Recruitment
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Search Program |
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FLORIDA AHEC SEARCH . . . |
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PREPARING HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS FOR FUTURE CLINICAL PRACTICE IN ONE OF FLORIDA’S UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES |
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What is Florida SEARCH? |
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The Florida Student/Resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health (SEARCH) program provides opportunities for health professions students and residents to serve on multidisciplinary health care teams in underserved communities throughout the state of Florida. Florida SEARCH supports the mission of the National Health Service Corps Program (NHSC) which is to ensure access to primary health care services by underserved communities and vulnerable populations through the recruitment and retention of primary health care professionals in federally designated primary care, dental and mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). |
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Florida SEARCH Opportunities |
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Florida SEARCH provides opportunities for students to put their classroom experiences in practice in a health care setting and to train on multidisciplinary primary health care teams. The SEARCH curriculum is designed to nurture the development of culturally competent, community focused primary care and allied health care providers. |
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Florida SEARCH students will select one of five clinical track rotations for a 6-week community-based clinical experience at a community health center. Students will form interdisciplinary teams comprising of three students each. Florida SEARCH scholars will receive a $3,000 stipend payable upon the successful completion of clinical rotation requirements. In addition to the clinical experience, students will be required to complete the following: a community project proposal, an assessment of the community, a community project as part of the interdisciplinary team and participate in three webinars prior to the summer experience. A project report or PowerPoint presentation and a 2 page reflection paper on the student’s experience will be required as well. Students are expected to participate in a statewide networking meeting with other scholars and preceptors and participate in the group presentation of their community project. |
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Eligibility |
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NHSC-scholars and non-NHSC scholars from the following health professions will be recruited to participate in Florida SEARCH: allopathic and osteopathic residents in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and psychiatry; medical students, dentists and dental hygienists; clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurse specialists, marriage and family therapists; family/primary care nurse practitioners; primary care physician assistants; and certified nurse-midwives. Students completing at least one year of the health professional training program that are in good academic standing are eligible to apply. |
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HOW TO APPLY |
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Florida SEARCH 2011 For more information, contact us at Big Bend Area Health Education Center |
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Community Health Workers |
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Community Health Workers (CHWs) are community members who work almost exclusively in community settings and promote health among groups that have traditionally lacked access to adequate care. CHWs come from the same neighborhoods and share the same cultural experiences as the people they serve, thus bridging the gap between healthcare agencies and local communities (W.K. Kellogg Foundation). Our community health worker (CHW) training program, based on national models and in collaboration with community organizations, trains and supports community health workers (CHWs) who provide health promotion and disease prevention education for at-risk populations in medically underserved areas. CHWs are lay people that are trained to help individuals and groups take greater control over their health and their lives. They promote healthy living by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate education on disease prevention and by helping community members understand and access health and human service systems. CHWs are uniquely qualified to motivate others in their community because they are respected members of these communities, understand what is meaningful to those communities, communicate in the language of the people and recognize and incorporate cultural practices (e.g., cultural identity, spiritual coping, traditional health practices) when appropriate to help community members cope with stress and promote better health outcomes. |