessation Program prior to the start of the program. For more information re: ATTAC requirements, contact GNAHEC at (813)929-1000 or GSAHEC at (941)552-1280.

Student Projects

ICHS projects will be conducted by interdisciplinary teams of four students. Students conduct projects that will have a direct impact on the health status of persons within select underserved communities. For Summer 2011, ICHS projects will address one or more aspects of tobacco use/nicotine addiction, based on local needs and priorities. Populations such as pregnant women, youth/young adults and adults with chronic diseases related to tobacco use may be targeted. Projects will focus on a variety of topics concerning tobacco prevention and education. Projects will involve some level of each of the following:

·         Research

·         Presentations

·         Data collection/analysis

·         Creation of materials
 

Core components may include:

·         Youth tobacco prevention

·         Hookah

·         Spit/chew tobacco education

·         Development and dissemination of anti-tobacco messages through youth-oriented social networking applications (podcasts, Facebook, My Space, Second Life, Twitter, Ning, etc.)

Program Incentives

·         Participating students will receive a $2,500 stipend.

·         Select students may be eligible to receive elective course credit/field experience from their respective academic programs for their participation (pending approval of advisor and/or field placement coordinator).

·         Participation in ICHS provides excellent experience for résumés as well as contacts or connections to possible future employment opportunities.

·         Limited travel assistance stipends (beyond commuting to/from the AHEC office) are available.

Program Materials:

Gulfcoast North AHEC ICHS                                           Infosheet          Application

Application deadline is Thursday, April 14, 2011

Gulfcoast South AHEC ICHS                                          Infosheet          Application
Application deadline is Friday, April 08, 2011

Contact:

Gulfcoast North AHEC

Vanessa Travieso
Tobacco Training Coordinator
(813)929-1000
vtravieso@gnahec.org

Gulfcoast South AHEC

Charlene Chirillo

Tobacco Program Coordinator

(941)552-1280

cchirill@health.usf.edu

Edna Apostol
CEO
(941)552-1280
eapostol@health.usf.edu